Major Installation Failure

I really like Zorin OS, however the error below leaves me very frustrated...

process:111 GLib-WARNING ** getpuuid_r (): failed due to unknown user id (0)

( 111 = a variable PID which changes on each bootup of the DVD )

I have attempted to install and/or run Zorin OS 3.0 Ultimate 32-bit Edition on a Dell Latitude C-510, then a C-610, and finally on a D-610, all of which show this very same error whether I attempt to boot from DVD to either run it live from the DVD or go directly to the install mode from DVD.

I would expect this error and/or problems with Zorin OS 4 and 5 because they are based on Non-LTS Ubuntu versions, (10.10 and 11.04, respectively), however, Zorin OS 3 is based on Ubuntu 10.04LTS, and Ubuntu 10.04LTS itself runs just fine from the live CD and/or installs just fine on all 3 laptops; thus I rule out Ubuntu itself as being the issue.

Based on this information above, I also rule out any sort of hardware failure on the part of each laptop as being the issue since Ubuntu works fine with each laptop, but Zorin OS 3.0 Ultimate 32-bit does not.

Next, as noted above, I tried to run or install the Ultimate Edition (version 3.0 of Zorin OS) and it failed to run or install on any of these 3 laptops, HOWEVER, just like plain old vanilla Ubuntu 10.04LTS, with Zorin OS 3.1 Core (the free version, NOT Ultimate), Zorin OS Core 3.1 installed just fine.

Sadly, there's no Zorin OS 3.1 Ultimate in a 32-bit Edition or I'd try it out. It was my plan and hope to create such an IS by installing Zorin OS 3.0 Ultimate, then upgrade it with the latest software versions, copy over the artwork from the Zorin OS Core 3.1 DVD, and then finally create my ISO of Zorin OS 3.1 Ultimate 32-bit Edition by using Remastersys,......but, alas, the best laid plans of mice, men, and Linux geeks..

So, in conclusion, it's not Ubuntu or my hardware, it's something that was done with Zorin OS Ultimate.

For the record, Zorin OS Core 3.0 (NOT 3.1), 4.0, and 5.0, also gave me issues on all 3 laptops.

Time to dig into the code Devs. :)

I think some of the issues are Ubuntu based rather than Zorin based.

See, for me, it's likethis:

Ubuntu 10.04LTS = Installs normally.
Zorin OS Core 3.0 = Fails (even though it is based on Ubuntu 10.04LTS)
Zorin OS Core 3.1 = Installs normally (it is based on Ubuntu 10.04LTS)

Zorin OS Ultimate 3.0 = Fails (even though it is based on Ubuntu 10.04LTS)

Theory Follows..................

Zorin OS Ultimate 3.1 = Which would be based on Ubuntu 10.04LTS, MAY install fine if it follows Zorin OS Core 3.1's path.

You see, both Core and Ultimate of 3.0 fail, but Core of 3.1 is fine... if you take Core 3.1 + Ultimate's add-ons, such as the artwork and the Look-Changer Plus, in theory, it would install fine - hopefully.

Where I'm going with this post though is that it appears that the problem is within Zorin OS, not Ubuntu 10.04LTS.

Now as for Zorin OS being rushed out the door.....well, again, as I've posted in the past, any fork of Ubuntu is going to have its' roots in debian-testing for the LTS and debian-unstable for the Non-LTS; thus at least in his lineage from Shuttleworth and Company, of course it's rushed and that will and does affect Zorin OS. Until you break away from Ubuntu, or until Ubuntu changes their processes, there's no escaping that problem of "rushed releases". In short, if you poor a lousy foundation (Ubuntu) and then build upon it (Zorin OS), no matter how nicely the walls are built, the foundation upon which the house sits, is fundamentally and foundationally flawed.

I personally would like to see Zorin OS stick with the LTS and stability vs. "keeping up with the Jones" (or The Shuttleworths) in the future. Ubuntu itself is being dumbed down for the casual user, and not in a good way. Zorin OS lets people have the option of Gnome 2, Luna (XP), Vista/7 (Aero), and Mac OS X (Aqua). Zorin OS is going the direction Ubuntu SHOULD have gone in, but instead the FOSS world went crazy somewhere and created Unity and Gnome 3.

Anyway, back to my point.............. I think the problem exists in Zorin OS 3.0 (Core and Ultimate) but not in 3.1 (Core at least, since Ultimate does not exist in 3.1) moreso than the problem exists in Ubuntu 10.04LTS.

All of the above is my experiences and opinions though, so other people's milage may vary.

UPDATE: So I tried to boot the live DVD of Zorin OS Ultimate (Version 3.0 32-bit) and I recieved the exact same error on my HP NC6000 laptop as I did on the previous 3 Dell laptops.

So now I have ruled out Dell as well. I suspect if I tried this on an Acer, Sony, Toshiba, etc, I'd experience the exact same problem.

Devs? Zorin OS Team? Zorin Group? I think this warrants looking into. Is anyone looking at this issue at all?

I only update, never upgrade. In other words, I will update 10.04LTS of Ubuntu to 10.04.1LTS, .2,.3 (which is it is now on my Ubuntu box) and soon .4; but I never upgrade from say LTS to LTS (8.04LTS to 10.04LTS or down the roadl, 10.04 to 12.04), I just freformat and re-install, then I re-mount /home.... So in this thread, these are newy (attempted) installs.

Calling all Developers of Zorin OS.........

I'm going to mail the Devs on this one.

Not in my case, the optical drive isn't failing because other Linux distros install just fine from CD / DVD.

All,

In short, I emailed the Developers about an issue with the "Look Changer" (See note and link below for further details on that issue), but alas in that email, I was told that they are working on Zorin OS 6.0 (based on Ubuntu 11.10 - an unstable release as noted by my preaching about using the LTS versions instead for the sake of stability) and that they are not looking at doing any further coding for Zorin OS 3.1.

Zorin OS 3.0 is based on Ubuntu 10.04LTS and Zorin OS 3.1 is based on Ubuntu 10.04.3LTS, thus Zorin 3x is the LTS release for Zorin OS....and while I agree that one can install Zorin OS 3.1 and just update it as needed to be the same as Ubuntu 10.04.4LTS when that comes out,.....that's not the issue at hand here. The issue is that Zorin OS 3.0 Ultimate fails miserably for me on several different PC models and makes.

I think that since Zorin OS Ultimate is Zorin OS Core + Look Changer Plus + some extra software which is easily installable on Core from Software Center / Synaptic, there's some real issues with it as noted above. Since Core is given away and Ultimate must be donated monies for in order to get it, had I paid for Ultimate, I'd be more than upset.

If it were the case where it didn't work one one PC, ok. I can accept that. No software is perfect.
Two PCs? Maybe.
Three? Umm... Real issues here....
A fourth PC by another manufactorer? Ok. Really???

I will say that I was given the Ultimate version so I may test it out. It was my intent to create some screenshots and some screencasts with the intent of promoting it, training users, and overall to help users out.

I * can * not * do * that * if * it * does * not * install!!!

I think I'm be more than reasonable here, and don't mean to rant, but seriously.... I'm not the only one having issues, and as I've noted elsewhere, I've been using computers since 1978 when I was 11-12 years old. That's 32-33 years and counting. I started out on UNIX, shortly after punchcards faded. I've programmed in Apple BASIC, I've used Macs from System 6 to 9, I've used every version of Windows ever made from 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 3.1,3.1.1, NT 3.5.1, NT 4.0, Windows 95, 98, ME, 200, Server 2000/2003/2008, Windows Vista, Windows 7 and even the Developer's version of Windows 8. I've ran Slackware, Fedora, Red Hat, Ubuntu, Linux Mint, Moon OS, Zorin OS, countless other Linux distributions..... and I even have a server room in my house with rackmounted gear.

In short, I'm a huge effing geek.....and I admit it.

I'm not saying I know it all, no one does... I'm saying that I've been at this longer than many have been alive and I have some pretty good real-world experience in troubleshooting issues and solving them if I can. I'm not 100% (and who is???) but I have a good success rate.

If Zorin OS is going to charge donations for the Ultimate version, they need to fix it.
See my post from today ( 09-28-2011) on this thread viewtopic.php?f=5&t=990 regarding an email conversation with the developers about the Zorin OS Look Changer.