A mom's favorite Linux distro, Zorin OS

As you look at what Zorin OS looks like in the tour below, notice how normal my computer looks. This isn't a demo for fun or a hobby project. This is my computer. I do e-mail, notes, write using an office suite of programs (spreadsheets, slides, word processor, etc), print school flyers, browse the internet, buy stuff, and more.

You don't see ads. You just see the essentials and fun stuff my family uses.

Because I use Linux An alternative to Windows or MacOS on computers. , I have a computer that is obedient to me. I own it. I set settings and there isn't some company or refresh or update that changes them.

The thing I like about Zorin is that it is a privacy-respecting organization. I like that. I like the look. It has just the right amount of slick feel and batteries-included. In other words, I like the look and the features they include. I like that there's no bloatware.

More recently, they've said they don't plan on cramming unwanted AI into everything. I like that.

I think we can often get stuck on "the devil you know" and miss out on something much better. I wish I had switched a long long time ago.

I'm showing customization in the task bar

Now that I've shared why I like Zorin and how normal it looks, let me walk you through some of the customization options and some of the apps I use.

When you first install Zorin, it looks more like old Windows, and not like what I'm showing you here. The default has a full task bar along the bottom with a "start menu" type thing on the left. It works and I used it that way for a long time, but then I thought I'd see how I like customizing it.

I used taskbar settings to change the look of Zorin, and this is something that's built in and ready for you to play with.

The desktop is set up, and you can see right away in the task bar some of the programs I use.

We play Minecraft. I use Steam for games. Brave is my main browser Lets you visit pages on the internet, examples are Safari, Edge, Firefox, or Brave. , but I have Firefox and Chrome installed ffor when I need them. I haven't actually needed Chrome. The grey square is the Gnome (not a silent G, more like GUH-nome) files app, a file explorer program. There are others you can choose from out there in the App center. The white square with the pencil is the Gnome notes app, which is just plain text notes. The purple rock is Obsidian, a free (but not open source Software whose code is publicly available and modifiable. Transparency, collaboration, and often free as in free lunch are important parts of the open source model. ) notes app that I recently started testing.

The little penguin is Tux Paint, which is the closest thing to KidPix I've seen. It's a drawing game with stamps, sound effects, and fun, goofy stuff to do to your drawings.

Now I'll show you how to see the full inventory of apps you would have installed. The 9-dot applications menu on the left in the task bar gets you the view in the screenshot above. It shows you a search bar where you can just start typing, and your programs you've installed. There are a number of Gnome applications (calendar, clock, calculator, photos, contacts).

Gnome is the desktop environment that comes with Zorin, and it comes with a set of basic applications. There are a lot of different desktop environments in Linux An alternative to Windows or MacOS on computers. distros Bundles the Linux kernel with other software components for a complete operating system . A desktop environment handles windows, menus, and the overall look of the desktop. You don't need to do anything special to get started with Gnome apps. A lot of the most useful ones are bundled in here for you.

I just want to mention this next program because it's so impressive. You can also see Blender, the orange thing on the top row. It's a free open source Software whose code is publicly available and modifiable. Transparency, collaboration, and often free as in free lunch are important parts of the open source model. (FOSS) program for animation and 3D modeling. I have it installed for creating and editing video game assets like characters and objects.

There are many creative tools out there, but the mundane everyday ones are just as important. You have options for your file managers. I have stuck with the plain one, called Gnome files, and that's the one I have in the next screen shot.

This files app will look and feel familiar. It's not difficult to get used to or find the options you need for things like sorting, searching, and viewing or hiding hidden files files and folders that your system hides by default, usually to keep important system files out of the way .

How to customize desktop settings

Desktop settings has a lot of options for customizing, and I just want to touch on it briefly.

Right click on the desktop and you get some options. The bottom one is "Settings" where you can change some appearance and theme options.

If you want to add a background to your computer, change the accent colors, and increase or decrease the general font size, you can go to the settings menu.

There are a lot of things you can do from there, for wifi, bluetooth, default applications, etc.

Customize the task bar

The task bar is the part you interact with the most, and has a lot of options, so I think it deserves a special look.

The dock, or task bar, can really change the look and feel of the desktop. I've come to like the centered task bar where it's not far to get to the applications menu and search.

Then, you can do a lot in this next menu. I'll mention a few of the options because it's not obvious what they are, and you might end up hunting for something right in front of you, like I did.

"Panel thickness" can increase the size of the icons in the task bar.

"Panel length" can make it short or stretch 100% all the way across the bottom of the screen.

"Anchor" means you can put the task bar across the bottom, top, left, or right sides.

"Show Applications button" shows you the 9-dot applications button.

"Activities button" is what you can do to allow or hide the workspace switching button from the task bar.

"Desktop button" is that little rectangle on the far right side in the task bar. It shows you the desktop and minimizes windows when you click it. I like that option so I selected it to be visible.

I selected an option to display the gnome bar at the top of the screen, and that shows you the system menu, the workspace switcher, and the date and time.

You can get to that under appearance in the main system settings we got to from the Desktop. In Zorin Appearance, you can select a theme that centers the bottom task bar and adds the top bar like I have.

Conclusion

I hope this tour gives you a better idea of how normal daily life could look like on Zorin OS. Like many Linux An alternative to Windows or MacOS on computers. distributions ( distros Bundles the Linux kernel with other software components for a complete operating system ), you can live a normal life with it as a normal person doing normal things.

Zorin has community forums online where people have asked questions and gotten answers. I haven't had to ask anything, and the only issues I've had were with the printer. I'll write a separate post on how to troubleshoot your printer with Linux An alternative to Windows or MacOS on computers. .

It can feel intimidating to switch, even for someone like me who's technical. I hesitated for a long time because I needed a computer that worked and that I could rely on. Little did I realize that I was holding on to an operating system The core software that manages a computer and lets applications run. This would be Windows or MacOS on computers, Android or iOS for phones, for example. that was failing me over and over. Linux An alternative to Windows or MacOS on computers. has been so much nicer to use.

Zorin takes away some of that mental load of working with something that might look different.

OK so it looks similar, but does it act similar? I think so. I didn't lose functionality. I gained functionality and control. I have peace of mind knowing I don't have to fight my computer.

If you're curious about this, you can use a live USB to test on your very computer. Make sure not to install until you're ready, and you need to back up your computer's files so you don't lose anything.

Another option just to see what distros Bundles the Linux kernel with other software components for a complete operating system look like and which you might like, is a website called Distrosea. This website allows you to use a virtual machine in your browser Lets you visit pages on the internet, examples are Safari, Edge, Firefox, or Brave. to play around in a distro Bundles the Linux kernel with other software components for a complete operating system . They have many to choose from, including Mint Cinnamon and Zorin OS.