Ahead of the Zorin OS 17 release (due later this month), a beta version is available for download and testing.
Zorin OS 17 rebases on top of Ubuntu 22.04 LTS and the Linux 6.2 kernel but, interestingly, ships with GNOME 43 and not GNOME 42, which is the default in Ubuntu 22.04.
Given the substantial leap from GNOME 3.38 used in previous Zorin OS releases, this version offers much improved performance and several major user experience changes, such as a horizontal workspace switcher, interactive screenshot tool, and button-based Quick Settings menu.
Zorin OS 17 builds out from those solid foundations with a slew of GNOME Shell extensions, though not all are enabled by default.
Amongst them is an enhanced Zorin menu extension that lets you search for files, calendar appointments, contacts, apps, world clocks… Pretty much anything the standard GNOME Shell overview can do show, the Zorin menu can too.
And, as in upstream GNOME Shell, you can turn search providers/helpers on or off from the Settings app.
The Zorin Appearance app now includes options to enable a 3D desktop cube and a ‘spatial window switcher’, which replaces the standard alt + tab one with a slick, animated version.
Neither effect is exclusive to Zorin OS. Both are branded versions of the Desktop Cube and Coverflow Alt Tab GNOME Shell extensions, also available for Ubuntu users without the need to switch distributions.
Neither effect is exclusive to Zorin OS; both features are branded forks of the Desktop Cube and Coverflow Alt Tab GNOME Shell extensions. Those are also available for Ubuntu users so there’s no need to switch distro if you wanna use ’em!
Also included in Zorin OS 17 is fork of the Tiling Assistant extension Ubuntu 23.10 now includes by default. Quarter tiling, horizontal half-tiling, and smart suggestions when snapping windows around are available when this setting is turned on.
Finally, a pair of new desktop and menu layouts modelled after GNOME 2 and Chrome OS are available in Zorin OS 17 Pro, the paid version of this release.
App versions:
- Mozilla Firefox (Flatpak)
- LibreOffice 7.6
- Evolution 3.44
- Rhythmbox 3.4.4
- GNOME Calendar 41
Some default applications, including the to-do app, GNOME Maps, GIMP, and games have been removed from the default install.
Download Zorin OS 17 Beta
You can download the Zorin OS 17 beta from the project website.
Beta builds aren’t intended for general use, but for testing. Expect bugs, rough edges, and potential stability issues (though most of the core components making up Zorin OS 17 have been stable for a while, so things shouldn’t be too choppy).
The final, stable release of Zorin OS 17 will appear later this month. That release will be supported with core updates and security fixes until April 2027.
Once stable, it will be possible to upgrade Zorin OS 16 to 17 directly.
