Zorin OS 17.1 Released with Better Windows App Support + More

A new version of Zorin OS is available for download.

Zorin OS 17.1 is the follow up to Zorin OS 17, which was released in December. It is based on Ubuntu 22.04.4 LTS and ships with the latest HWE stack pulled from Ubuntu 23.10, meaning users get a newer Linux kernel and a set of updated graphics drivers.

Beyond foundations, the new Zorin OS 17.1 update improves the distro’s (nifty) Windows app integration by including the (epic) Wine 9.0 release and the (underrated) Bottles utility.

“We’ve expanded our built-in database to detect installer files for popular Windows apps and games. It now supports over 100 apps, providing even more tailored recommendations for alternatives to sideloading their Windows executables,” the distro adds.

Those “recommendations” are something I dig (and said so in my Zorin OS 16 coverage, the first version to include Windows app support). It’s neat because if a user tries to use a Windows installer for an app with a native Linux version, Zorin OS tells them about it – advocacy 101, that!

Thumbnails for more files, plus window placement options

Other changes in Zorin OS 17.1 include

Thumbnails for .exe, .AppImage, .epub, & RAW images
New ‘Window Placement’ option in Zorin Appearance
Updated software, including LibreOffice 24.2

There’s also a new Zorin OS Education edition which “pairs the latest improvements to Zorin OS with educational software that makes learning better and more impactful”. It’s not aimed at home users (unless they’re feeling swotty) but educators, schools, STEM tutors, etc.

Zorin OS 17.1 Education edition ships with the Reading Strip GNOME Shell extension to make on-screen highlighting easier (said to help those with dyslexia or ADHD), and open-source education/learning software such as Loqseq, Scratch, LibreCAD, Minetest, and others.

In all, a clutch of contentious changes to this well-regarded Linux distribution.

Download Zorin OS 17.1

Keen to try it out? You can download Zorin OS 17.1 from the distribution’s official website where it’s available in a free “Core” edition (‘for basic use’) and a paid “Pro” edition (costs £48, includes more apps, and unlocks “premium” features, themes, artwork etc).

Users already running the distro can upgrade to Zorin OS 17.1 from 17 by installing all available updates in the Software Updater tool.

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