After just over two months since its release, Zorin OS 17 has been downloaded over half a million times. More than 78% of these downloads came from proprietary platforms like Windows and macOS, reflecting our mission to bring the power of Linux to new people and to grow the community for the benefit of all.
Ever since; we’ve been listening to your feedback and working tirelessly to make our greatest operating system even better. We’re excited to bring you these improvements with the release of Zorin OS 17.1 today.
What’s new
Enhanced Windows App Support
To craft the most user-friendly desktop experience, we endeavor to support the widest selection of apps and games in Zorin OS. With this new release, we’re making it even easier to run your favorite apps, regardless of which platform they were originally developed for.
Tailored alternatives to more Windows apps
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.
For example, launching the Windows installers for apps like the Opera Browser or Todoist now directs you to install their native Linux versions from the built-in Software store. This makes it even easier to get the most compatible versions of these apps for the best experience in Zorin OS.
Powered by Wine 9.0
When you run Windows-native apps in Zorin OS 17.1, you’ll now get the full capabilities of the latest Wine 9.0 version. The compatibility layer now has significantly improved support for more Windows software. That means you’ll be able to run an even larger selection of apps & games effortlessly.
Now includes Bottles
When you enable Windows App Support in Zorin OS 17.1, it now comes bundled with Bottles. This tool lets you run Windows software in a sandboxed environment and provides a neat way to organize your apps and games. Bottles comes with a built-in app store, which installs and pre-configures a growing selection of Windows apps for even better compatibility with the system.
Education edition now available
We’re thrilled to launch Zorin OS 17.1 Education alongside the Core and Pro editions today. It pairs the latest improvements to Zorin OS with educational software that makes learning better and more impactful at pre-schools, primary, and secondary schools.
Reading Strip
Based on the feedback from teachers and students around the world, we’ve now included Reading Strip in Zorin OS 17.1 Education. When enabled from the “Interface” section of Zorin Appearance, you’ll instantly see a visual guide that follows your cursor to help you focus while reading.
It’s especially beneficial to students affected by dyslexia and ADHD, allowing them to study more efficiently and achieve better learning outcomes.
Logseq
To help students and teachers organize their classwork, we’ve included Logseq. It’s your second brain, a one-stop toolbox to manage your knowledge and think better.
Take notes, write journals, create flashcards, reference links between your essays with the graph view, and collaborate with whiteboards in one place. It’s Open Source and respects your privacy, so you have total control over your data.
The latest LibreOffice
LibreOffice is one of the most essential apps in Zorin OS, and with this new release, it’s getting even better. We’ve included LibreOffice 24.2, the latest version of the award-winning office suite.
It brings even better compatibility with Microsoft Office/365 documents, new options in the comments feature for easier collaboration, enhancements to the user interface, and many other improvements. Learn more about what’s new ›
With this upgrade, we’re further achieving our goal of making Zorin OS the best alternative to Windows for work.
Newer apps
Many other pre-installed apps are updated in Zorin OS 17.1 for a more feature-rich experience out-of-the-box. That also means you’ll need to download fewer software updates after installing Zorin OS onto your computer.
Built-in support for Flatpak, AppImage, and Snap packages ensures you’ll have the latest versions of your favorite apps in Zorin OS 17 for years to come.
Thumbnails for more file formats
The Files app and file picker dialog will now display informative thumbnails for even more file formats:
.exe installers
.AppImage apps
RAW images
.epub ebooks
It’s a minor improvement that makes a meaningful contribution to a more cohesive and productive workflow.
New Window Placement option in Zorin Appearance
By popular demand, we’ve introduced the option to set how to place new windows from the “Interface” section of Zorin Appearance. You can now choose between new windows appearing Centered or Spread out across the desktop.
Better security and compatibility
Many built-in system technologies have received improvements for better security, compatibility, and performance. Zorin OS 17.1 is now powered by the same version of the Linux kernel and graphics stack as in the latest Ubuntu 23.10. It comes with updated drivers, bringing even better support for a wider range of hardware, such as:
Intel Core Ultra processors
AMD Zen 4 CPUs (including newer Ryzen and EPYC chips)
NVIDIA graphics cards
Wi-Fi 7 chipsets
Steam Deck
More game controllers
The latest security patches are also pre-installed throughout the system. That means you can have peace of mind knowing you’re using the most secure version of Zorin OS ever.
The Zorin OS 17 version series will continue to get support with software updates and security patches until June 2027.
How to get Zorin OS 17.1
Upgrade
If you’re using Zorin OS 17. You can upgrade to Zorin OS 17.1 by installing the latest updates from the Software Updater today.
If you’re using Zorin OS 16. You can perform an in-place upgrade to Zorin OS 17.1 without erasing your files and data. To do so, view our upgrade guide ›
Download
All editions of Zorin OS 17.1 are available from our website.
Download Zorin OS 17.1
If you’ve already purchased Zorin OS 17 Pro, you can download a new copy of Zorin OS 17.1 Pro from the download link in your original purchase email. If you lost access to this email, you can resend it here.
Buy a computer
Thinking of getting a new computer? Buy a laptop or desktop with Zorin OS 17.1 pre-installed from our computer brand partners who help contribute to the Zorin OS project, like Laptop with Linux ›
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