AnduinOS and Zorin OS
Written on Aug 13, 2026
I have nothing against Linux distributions based on Ubuntu. Linux Mint, which is what I use, is based on Ubuntu. Ubuntu itself is based on Debian, the testing branch to be exact. Both AnduinOS and Zorin OS are based on Ubuntu.
Like the Cinnamon edition of Linux Mint (again, it's what i use), AnduinOS and Zorin OS are touted as beginner-friendly distributions designed to make it easy for people to move away Windows and the Microsoft ecosystem.
Desktop Environments
Both of these distributions use heavily-customized and modified GNOME desktop environments. Unlike the vanilla and Ubuntu-modified GNOME versions, which I despise, I don't dislike these at all. The discontinued Zorin OS "Lite" version used the Xfce desktop environment.
The new "Core" version uses GNOME, just like the others. The AnduinOS default layout is designed to mimic Windows 11, while others just use the same desktop paradigm. It even uses the same terminology as Windows, such as "taskbar" instead of "panel".
I've been testing both of them in virtual machines for a couple of days, trying to identify what makes them special. I have yet to discover anything that could lure me away from Linux Mint.
Software Packages
AnduinOS pulls packages from Ubuntu repositories as well as its own. It doesn't support the Canonical Snap software packaging and deployment system, but it supports Flatpaks. Zorin OS pulls packages from Ubuntu repositories as well as its own, and it supports both Snaps and Flatpaks.
I'm sure I can remove the Snap system and replace Firefox with Zorin OS as easily as I did with Kubuntu, if I intend to use it as a daily driver. That thought has yet to enter my mind.
It doesn't matter what the default applications are installed for the web browser, music player, and video player because they can all be replaced. I prefer Firefox, Quod Libet, and VLC. Others may prefer Brave, Rhythmbox, Celluloid, or something else.
Conclusion
The more I examine other Linux distributions, the more I appreciate the Cinnamon edition of Linux Mint. Developers are working hard to make it better than it has ever been before, especially with all the new applets, extensions, and desklets.
My laptop benefits more from the changes than my mini PC, but that's okay. I use my mini PC when I'm at home and my laptop when I'm in the United States.
Image by Canonical Ltd., GPLv3, via Wikimedia Commons