Exploring the Windows-like Linux distros ChaletOS and Zorin OS

Updates

You are advised to bring the system up to date after installation, because Ubuntu 14.04 is already quite out of date. Just click System Tools | Administration  | Software Updater. The system searches for updated packages in the repositories and suggests these packages for installation. You can launch the update by clicking Install Now (Figure 8).

Figure 8: Thanks to update management, you can keep the system up to date with a few clicks of your mouse.

Windows Software

Like ChaletOS, Zorin OS offers the Wine run-time environment for Windows programs, integrated by default. It also provides the Gecko and Mono add-on packages, so you do not need to download them manually. Additionally, Zorin OS has PlayOnLinux at its disposal as a graphical front end for Wine.

As with ChaletOS, complex software packages still overwhelm the Wine environment. Various reference works function smoothly, but Wine was stumped by Encyclopaedia Britannica, which as an intricately designed interface filled with a large array of multimedia content.

Conclusion

ChaletOS and Zorin OS demonstrate the versatility of Linux. Both systems make emigrating from Windows easy, and in many cases, the pre-installed Wine compatibility software allows you to use the Windows programs you still need. ChaletOS and Zorin OS let Windows defectors get used to Linux without a lot of special training.

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