Zorin Lite

Hello,
I have a question regarding the Linux Zorin Lite Live CD. I downloaded the live cd from the link I was given in a different post --- Zorin Lite is available at this link, using the "Lite" tab http://zorin-os.com/free6.html (post was http://forums.majorgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=284783&highlight=zorin)

Anyway, I like this distro but have been having an issue with it and I even tried downloading the Live CD again to see if it was a problem with my original download but the same thing occurs.

After the program is up and running everything works great and I have no issues with getting connected to the internet or connecting my printers to the computer either (all are done very easily). However, when I go to shut down the computer it freezes / hangs at shutdown. I click to shut down and the shutdown process starts, then the cd is ejected from the drive a (cd drive opens up) and then the white circles in the center of the screen just keep rotating. The only way I can shut down the computer completely is to hit ctrl+alt+del multiple times and then the computer shuts down.

I have tried registering at the Linux Zorin Forum but I never got the confirmation email so that I can post there to ask them about this problem.

I really would like to install this on that Dell Dimension 4400 desktop pc but am concerned that the problem will still be there. I also tried installing the newest version of Zorin to a flash drive and using the Plop to install from there since the pc will boot from the flash drive but every time I have tried using the Plop it freezes at Loading UHC1 Drivers - searching on hosts - host 1 and then it goes no further (just thought that maybe the newest version of Zorin might act differently which is why I was trying those steps)

Any ideas as to why the Zorin Lite version 6 won't shut down?

Thanks!

 

I'd guess bad coding. I have not tried Zorin but I've tried other distros that do this so I end up holding in the power button to turn the computer off. It isn't you, the CD or your computer; it is the distro.

 

Actually I doubt that it is the distro, I have it installed and it works perfectly. But why play around with the lite version you can download the full version anywhere here. Download the .iso and burn it to a disk and you're up and running.

http://us.yhs4.search.yahoo.com/yhs...nt_com&hspart=ddc&hsimp=yhs-linuxmint&iscqry=

 

IMO, it is probably the coding on the CD. The LiveCD uses "generic drivers" for a multitude of hardware. The shutdown button is just a script to shut down services in an orderly fashion. Once the CD is ejected, the script usually asks the user to press Enter to continue; are you pressing Enter? If not, there's your problem. Give it a try again to verify.

If so, it sounds like the script is hanging, trying to shutdown something that is already shut down, or wasn't installed because it's a LiveCD. LiveCDs aren't perfect, and I've had a few hang on occassion.

It sounds like everything else is working for you on that machine, and it sounds like you LIKE the distro. I would go ahead and make the installation to hardware. There's a very good chance it will perform even better on actual hardware, rather than a CD drive!

 

The full version is a nice distro also, looking eerily similar to Windows7. But Zorin uses a Gnome desktop, while Zorin Lite uses an LXDE desktop. While Zorin certainly offers a nice user experience, Zorin Lite will absolutely offer a faster, snappier, more responsive system, due to the lighter resource usage of the LXDE desktop. Because of their hardware specs (think "netbook class" of machines), a Lite version is sometimes necessary. Admittedly, this comes with the trade-off of a slightly less-featured system. Although you can install additional free software after it's on your system.

It also comes with the caveat that Zorin Lite will fit on a CD, while Zorin must be burned to a DVD, as it is too large for a CD. For folks who lack the appropriate DVD hardware on their machines, the full version of Zorin just isn't an option. And if their machine doesn't allow booting from a LiveUSB stick (a strong possibility for a machine that also lacks DVD capability!), it is easier to try Zorin Lite on a CD that it is to attempt the scary-sounding proposition of booting a PLoP Live-CD, selecting USB boot from the PLoP menu, and booting from a LiveUSB stick.

 

Thanks for the replies.... I really do appreciate it. I am glad to hear that it isn't something that I am doing incorrectly.

Just as you stated Hedon James ~ I went with the Zorin Lite version 6 because it will fit onto a CD and the Dell only has a CD drive so I can't burn the larger version to a DVD (even though I do have an external DVD drive connection to the pc via USB port) and then boot from that one. (tried doing that and it won't work).

Once the CD has been ejected I did not see a message to press Enter to continue. Just tried putting the CD in and starting the pc and then shutting it down and there is no message but this time I hit the enter key after the disc was ejected and it does shut right down. I never even thought to try that. Thanks.

I really do like this distro - especially for this old desktop since it is just kept around "in case of an emergency" and it was easier to learn than the other distros. I found a few others (peppermint and slacko puppy) that I liked but with the Zorin version being very similar to windows I won't have to spend a lot of time learning the new system on a pc that is only for those rare occasions when it might be needed. I may go with another distro on my laptop which is running vista premium but for now I just want to get rid of the XP since everyone will eventually stop supporting it. And I already know that the Zorin version recognizes and connects to both printers (a Samsung 1210 laser and an HP Officejet j4680 which is connected wirelessly) without having to find the proper drivers for it.

I know that I will need to take some time to learn any of the other distros - but for this pc the zorin will work fine.

I just wanted to make sure that there was not some other issue before I go and install it onto the pc and then find out there are shut down issues. (not like I won't be making a final backup of the pc with true image before converting to Linux - but just wanted to make sure). Guess I should also make sure that the True Image will work with this distro as well - hadn't thought about that till right now.

I was looking into adding the rest of the software after I have installed the software onto the pc and it looks like I can in fact get / download everything else that is available on the full version once it is installed.

Thanks So Very Much for the assistance!

Lisa

 

Lisa it's good to see that you are taking all the neccessary precautions prior to installing Zorin. True image is a Windows application and will not work with Linux. It will of course restore your Windows image if you need to. If you want to image your Linux installation then Google for "Redo Backup". I use it and it is a doddle to use and you can use it on Windows too.

PS: You can get it here: http://redobackup.org/

 

Thanks for the tip on RedoBackup Ewen! I'm a cross-platform software junkie who's into programs that run on multiple systems. I had never heard of Redo, but it looks like another tool for the toolbox.

Also, FWIW, any LiveCD of Linux can make a disk image with a command line tool called "disk druid". Disk Druid is simply used with a command of

Code:

sudo dd if=/dev/sda of=/dev/sdb/disk.img bs=1M

Where sudo invokes "administrative privileges"; dd invokes "disk druid"; if specifies the "input field" and of is the "output field."

In order to determine the input and output fields, boot into the LiveCD, plug in a USB drive that is equal to or greater than the amount of data to be backed up/imaged, and go to Disk Utility on the LiveCD. Disk Utility will show available devices and how Linux identifies them with properties.

For instance, a 100GB usb drive is attached to backup/image a WinXP drive with 85GB of data (even though the hard drive is 250GB, only 85GB are used). Disk Utility properties identify the 250GB hard drive as sda, and a 100GB drive as sdb (make CERTAIN you have identified the drives appropriately or you may overwrite your source of image before it is imaged!!!). The backup/image command will be:

Code:

sudo dd if=/dev/sda of=/dev/sdb WinXP.img bs=1M

where /dev/sda is the source drive of your WinXP installation, /dev/sdb is the destination where your image of that drive is to be saved to, WinXP.img (you can call it whatever you want) is the name you have specified for the backup with *.img being the image format of the created image, and with bs=1M being a "switch" for larger block sizes of the clone process, in order to speed up the operation a bit. Even so, this could be a lengthy process.

Alternatively, nearly all LiveCDs come with gPartEd installed. gPartEd can be used to "copy" a partition and "paste" to external drive, creating a "clone" of the existing WinXP hard drive image.

Although RedoBackup looks much simpler with its GUI interface. Just sharing the knowledge, FWIW...

 

Thanks for the input about True Image! I haven't had a chance to look into whether or not True Image would word yet and now I know. I will have to look into the 2 options given and will look into that link for Redo Backup!

And, just as you stated Ewen - I am most definitely trying to take all the necessary precautions and check everything out prior to the installation of Zorin.

Thanks Again!