Zorin OS 18.1 released – and the Lite edition reappears • The Register

https://www.theregister.com/2026/04/21/zorin_os_181_released/

Publish Date: 2026-04-21 16:52:00

The latest point release of Zorin OS is here, as an interesting alternative to Linux Mint for those still searching for a replacement for Windows 10 as the dust settles over the ruins.

Zorin OS 18.1 is out. This is the first point release of the company’s Ubuntu Noble-based series, arriving some six months after Zorin OS 18, whose beta version we looked at in September last year. This release picks up the updates from February’s Ubuntu 24.04.4, including kernel 6.17 from the Ubuntu Questing Quokka release.

The subsequent Ubuntu LTS release, 26.04, is due later this week, and last month we looked at the Resolute Raccoon beta. Zorin, though, moves to its own beat, with a policy of releasing new versions when they’re ready. Version 18.1 also has additional updates of its own, over and above the core OS components it inherits from Ubuntu such as the latest version of LibreOffice, release 26.2, and new versions of its many customizations to the desktop environment.

The announcement says that this version has broader hardware support and better performance, which is mainly thanks to the updated components from the upstream Ubuntu LTS enablement stack. The desktop still uses the same GNOME version – specifically version 46.7 – but Zorin OS customizes this significantly with a suite of GNOME extensions – for instance, the company sponsors development of the Dash-to-Panel extension. In this release, there are 27 separate extensions. Among other improvements, there’s improved window tiling, with more layout options, and the ability to bring groups of related windows to the front with a single click. The panel now offers layouts aimed at scripts that read right-to-left, such as Arabic and Hebrew, which reverse the order of the components in the panel. Also in the panel, status icons can be turned on and off.

Zorin OS offers some of the best…

Source