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Windows 7: VMware Player - Install and Setup Zorin
VMware Player - Install and Setup Zorin How to Install and Setup Zorin in VMware Player
Published 17 Feb 2013
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Featured Tutorial | | | How to Install and Setup Zorin in VMware Player
 Information This tutorial is aimed at Windows users who want to try out a Linux distro and learn about a virtual OS installation at the same time. If you are not interested in the virtual part, you can skip directly to Chapter 2 which explains the Zorin setup.
Zorin is a Linux distro with an Ubuntu base. Of all the Linux distros I know, it comes the closest to Windows as far as the user interface (UI) is concerned.
If you are not familiar with Linux and want to experiment with it, I recommend you try Zorin. It can be downloaded from the Zorin site (click on the 'Get it' button). I suggest you take the 64bit version which is the one used in this tutorial.
Coming from Windows, you will not be too alienated using Zorin. It has a Start menu that can be customized to look like Windows 7 or XP and it has a familiar task bar. But there are, of course, differences.
I will explain how to make the basic setup in VMware Player and how to setup Zorin so that it is convenient to use. At one point that involves the command line (Terminal). But don't be scared, I have prepared everything such that this step can be easily mastered.
The setup in VMware player will be explained with text and pictures and the setup inside Zorin will be explained with a video. But I have also documented the essential steps in text format.
Chapter 1 - install Zorin in VMware Player
Download VMware Player from this site and install it on your system. Then start VMware Player and you will see this window.
Here you just click on 'Create a new virtual machine' and you get to this window.
Here you select to install from the .iso image and navigate to the Zorin .iso file that you have downloaded. Then Next.
Mark Linux and choose the Ubuntu 64bit. Then Next.
Browse to the disk/partition and folder where you want to install the virtual partition files. Default is Documents. I recommend predefining a folder for the VMware installation so that all VMware files are in one place. When you are done with the installation, there will be over 25 files and subfolders. Having those mixed with other folders would be messy.
In this window you can take the defaults. Zorin will start out with less than 6GB of disk space usage so a maximum of 20GB for the dynamic virtual disk should suffice. Then Next.
The default allocation is 1GB of RAM and 1 processor. I always assign 2GB of RAM and 2 processors. But you may take what is suitable for your PC. The defaults will work. Then Finish.
Now VMware Player will install the bootstrap system of Zorin. Once this is done, you need to right click on the "Install Zorin 6" DVD as shown in the picture and Open that. This will start the full installation of Zorin.
The Zorin installation process is very similar to the Windows installation process. You set the language, keyboard layout, time zone, and give the system a name. You must define a password - I always use 1234 because Linux distros ask many times for authentication with the password. A complicated password will make the operation more cumbersome. There is one big difference to a Windows installation - you do not need a product key. Zorin is freeware.
Once your installation is completed, restart Zorin - click on the Zorin Start button (bottom left) and then on the power symbol (bottom right in the start menu). That will bring up the various options (restart, shutdown, etc.)
I will explain the rest of the Zorin setup in the following video. The steps are also summarized in the text below the video. Read the note below because you may have to make an audio setting.
Chapter 2 - setting up Zorin
Note: If the audio of this video is too low, do the following:
Right click on the speaker icon in the task tray (bottom right) > Playback devices > double click on your output device > Enhancement tab > check the 'Loudness Equalizer' box
The synopsis of the settings discussed in the video
Screen resolution:Start > System Settings > Display
Full screen: VMware dock > Full screen icon
Hide/Unhide VMware dock: Leftmost icon on the dock
VMware Tools: VMware dock > Player > Manage > Install VMware Tools
Terminal (Command Prompt): Start > Accessories > Terminal
Terminal commands to install VMware Tools:
sudo mount /dev/cdrom /media/cdrom
cp /media/cdrom/VMware*.tar.gz /tmp
sudo umount /media/cdrom
cd /tmp
tar xzvf VMware*.gz
cd vmware-tools-distrib/
sudo ./vmware-install.pl
Those commands are posted on Sevenforums under: "VMware and Zorin"
Office Applications:Start > Office > Libre Office
GParted (Disk Mgmt): Start > System Tools > Administration > GParted
Software Center: Start > System Tools > Administration > Software Center
Firefox Installation: Start > Internet > Zorin Web Browser Manager
Help file: Start > Accessories > Help
Text Editor (Wordpad): Start > Accessories > Text Editor
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18 Feb 2013
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Very good Wolfgang. I recently installed Zorin in VirtualBox. It is the most windows like of the Unix desktops I have come across.
| My System Specs |
| Computer type PC/Desktop
System Manufacturer/Model Number Hewlett-Packard/G62-107SA Notebook
OS Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit 7601 Multiprocessor Free Service Pack 1
CPU Intel(R) Core(TM) i3 CPU M 330 @ 2.13GHz
Motherboard Hewlett-Packard 1425
Memory 8 GB DDR3
Graphics Card Intel(R) HD Graphics
Sound Card Realtek High Definition Audio
Monitor(s) Displays Builtin
Screen Resolution 1366 x 768 x 32 bits (4294967296 colors) @ 60 Hz
Mouse Microsoft Bluetooth Notebook Mouse 5000
Hard Drives 250 GB SATA Hard Disk Drive 7200 rpm
2TB Seagate GoFlex USB 2 Drive
1TB Iomega Prestige USB 2 Drive
1.5TB Iomega Prestige USB 2 Drive (Samsung)
1TB Iomega NAS.
Internet Speed 60 Mbs download 3 Mbs upload
Antivirus Norton 360
Browser Chrome
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18 Feb 2013
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Great job on the tutorial, Wolfgang. Have to admit I never heard of Zorin before. Sounds even better than Ubuntu. | | My System Specs | | Computer type Laptop
System Manufacturer/Model Number Sony Vaio VPCEB47GM Laptop
OS Win 7 Pro 64-bit
CPU Intel i5 2.4 Ghz
Memory 8GB DDR3
Graphics Card Intel HD 3000
Sound Card IDT High Definition
Monitor(s) Displays 15.6 WGXA Anti-Glare LED
Screen Resolution 1280x800
Hard Drives 640Gb 7200rpm
Antivirus MSE
Browser Opera (primary) with IE9 backup
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18 Feb 2013
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Thanks guys. Yes, it is much more Windows-like than any other distro that I have tried. And it is a good thing they did not go with that awful Unity UI of Ubuntu.
Fot the forum work, it has become my main OS now because it is faster than my Windows 7 and Win8. I run it from an external SSD so I can use it on all my PCs. | | My System Specs | | System Manufacturer/Model Number HP, Dell, Gateway, Toshiba - 4 laptops and 2 desktops
OS Vista, Windows7, Mint Mate, Zorin, Windows 8
CPU from 1.6GHz Duo to i7
Monitor(s) Displays 2x HP w2207
Keyboard with trackball - no mices
Mouse Trackball mice
Hard Drives 5x HDD, 7x SSD, 12x Externals
Internet Speed DSL 6000
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18 Feb 2013
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Good work Wolfgang. A silly question, will software for Windows run in Zorin? CCleaner, Photoshop, CPUz, etc. | | My System Specs | | Computer type PC/Desktop
System Manufacturer/Model Number Home Built Desktop By DataTech
OS Windows 7 Ultimate X64 SP1
CPU Intel i5-2550K, Differing ~4.4-4.8GHz No built in GPU
Motherboard ASUS P8Z68-V PRO/GEN3
Memory 16GB G.Skill Sniper 2133MHz 4x4GB
Graphics Card ASUS ENGTX460 DirectCU/2DI/1GD5 GeForce GTX 460
Sound Card Onboard Realtek 5-1
Monitor(s) Displays Samsung P2570HD
Screen Resolution 1920x1080
Keyboard Old, beat-up Dell USB From 10 yrs Ago
Mouse Gigabyte m6900 wired
PSU Corsair HX650W
Case Inwin Dragon Rider
Cooling Hyper 212 EVO w/two Noctua fans, push-pull, @1300 RPM
Hard Drives Crucial M4 128GB for OS, 750GB Seagate MomentusXT for data, 500GB Seagate Constellation for storage
Internet Speed 8-19 Mbs down, 3-4 Mbs up Comcast Cable
Antivirus Norton Internet Security
Browser IE 9, Opera when needed
Other Info 4 case fans, LG BluRay-RE, ASUS DVD-RW, Mr. Fusion power generator with flux capacitor, 1.21 gigawatts.
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18 Feb 2013
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No Gary. Windows programs do not run in any Linux distro. But Zorin has a huge program library from where you can get equivalent programs. Takes some scouting because the library is so big.
In Zorin, go to Start > Ubuntu Software Center and select the category in the left pane - as an example: go to 'Sound and Video'. There the first entry should be VLC. Click on it and click the 'more info' button. If you like what you see, click 'install' on the right side. That's all.
Once you found the program you like, it is a lot easier to install than in Windows. Just click 'install' | | My System Specs | | System Manufacturer/Model Number HP, Dell, Gateway, Toshiba - 4 laptops and 2 desktops
OS Vista, Windows7, Mint Mate, Zorin, Windows 8
CPU from 1.6GHz Duo to i7
Monitor(s) Displays 2x HP w2207
Keyboard with trackball - no mices
Mouse Trackball mice
Hard Drives 5x HDD, 7x SSD, 12x Externals
Internet Speed DSL 6000
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18 Feb 2013
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Or maybe yes. I noticed that it has Wine, the windows emulator installed. | | My System Specs | | Computer type PC/Desktop
System Manufacturer/Model Number Hewlett-Packard/G62-107SA Notebook
OS Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit 7601 Multiprocessor Free Service Pack 1
CPU Intel(R) Core(TM) i3 CPU M 330 @ 2.13GHz
Motherboard Hewlett-Packard 1425
Memory 8 GB DDR3
Graphics Card Intel(R) HD Graphics
Sound Card Realtek High Definition Audio
Monitor(s) Displays Builtin
Screen Resolution 1366 x 768 x 32 bits (4294967296 colors) @ 60 Hz
Mouse Microsoft Bluetooth Notebook Mouse 5000
Hard Drives 250 GB SATA Hard Disk Drive 7200 rpm
2TB Seagate GoFlex USB 2 Drive
1TB Iomega Prestige USB 2 Drive
1.5TB Iomega Prestige USB 2 Drive (Samsung)
1TB Iomega NAS.
Internet Speed 60 Mbs download 3 Mbs upload
Antivirus Norton 360
Browser Chrome
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18 Feb 2013
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Good idea Keith. I have to try that one day.
Gary, see, Keith may have saved the day. | | My System Specs | | System Manufacturer/Model Number HP, Dell, Gateway, Toshiba - 4 laptops and 2 desktops
OS Vista, Windows7, Mint Mate, Zorin, Windows 8
CPU from 1.6GHz Duo to i7
Monitor(s) Displays 2x HP w2207
Keyboard with trackball - no mices
Mouse Trackball mice
Hard Drives 5x HDD, 7x SSD, 12x Externals
Internet Speed DSL 6000
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18 Feb 2013
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Update: I tried CCleaner but the Wine Program Loader did not like it. Says 'Error, wrong program name'. Will try something else. | | My System Specs | | System Manufacturer/Model Number HP, Dell, Gateway, Toshiba - 4 laptops and 2 desktops
OS Vista, Windows7, Mint Mate, Zorin, Windows 8
CPU from 1.6GHz Duo to i7
Monitor(s) Displays 2x HP w2207
Keyboard with trackball - no mices
Mouse Trackball mice
Hard Drives 5x HDD, 7x SSD, 12x Externals
Internet Speed DSL 6000
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18 Feb 2013
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I think Wine is a bit picky. | | My System Specs | | Computer type PC/Desktop
System Manufacturer/Model Number Hewlett-Packard/G62-107SA Notebook
OS Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit 7601 Multiprocessor Free Service Pack 1
CPU Intel(R) Core(TM) i3 CPU M 330 @ 2.13GHz
Motherboard Hewlett-Packard 1425
Memory 8 GB DDR3
Graphics Card Intel(R) HD Graphics
Sound Card Realtek High Definition Audio
Monitor(s) Displays Builtin
Screen Resolution 1366 x 768 x 32 bits (4294967296 colors) @ 60 Hz
Mouse Microsoft Bluetooth Notebook Mouse 5000
Hard Drives 250 GB SATA Hard Disk Drive 7200 rpm
2TB Seagate GoFlex USB 2 Drive
1TB Iomega Prestige USB 2 Drive
1.5TB Iomega Prestige USB 2 Drive (Samsung)
1TB Iomega NAS.
Internet Speed 60 Mbs download 3 Mbs upload
Antivirus Norton 360
Browser Chrome
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