Linux Mint 21.3 and Zorin 17 are beta buddies
Devs at well-loved distros Mint and Zorin are hard at work, with Mint 21.3 expected before the holidays, although Zorin OS 17 may take a little longer. Their respective betas show both are shaping up nicely and boast attractive desktops.
Both Linux Mint and Zorin OS are based on Ubuntu LTS versions, and are developed in the Republic of Ireland by developers who aren't Irish themselves. In the case of Mint, this means project founder and leader Clément Lefebvre, who hails from la belle France, while Zorin OS is developed by brothers Artyom and Kyrill Zorin, whose parents moved thence from Ukraine. Another salient difference is that Mint is free, funded by donations, while the Pro edition of Zorin OS costs £39 (or $49).