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Let's say I want to change of distribution. I'm in Ubuntu 20.04 and I want to change to a ZorinOS just for the sake of the new look and feel, they are both Ubuntu-based so I'm guessing a migration would be easily so I wouldn't lose every file, right? I assuming that my GNOME extensions will be unused and other thing related to Desktop but the rest should be fine ?

GBT55
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    Does this answer your question? Re-install Ubuntu without losing data in home folder This can be done between Ubuntu version, we can't speak for Zorin and we don't support it. Who know what kind of issues you could face, try it at your own risk. – Mark Kirby Oct 27 '21 at 08:29
  • Basically a non issue: you make a backup anyways. – Rinzwind Oct 27 '21 at 08:52
  • @MarkKirby Not a correct duplicate here ) answer in that question is a link only question 2) That procedure is foolproof only when reinstalling the same ubuntu version. I would not reinstall a newer version without erasing the / folder and leaving all old configuration in place. – vanadium Oct 27 '21 at 09:50
  • @vanadium The duplicate has three answers and none of them are link only and I never suggested they don't overwrite / only /home. IMO the duplicate is correct. – Mark Kirby Oct 27 '21 at 10:10
  • Ubuntu & flavors allow you to upgrade via re-install which allow you to change from one release to another, or one flavor to another without touching user files (whether or not you are using single or multiple partitions), plus having the manually installed packages re-installed automatically during the install process; ie. you can change flavors without real consequences . It works with ubiquity & calamares for Ubuntu - but Zorin isn't Ubuntu so you'll need to ask Zorin users to find out if it handles this situation. – guiverc Oct 27 '21 at 10:43

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TL;DR: Take a backup first, you'll need it.

While Zorin OS based on Ubuntu, they are completely different operating system, employed by different manufacture. If you want to switch between them, I strongly urging you to perform a backup first, it's better to be safe than sorry.

This is also mentioned on their forum, when a user asked how to migrate to Zorin without losing data, everybody seems to advise the said user to take a backup first.

If you somehow have a dedicated partition for /home folder, you can simply format your system partition and then install Zorin onto that partition. It should work— but you should have take a backup before, I wouldn't risk it.

Liso
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    What is the answer now? Yes or no? Link is a big ramble that does not provide a lot of information during the first 5 minutes of reading. – vanadium Oct 27 '21 at 09:54