The newest replace to Linux Mint is right here, with expanded video file format help and a tweaked Cinnamon desktop. It is as cool and refreshing as ever.
As ordinary 21.2 is available in three separate editions – Cinnamon, MATE and Xfce, which very roughly equate to being greatest suited to excessive, medium, and low-end PCs. Cinnamon is your best option you probably have a decently specified PC, particularly if it has a HiDPI display or a devoted GPU – or, after all, each. MATE is a little more conventional, and as there hasn’t been a brand new steady launch in a few years, you get the identical model as Mint 21 had when it got here out. Xfce is the most effective of the trio for low-end {hardware}, needing no 3D help and utilizing the least RAM.
We now have already checked out what was coming on this launch just a few instances, together with the new version of Xfce in addition to better multi-core performance in Cinnamon 5.8. We in contrast the three desktops side-by-side when it got to beta test final month – and simply to reassure the extra conventionally minded who do not learn the feedback, the screenshots there have been simply as an example how the three desktops deal with vertical taskbars. Do not panic: all three default to the normal, horizontal association.
Mint 21.2 will not shock you with radical modifications, however there are numerous small enhancements – as an example, it is simpler than ever to resize the principle menu
We gave this a lot protection as a result of Mint is an uncommon kind of presence within the Linux world today. Mint is a pure-play desktop distro, whereas the massive three distributors – Crimson Hat, SUSE and Canonical – all primarily deal with the enterprise server market, the place the massive bucks are to be made. Which means a continuing churn of latest expertise, typically piggy-backing on business tendencies comparable to containers, immutable file techniques, and IoT. (That is “Web of Issues,” though as a smart man as soon as almost mentioned, “the road finds its personal names for issues.”)
Mint goes the opposite means. It is free, supported by donations, and basically a extra polished and user-centric variant of Ubuntu which has carved out its personal area of interest by rejecting a few of Ubuntu’s extra jarring technological and UI modifications. It does not have a server model, though it maintains a separate edition based on Debian instead of Ubuntu, we suspect simply in case Canonical ever makes such drastic modifications as to cease Mint being viable. (Being based mostly on Ubuntu, Mint is now additionally 64-bit solely, however you probably have a well-specified 32-bit machine, the Debian version could allow you to.)
There are different distros which intention to wrap a friendlier face on Ubuntu, however Mint retains an edge. It is based mostly on a extra present model of Ubuntu than even the latest Zorin OS, and Mint put effort into bettering its upgrade procedure just a few years in the past. Zorin solely simply final month introduced its personal model improve software, which ought to assist with its nonetheless forthcoming Ubuntu 22.04-based launch.
Linux Lite can be an choice, which avoids each Snap and Flatpak. The Teejeetech Zinc distro does too, but in addition gives a lot improved dealing with of each native .deb packages in addition to AppImages.
Even so, we reckon Mint is sort of definitely essentially the most extensively used. It sticks with the stable foundation of the present Ubuntu LTS launch, with out even adopting Ubuntu’s HWE kernel and driver bundle. This implies it is about as extensively appropriate as Linux will get, and it is considerably much less work than establishing most different distros because it comes with most drivers and media codecs pre-loaded. This launch provides help for HEIF and AVIF file codecs, Adobe Illustrator information within the doc viewer, improved touchpad gesture help, plus an improved Bluetooth stack and login display. There are additionally new wallpapers and themes, plus a worldwide darkish mode.
The Nemo file supervisor has new, clearer folder icons however the kernel is an older one, albeit a supported, LTS model
Ubuntu initially grew to become successful as a result of it was easy, straightforward and free. Mint is all of these and moreover retains a conventional, Home windows 95-style desktop. This gained it a whole lot of customers when Canonical went down extra experimental routes, first with the macOS-like Unity desktop and later, following a really harsh assessment from Hacker Information feedback, it killed Unity and switched to GNOME 3.
It’s way back now and we suspect many have forgotten, however the desktop kerfuffle is all right down to authorized threats from Microsoft, which in 2007 claimed that Linux infringed 235 of its patents, though it was too busy to specify which ones. The transfer was most likely mainly aimed at Red Hat, though the latter unflinchingly stared Redmond down and received away with it.
Inasmuch because the Linux business had kind of consolidated on GNOME 2 at that time, Microsoft’s ploy was profitable and profoundly disruptive, but it surely has definitely allowed Mint to thrive. ®
