A portrait of Linux Mint 21: A Linux distribution for Windows users

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Many users who are toying with the idea of ​​moving to Linux are faced with the question of which distribution to choose to get started. The portrait of Linux Mint, the distribution for all Linux newcomers and those switching from Windows 10 and Windows 11, can help.

Table of contents

  1. 1 Portrait of Linux Mint 21
    1. Linux Mint 21 (“Vanessa”) in detail
    2. The Cinnamon “Edge” Edition for gamers
    3. Modern consistency on the three desktops
    4. Optically extremely customizable user interface(s)
    5. Linux Mint 21 with custom Cinnamon Desktop
    6. Linux Mint 21 with custom MATE desktop
    7. Linux Mint 21 with custom Xfce desktop
    8. Cinnamon is often the first choice
    9. 64 Bit and Flatpak instead of Snap
    10. Faster(er) upgrades
    11. Current(est)e apps
    12. Download

A portrait of Linux Mint 21

The main version of Linux Mint, which will be discussed later This portrait is mainly based on the not always uncontroversial, but also popular and beginner-friendly distribution Ubuntu.

Linux Mint 21 is a long term support release which will be supported until 2027. It comes with updated software and brings refinements and many new features to make your desktop even more comfortable to use.

The new Linux Mint 21, the first of the usual four releases in the likewise new development branch of the 21 series, is based on the current Ubuntu 22.04 LTS from April of this year.

Linux Mint 21 (“Vanessa”) with the desktops Xfce, MATE and Cinnamon (image : Linux Mint)

In addition to the in-house desktop Cinnamon, the two alternatives Xfce and the MATE desktop environment derived from Gnome 2 are still used. The Cinnamon “Edge” Edition also offers a kernel upgrade from Linux 5.15 LTS to Linux 5.17 to support newer hardware. However, Linux Mint is not the first choice for enthusiasts with the latest hardware and gamers.

Linux Mint 21 (“Vanessa”) in detail< /h3>

Base and lineage

  • GNU/Linux →
    • Debian →
      • Ubuntu →
        • Linux Mint
Work Environment and Desktop

  • Cinnamon 5.4
    • MATE Desktop Environment 1.26
    • Xfce 4.16
Operating system kernel

  • Linux 5.15 LTS
    • Linux 5.17 in the Cinnamon “Edge” Edition

The successor of Linux Mint 20.3 (“Una” ) is based on the free Linux 5.15 LTS system kernel, which will be supported until October 2023, and benefits from the very large Ubuntu community and the numerous resources of the Canonical distribution, which are also available to Linux Mint users.

The Cinnamon “Edge” Edition for gamers

The typical home user who wants to start a Linux distribution for the first time opts for Linux 5.15 LTS and thus for support until October 2023 Players usually use the Edge Edition with HWE kernel Linux 5.17 anyway or a rolling release based on Arch Linux with an even more up-to-date system kernel.

The developers point out that the Edge edition may not have the stability of a regular Mint installation. As a rule, users who primarily have a gaming system based on Linux 5.17 in mind have little to fear.

Modern Consistency across the three desktops

Once again, the focus of a Linux Mint release is the in-house Cinnamon desktop, which in the latest version 5.4.8 replaces version 5.2 of Cinnamon, which was released shortly before Linux Mint 20.3. In the version with its own desktop, the UI of Linux Mint 21 looks very consistent, coherent and well thought out. Whether the design of the user interface appeals to you is simply a matter of taste.

Optically extremely customizable user interface(s)

In addition to the main edition with Cinnamon 5.4.8, the developers of Linux Mint offer their distribution in two other official editions with Xfce 4.16 and MATE 1.26. They all have a typical operating concept and can be adjusted to a great extent.

As the YouTube channels LinuxScoop and Arc Technologies, which specialize in Linux and desktop modding, demonstrate, all three desktops can be customized down to the smallest detail. Whether a real model like Windows or macOS should be imitated or independent GTK themes should be used is up to you.

Linux Mint 21 with Custom Cinnamon Desktop

Linux Mint 21 with custom MATE desktop

Linux Mint 21 with custom xfce desktop

Cinnamon is often the first choice

Users who value a particularly consistent user interface and a harmonious design should go for the Cinnamon Edition. Most beginners usually end up with the main edition of the free operating system first anyway. Whether the operating concept appeals to you and whether Cinnamon is not only the first, but also the best choice is something that each user must judge according to his workflow and preferences.

Cinnamon 5.4 – Highlights

  • Improved fractional scaling
  • Improved desktop display applet
  • Port of xrandr applet to Muffin API
  • Support for application actions in menu applet
  • Simplified Hotcorner setup and support for corner functions
  • Popup function to resize terminals to copy system information to the clipboard

Cinnamon 5.4 now offers numerous innovations such as a new JavaScript interpreter based on the free window manager known from Gnome, which is very deeply integrated into the shell and, comparable to KWin, acts as a compositor for the Wayland display server protocol, and a better one Support for HiDPI using fractal scaling.

Cinnamon 5.4 is the default desktop of Linux Mint 21 (“Vanessa”) (Image: Linux Mint)

There is also an improved RTL layout and the mandatory Optimizations and bug fixes that come with each release.

The developers want to free the free desktop from previous regressions and make it even more flexible and modular.

< p class="p text-width">In preparation for Linux Mint 21, we are updating Cinnamon's Javascript interpreter and rebasing its window manager on a more modern version of Mutter.

This is a huge task and it requires many code changes in Cinnamon itself and causes a significant number of regressions.

Clement Lefebvre, Lead Developer, Linux Mint

Der Despite the conversion work, the Cinnamon desktop is not yet able to handle Wayland and instead continues to use the X Window System (X11). However, work on Wayland support for Linux Mint and Cinnamon is in full swing.

The menu applet, sound applet and power applet are also improved, while the XApp status applet tooltip is relocated.

64 bit and Flatpak instead of Snap

According to its Ubuntu foundation, Linux Mint now only supports modern 64-bit architectures, 32-bit CPUs are now completely out of the question before.

The package management also comes from Ubuntu and relies on Debian packages (.deb). Unlike the makers of Ubuntu, the developers of Linux Mint reject the Snap package management system developed by Canonical and prefer Flatpak instead.

Fast (re) Upgrades

The new Linux Mint Upgrade Tool, which celebrates its premiere with Linux Mint 21, will upgrade the open source operating system, which is already primarily aimed at Linux beginners and addressed to those switching to Windows, even more beginner-friendly.

< /figure>

The new Linux Mint Upgrade Tool (Image: Linux Mint)

While users previously had to initiate the version change, for example from LMDE 4 (“Debbie”) to LMDE 5 (“Elsie”), with a command sequence via the command line, in future the change to a new main version will be carried out using an update tool with a graphical user interface.< /p>

Highlights of the new Linux Mint Upgrade Tool

  • The entire upgrade process can be done within the graphical user interface without requiring a command line.
  • The Linux Mint Upgrade Tool warns users about packages that are no longer in the repositories.
  • The tool offers automated problem detection and a one-click fix button.
  • Additional checks, such as whether the system is connected to AC power and whether there is enough free disk space.

    • li>

  • The tool checks whether existing custom repositories support the upgrade and does not remove them automatically.

Again, users who come from Windows 10 or Windows 11, don't really get used to it. Nevertheless, experienced or particularly motivated Linux users are of course still free to use the console as the number 1 upgrade medium.

Aktuell( st)e Apps

Linux Mint 21 (“Vanessa”) also finds its way onto the SSD with a large number of pre-installed and updated apps, tools, libraries and APIs. Access to the Internet, sending e-mails and managing the home office as well as image, graphics and video editing are taken over by the established giants such as Firefox, Thunderbird, LibreOffice, GIMP and Inkscape.

  • Mozilla Firefox 103.0
  • Mozilla Thunderbird 91.11.0
  • LibreOffice 7.3.2 (“Community”)
  • Cinnamon Desktop Environment 5.4
  • Mesa 3D graphics stack 22.0.1
  • AMD GPU driver 22.0.0

Via the extensive repositories and the software manager of Linux Mint, numerous applications, clients, tools and runtime environments divided into categories can be installed if desired.

< h3 class="text-width text-h3" id="section_download">Download

Linux Mint 21 (“Vanessa”), which was released just a few hours ago, and Linux Mint Debian Edition 5 (“Elsie”), which is based on Debian GNU/Linux, can be downloaded as usual from the ComputerBase download area directly below this message and with a USB tool such as Rufus or Ventoy can be written to a storage medium.

For more information, see the official release notes.

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Downloads


  • Linux Mint Download

    4.6 stars

    Linux Mint is a Linux distribution based on Ubuntu LTS with your own Cinnamon desktop.

    • Version 21 “Vanessa” German
    • Version 19.3 “Tricia” German

    < /li>


  • LMDE (Linux Mint Debian Edition) Download

    4 ,1 stars

    LMDE (Linux Mint Debian Edition) is a Debian-based official fork of Linux Mint.

    • Version 5 “Elsie” German