 The Linux Mint logo | |
| Release Status | Maintained |
|---|---|
| Release Model | LTS |
| Package Manager | apt |
| Default Desktops | Cinnamon, MATE, Xfce |
| Usage Type | Desktop |
| Architectures | x86_64 |
| Website | linuxmint.com |
Linux Mint is a stable Ubuntu-based distribution designed to work 'out of the box' and comes with the apps most people need preinstalled. It is primarily targeted towards users coming from Windows who are looking for an OS that allows them to have more control over their computer, or provide an entrypoint into Linux. It uses the Cinnamon desktop environment (the Linux Mint team develop Cinnamon), with maintained options for Xfce and MATE too.[1] It has had GNOME and KDE support at points in its history.[2] There is also a Debian-based version of Linux Mint, called LMDE (Linux Mint Debian Edition), that only has Cinnamon support.[3]
Overview
History
Linux Mint was first released in 2006 by Clément Lefèbvre. It started as a beta release called Linux Mint 1.0 "Ada", which was based on Kubuntu and used the KDE desktop environment. The second version, Linux Mint 2.0 "Barbara", was the first to use Ubuntu as its base and featured the GNOME desktop environment.[4]
Over the years, Linux Mint evolved, adopting Ubuntu's release cycle and refining its features. In 2010, the Linux Mint team introduced Linux Mint Debian Edition (LMDE), which was based on Debian instead of Ubuntu. The distribution became known for its user-friendly interface, multimedia support, and stability, making it a favourite among desktop users.
The latest release, Linux Mint 22.1 "Xia", was launched in January 2025 and is supported until 2029.[5]
Compatibility with upstream distros
Linux Mint is primarily based on Ubuntu, which itself is derived from Debian. This means Mint inherits compatibility with Ubuntu's package repositories and software ecosystem. However, Mint also maintains a separate edition called Linux Mint Debian Edition (LMDE), which is based directly on Debian.
Mint developers have stated that they prefer using Ubuntu as a base because it's easier to remove unwanted features from Ubuntu than to add missing ones to Debian. That said, LMDE exists as a backup plan in case Ubuntu ever undergoes drastic changes that make it unsuitable for Mint.[6]
Software installation
Mint ships with its own repositories, which contain some useful software such as Firefox, Thunderbird, and other software that was removed from the Ubuntu repositories as Canonical wanted these to be installed via snap instead. The Linux Mint team are against using snap, so packages this software themselves. The repos also contain software made by the Linux Mint team such as Cinnamon and its related applications.[7]
References
- ↑ https://linuxmint.com/
- ↑ https://iso.atl.dev/l/linuxmint
- ↑ https://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=mint
- ↑ https://www.linuxmint.com/about.php
- ↑ https://www.linuxmint.com/download.php
- ↑ https://www.reddit.com/r/linuxquestions/comments/1bh9u4l/why_linux_mint_still_uses_ubuntu_as_a_base_distro/
- ↑ https://repo.c48.uk/mint/pkgs/pool/