Linux Mint

Linux Mint is a Linux distribution for desktop computers based on and compatible with Debian and Ubuntu.

Linux Mint

Linux Mint 21.3 ("Virginia") running MATE 1.26
Developer	Clement Lefebvre, Jamie Boo Birse, Kendall Weaver, and community[1]
OS family	Unix-like, based on Ubuntu, optionally based on Debian (LMDE) Linux Mint Xfce Linux Mint KDE
Working state	Active
Source model	Open source
Initial release	27 August 2006; 18 years ago (2006-08-27)
Latest release	Linux Mint 22.1 ("Xia") / January 16, 2025; 5 months ago (2025-01-16)
Available in	Multilingual[2]
Update method	APT (+ mintUpdate, Synaptic)
Package manager	dpkg
Platforms	i486, x86-64
Kernel type	Monolithic (Linux)
Default user interface	1.0-8: KDE 9: GNOME 2 12: GNOME 3 with MGSE 13-18: Cinnamon/MATE/Xfce/KDE 19-22 Cinnamon/MATE/Xfce
License	Mainly GPL and other free software licenses, minor additions of proprietary
Official website	www.linuxmint.com

While at the core Linux Mint is mostly based on Ubuntu, the design of the desktop and user interface are very different. These differences include a unique desktop theme, a custom Linux Mint menu and the MintTools, a collection of system tools designed to make managing the computer easier for users.

Releases

Originally, Linux Mint did not follow a predictable release cycle. The project first defined the goals for the next release,^[source?] and when all the goals are achieved a beta version is released and a date is announced for the stable release. Recently however,^[when?] it has been decided that Linux Mint will release with the 6 month Ubuntu release cycle.

Version	Code name	Release date	Support status
1.0 beta	Ada	2006-08-27	Obsolete since April 2008.[3] Unstable.
2.0	Barbara	2006-11-13	Obsolete since April 2008.[3]
2.1	Bea	2006-12-20	Obsolete since April 2008.[3]
2.2	Bianca	2007-02-20	Obsolete since April 2008.[3]
3.0	Cassandra	2007-05-30	Obsolete since October 2008.[3]
3.1	Celena	2007-09-24[4]	Obsolete since October 2008.[3]
4.0	Daryna	2007-10-15	Obsolete since April 2009.[3]
5 LTS	Elyssa	2008-06-08	Long-term support release (LTS), obsolete since April 2011.[3]
6	Felicia	2008-12-15	Obsolete since April 2010.[3]
7	Gloria	2009-05-26	Obsolete since October 2010.[3]
8	Helena	2009-11-29	Obsolete since April 2011.[3]
9 LTS	Isadora	2010-05-18[5]	Long-term support release (LTS), obsolete since April 2013.[3]
10	Julia	2010-11-12[6]	Obsolete since April 2012.[3]
11	Katya	2011-05-26[7]	Obsolete since October 2012.[3]
12	Lisa	2011-11-26[8]	Obsolete since April 2013.[3]
13 LTS	Maya	2012-05-23[9]	Long-term support release (LTS), obsolete since April 2017.[3]
14	Nadia	2012-11-20[10]	Obsolete since May 2014.[3]
15	Olivia	2013-05-29[11]	Obsolete since January 2014.[3]
16	Petra	2013-11-30[12]	Obsolete since July 2014.[3]
17 LTS	Qiana	2014-05-31[13] v2 "respin" 2014-06-29	Long-term support release (LTS), obsolete since April 2019.
17.1 LTS	Rebecca	2014-11-29[14]	First of 17.x series of releases, Long-term support release (LTS), obsolete since April 2019.
17.2 LTS	Rafaela	end of May 2015 [15]	Second of 17.x series of releases, Long-term support release (LTS), obsolete since April 2019.
17.3 LTS	Rosa	2015-12-04 [16]	Third of 17.x series of releases, Long-term support release (LTS), obsolete since April 2019.
18 LTS	Sarah	2016-06-30 [17]	Long-term support release (LTS), obsolete since April 2021.
19 LTS	Tara	2018-06-29[18]	Long-term support release (LTS), obsolete since April 2023.
19.1 LTS	Tessa	2018-12-19[19]
19.2 LTS	Tina	2019-08-02[20]
19.3 LTS	Tricia	2019-12-18[21]
20 LTS	Ulyana	2020-06-27[22]	Long-term support release (LTS), supported until 2025.
20.1	Ulyssa	2021-01-08[23]
20.2	Uma	2021-07-08[24]
20.3	Una	2022-01-07[25]
21 LTS	Vanessa	2022-07-31[26]	Long-term support release (LTS), supported until 2027.
21.1 LTS	Vera	2022-12-20[27]
21.2 LTS	Victoria	2023-07-16[28]
21.3 LTS	Virginia	2024-01-12[29]
22 LTS	Wilma	2024-07-25[30]	Long-term support release (LTS), supported until 2029.
22.1 LTS	Xia	2025-01-16[31]

Comparison with Ubuntu

Linux Mint is based on Ubuntu and both distributions have a lot in common. Both distributions use the same software repositories. For instance, release 2.2 (“Bianca”) uses the package pools of Ubuntu “Edgy Eft” (6.10). Most packages are the same on both distributions and the two systems behave almost identically.

Most differences are on the desktop. Ubuntu and Linux Mint both focus on usability, but Linux Mint offers a different user experience, and it includes a number of applications that are not available in Ubuntu (see aforementioned Mint Tools).

Many popular multimedia codecs are installed by default in Linux Mint. Ubuntu, and many other gratis GNU/Linux distributions, do not distribute these codecs with the initial install media due to patent encumberment issues.

Ubuntu has a vastly larger support community than Linux Mint. However, the majority of Ubuntu help and advice is also applicable to Linux Mint. Ubuntu supports more languages from the Live CD, and comes with better localization.^[source?]

Linux Mint Debian Edition (LMDE)

Linux Mint Debian Edition, also known as LMDE, is a version of Linux Mint that is based on Debian. The reason it is developed is to make sure Linux Mint gives the same experience if Ubuntu disappears. It also helps test software made by Mint's developers to make sure they are compatible outside of Ubuntu.^[32]

LMDE is designed to look and have the same experience as the normal versions of Linux Mint, without Ubuntu, with packages being provided by Debian instead.^[32]

Related pages

• Linux
• Debian
• Ubuntu
• Getdeb
• Super OS (formerly: Super Ubuntu)