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The Linux Mint team released version 22 of the venerable distro, which includes several significant improvements for users.
Linux Mint is one of the most well-regarded Linux distros available. While it is often recommended for new users, it’s one of the few distros that equally serves new and veteran users.
The new version builds on that pattern, bringing a host of improvements.
Catch our conversation on Linux Mint 22!
A New Base
One of the biggest changes with version 22 is the new Ubuntu base. While the Mint team maintains a version, LMDE, that is based on Debian, the mainline edition is based on Ubuntu LTS.
Mint 22 is based on the latest Ubuntu 24.04, bringing all the benefits that come with it, including updated applications, better performance, improved security, and newer kernels.
A major example of security is how the new base handles Personal Package Archives (PPAs), a popular option for users to get the latest version of some packages, as Ubuntu’s Oliver Smith highlighted in a blog post.
PPAs are a critical tool for development, testing and customisation, enabling users to install software outside of the official Ubuntu archives. This allows for a great deal of software freedom but also comes with potential security risks due to the access they are granted to your OS. In Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, PPAs are now distributed as deb822-formatted.sources files with their signing key directly embedded into the file’s signed-by field. This establishes a 1:1 relationship between the key and the repository, meaning one key cannot be used to sign multiple repositories and removing a repository also removes its associated key. In addition, APT now requires repositories to be signed using stronger public key algorithms.
Similarly, the Ubuntu 24.04 base improves the security surrounding unprivileged user namespaces.
Another significant security enhancement is the restriction of unprivileged user namespaces. These are a widely used feature of the Linux kernel that provide additional security isolation for applications that construct their own sandboxes, such as browsers which would then use that space to execute untrusted web content. So far so good, however the ability to create unprivileged user namespaces can expose additional attack surfaces within the Linux kernel and has proven to be a step in a significant number of exploits. In Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, AppAmor is now used to selectively control access to unprivileged user namespaces on a per application basis so that only applications with legitimate need can leverage this functionality.
Linux Mint benefits from these, and many other, improvements thanks to the rebase.
Linux Mint-Specific Improvements
In addition to the improvements Mint 22 inherits from Ubuntu, the team has also made some improvements that are unique to the distro.
Application Changes
Some of these involve rolling back changes that go against Mint’s philosophy.
For example, Ubuntu uses the Gnome desktop environment (DE), which has made it increasingly difficult to theme apps. In contrast, the ability to theme one’s desktop and apps is a core value of the Mint team and showcased in their homegrown Cinnamon DE.
Team leader Clément (Clem) Lefèbvre outlined the project’s divergence with Gnome’s direction, as well as Ubuntu’s continued dependence on Snaps.
An updated package base doesn’t just bring new technology, it can sometimes also threaten existing features.
Thunderbird continues to be available in Linux Mint 22 as a native .deb package. Following the decision by Ubuntu to move it to Snap, Linux Mint is now responsible for packaging it.
With GNOME 46, libgoa/libgoa-backend 3.50 moved to GTK4 and could no longer be used by GTK3 applications. This meant that Online Accounts support had to disappear from Cinnamon, Budgie and Unity. The XApp project implemented a standalone application called “GNOME Online Accounts GTK”. Not only did this bring the feature back in these three desktop environments, it also made it possible for it to be used in MATE and Xfce.
In Ubuntu 24.04, a number of GNOME applications moved to libAdwaita and stopped supporting the system theme.
Since selecting a theme is a core part of the desktops shipped by Linux Mint (Cinnamon, MATE and Xfce), apps are required to support it.
As a result, the GNOME Font Viewer was removed and the following applications were downgraded back to GTK3 versions: Celluloid, GNOME Calculator, Simple Scan, Baobab, System Monitor, GNOME Calendar, File Roller, Zenity.
Security
Mint 22 also hides unverified Flatpaks by default in the Software Manager, requiring users enable the option to see them. Although Flatpak, and the Flathub repo, are generally considered pretty safe, this measure is designed to protect newer users, while still giving experienced users the option to enable them.
Kernels
Linux Mint 21 stayed on the same kernel 5.15 series throughout its two-year life cycle. While users could manually upgrade the kernel post-install, the older kernel meant that Mint 21 could not be installed on some newer harder. To solve the problem, the Mint team maintained the Edge installation ISO, which was identical to the standard Mint 21, except that it included a newer kernel by default.
With Linux Mint 22, the team has decided to follow Ubuntu’s kernel release and adopt the HWE kernel. HWE refers to Ubuntu’s Hardware Enablement stack that updates LTS releases with the latest kernel and Mesa graphics drivers. Rather than sticking with the original 6.8 kernel that Linux Mint 22 shipped with, the Mint team will adopt the HWE kernel updates when they become available, eliminating the need for an Edge version altogether.
The change in kernel strategy should help keep Mint current with newer hardware, and eliminate one of the biggest complaints critics leveled against the distro.
Cinnamon 6.2
The Cinnamon DE is already one of the best DEs, in terms of offering a near perfect blend of features, stability, and simplicity. The DE is my personal favorite, offering the best of Gnome and KDE, without the annoyances of either.
The version included with Linux Mint 22 includes a number of enhancements.
- Nemo actions can be organized neatly thanks to a new Layout Editor.
- The Nemo actions layout editor
- Separators and submenus can be added.
- Labels and icons can be overridden to tune actions to your liking in your context menu.
- Cinnamon 6.2 also features many bug fixes, performance improvements and the following changes:
- Less printer added notifications (silenced for 2 hours)
- Wayland support: Clutter polkit agent
- Spices: keybindings support
- Better avatar support in polkit agent and user applet
- Workspace switcher: middle click removes the workspace being hovered
- Keybindings: ability to search by binding
- Cornerbar applet: shift+click action added
- Applets: improved precision in reporting VPN and battery states
The team is continuing work on Wayland support. While it is certainly improved over the initial release, Wayland support is still experimental, with the team targeting 2026 for stable experience.
Daily Usage
I’ve been using Mint 22 since mid-September, having spent the previous year using LMDE, and several months of using Linux Mint 21 before that. Overall, I can easily say that this is the best version of Mint I have used to date—and Mint and LMDE were already our highest-rated Linux distros in this entire series.
There are a number of things that have led to that conclusion, at least in my experience.
Newer Kernel
The fact that Mint 22 ships with kernel 6.8, instead of LMDE’s 6.1, means it is better suited to my hardware, especially my main machine, a Tuxedo Pulse with the AMD Ryzen 7 4800H. The chip is still new enough that AMD improvements to the Linux kernel directly impact that this chipset.
On older kernels, and especially the 6.1 series, I randomly experienced an issue where my computer would refuse to fully wake from sleep. The keyboard would light up, the screen would go from inactive to backlit black, but no image would appear and the machine would not respond to input. Because it was random, it was nearly impossible to diagnose, and there was never anything in the logs providing a clear indication of what was happening.
There have been several AMD-supplied additions to subsequent versions of the Linux kernel designed specifically to address power supply issues with various AMD chips, including mine.
While it is true that LMDE can use Debian backports and, therefore, currently has access to kernel 6.10, backports don’t receive the same support from the Debian Security Team, meaning backported kernels are not as safe as the standard one included with the release.
In contrast, not only is the 6.8 kernel included with Mint obviously supported by Ubuntu’s security team, but all HWE kernels that are released later will also have Ubuntu’s full support. As a result, Ubuntu currently provides a safer way to have a newer kernel that is more compatible with my specific hardware.
Newer Packages
While Flatpak has mitigated much of the outdated package trope that critics level against Debian, it doesn’t completely solve the problem. For example, Geany is my preferred text editor, but LMDE/Debian is still running the older 1.3.x series. While the latest 2.0 version is available via Flatpak, the Flatpak maintainer has said he may stop maintaining the package. In contrast, Linux Mint 22/Ubuntu 24.04 has the latest version, which brings a number of major improvements over 1.3.x.
This repeats across several applications. While backports are a valid option on LMDE, not all applications are available via backports. The newer version of Geany, for example, has not been backported.
While it is true that the situation will likely reverse in 2025, when Debian 12 and LMDE 7 are released, for right now Mint 22 offers a significantly newer package base and it’s been a pleasure to use it. What’s more, thanks to PPAs and Ubuntu’s habit of updating some apps mid-release, Ubuntu-based distros generally have a bit more support for finding the latest versions of apps if you need them.
Performance
Much like newer packages, this is one that may reverse when Debian 13/LMDE 7 comes out, but Mint 22 does have a performance edge over Debian 12/LMDE 6, at least in my experience. It’s not a major advantage advantage, it is there.
Given that Mint 22 is a year newer than LMDE 6, that performance edge is not surprising. But Ubuntu 24.04 also included a lot of performance-enhancing improvements over previous versions, so it will be interesting to see if Debian 13 leapfrogs it significantly (like Debian 12 did Ubuntu 22.04), or if Ubuntu 24.04 will hold its own against the newer Debian next year.
Spit and Polish
While LMDE is an outstanding distro, and my personal favorite, there’s no denying that Mint 22 has a bit more spit and polish that tracks with it being the main focus of the Mint team. LMDE currently only accounts for roughly 11% of the Mint user base, meaning just under 90% of the base is using the Ubuntu-based version of Mint.
For the most part, the two Mint distros are nearly identical, aside from Ubuntu-specific tools. For example, the Driver Manager and Kernel Manager included with mainline Mint are Ubuntu tools and there is no easy way to incorporate them into LMDE.
Even beyond Ubuntu-specific things, small things demonstrate the Mint team’s main area of focus. For example, Debian 12 introduced a bug where network notification dialogs do not respect the “Do not show this message again” option. While it is true that this is a Debian-specific bug, not a Mint one, the Mint team is well-known for their ability to smooth out Ubuntu-specific bugs and issues in mainline Mint. That specific bug persists in LMDE 6, however. To be clear, this is by no means a deal-breaker. In fact, the issue is very easy to fix. However, the fact that the Mint team has not fixed it—while fixing Ubuntu-specific annoyances on mainline Mint—shows where their priorities are.
Given that nearly 90% of their user base is on the mainline edition, there’s certainly no faulting the devs for that approach. Clem has repeatedly stated that LMDE exists as a proof of concept and a safety net, as well as a way to test the distro’s homegrown X Apps on the wider Debian base, not as a prime goal.
Clem addressed the issue himself in the comments pertaining to the release of LMDE 6.
I’ve nothing bad to say about 22.04. I hope Ubuntu continues to be as good going forward and doesn’t neglect its APT package base. If we don’t have a reason to transition we won’t. Ubuntu is still the best APT package base out there in our opinion. LMDE is there as a potential solution, but it is not a goal in itself.
Conclusion
For the past year, I have been a diehard LMDE user. To be fair, it’s still my favorite version of Mint and, therefore, my favorite distro, period. I like a Debian base, and I like that LMDE is a community project based on a community project, as opposed to Mint 22 being a community project based on a commercial distro.
Nonetheless, my experience with Mint 22 has been so good that I’m staying with it, despite preferring LMDE. I find Ubuntu’s kernel strategy and Mesa updates more in line with my hardware needs at the moment. And there’s no denying the benefit of using the version of the distro that is the main focus of its maintainers, as opposed to using what is essentially a side project.
What about the future? It’s hard to say what the future holds, either for my own usage or for Mint in general. Some believe the Mint team will eventually be forced to switch to LMDE as the mainline edition if Ubuntu continues its “Snapification” of more and more internal components and makes other decisions the Mint team disagrees with.
In fact, Clem has directly acknowledged Ubuntu’s increased usage of Snaps, saying he doesn’t believe the trend will continue.
It’s something we keep an eye on and invest time in, that’s true. It could potentially lead to a switch, it’s hard to say “always/never” because as you said it depends on what we’re dealing with. Realistically though I don’t think Snap will last forever. I see it getting abandoned just like Mir or Unity when it fails to get the traction and return on investment Canonical wants from it.
If he is correct, then the Mint team will likely never move off of the Ubuntu base, nor should they, given the benefits it provides.
If, on the other hand, LMDE does become the mainline edition, I will happily go back to knowing it has the team’s main focus and attention. For that matter, there’s at least a chance I may switch back to LMDE 7 next year, since that version will have a much newer official kernel that works with my hardware better than 6.1 in LMDE 6.
In the meantime, despite my preference for LMDE, I am thoroughly enjoying my time on Mint 22 and have no intention of leaving it for the foreseeable future.
Rating
5 out of 5 stars
