What is Linux Mint?

Linux Mint is a distribution of the GNU/Linux operating system with the slogan “to produce an elegant, updated, and comfortable GNU/Linux desktop.” This distribution is based on Ubuntu and shares the same Repository.

Development Branches

The unstable branch of the Mint is called Romeo. It is not enabled by default in distribution versions. Users who want to have more advanced features and want to help distribution by testing new packages can add “Romeo” branches to APT sources. Romeo is not a branch in itself and is not a substitute for other repos.

New packages are first released at Romeo, where they are tested by developers and people using Romeo. Once a package has been identified as sufficiently stable, it is moved to the final stable release.

The idea of ​​Romeo and the update process are taken from the Debian distribution, where the packages are first left to the “Unstable” branch and then to the “Test” branch.

Romeo is equivalent to the Unstable branch in Mint. The latest stable Mint version is comparable to the “Trial” branch because it is stable but gets its update from Romeo.

Depending on its dependency on a particular package, it can be tested at Romeo for inclusion in the next stable version.

Software

Mint comes with its own set of applications (Mint tools) to make the user experience more accessible.

   MintUpdate

It is a specially designed program developed due to the insecurity behind Ubuntu packages and especially the lack of technical training of new users, which are updated without education.

MintUpdate assigns each developer a level of security at the discretion of leading developers based on stability and update. This tool is included for the first time in the 4.0 Daryna version.

   MintInstall

A tool for downloading programs from catalogs of .mint files hosted on the Mint Software Portal. A .mint file does not contain the program, but it contains all its information and resources from which it will be downloaded.

   MintDesktop

It is a tool used to configure the desktop. MintDesktop has made a significant improvement in Mint 4.0.

   MintConfig

It is a customizable control center.

   MintAssistant

A customizable wizard that appears during the user’s initial login prompts various questions to customize the Mint database with various Linux components to the user’s level of knowledge and convenience.

   MintUpload

It is an FTP client integrated into the Nautilus context menu to facilitate file sharing easily and quickly. Basically, the file is hosted on an FTP server, and its capacity is limited to 1 Gigabyte per user.

To share the file, right-click on the program and select the “upload” option; then, a window where you choose the “Default” profile will appear, and you can complete the process by clicking the upload button again. Finally, when the file has finished loading, the download link will appear at the bottom of the mintupload window.

   MintMenu

It is a menu written in Python that allows complete customization of texts, icons, and colors. It provides a view similar to the OpenSUSE 10.3 menu.

Versions

   Cinnamon Version

Cinnamon is the most popular version of Mint, with the most features offered in the operating system, and is, therefore, preferred by most users. However, it is suitable for beginners with the latest high-tech machines with ample resources since it requires much more resources than other versions.

   MATE Version

The MATE version, on the other hand, is a desktop experience that is customized with many features and applications as well as performance and may be most suitable for a mid-level Linux user.

   XFCE Version

A version of Mint is available with the XFCE Desktop Environment. XFCE replaced the GNOME Desktop Environment. The default application selection is different. XFCE Edition comes with a downloadable CD and is designed for computers with very few resources. In short, it ranks at the top in terms of fewer resources and resource use.

   Main Edition

Main Edition provides a Desktop Environment with GNOME and multimedia codecs, all of this content on a single CD. It is designed to satisfy everyone: individual users (beginners) and professionals.

   Light Version

Some codecs in the Main Edition are not freely redistributed in some parts of the world. Therefore, users living in countries where legislation does not allow to use or distribution the main edition can use the light version. Light Edition is a copy of the Main Edition, which does not contain any restrictive, registered, or proprietary components, as it has any of these definitions.

   KDE Version

Linux Mint also provides a KDE Edition. KDE replaces the GNOME Desktop Environment. The default application selection is different, and this version usually comes with more software. KDE Edition does not necessarily come with a CD and can be found as a downloadable DVD. For the first time, Linux Mint 4.0 KDE includes tools created by the developer team: mintInstall, mintUpdate, and mintAssistant.

   Fluxbox Version

Linux Mint has a version available in Fluxbox Desktop Environment. Fluxbox replaced the GNOME Desktop Environment. Fluxbox Edition comes with a downloadable Live CD and is designed for stable, light and straightforward, low-source computers. But today, it is no longer supported.

Linux Mint Base

Linux Mint uses software repositories in the GNU/Linux Ubuntu distribution.

For example, Version 2.2 (“Bianca”) uses Ubuntu “Edgy Eft” packages (6.10). Most packages are the same in both distributions, and the two systems behave almost the same.

The most significant differences are on the desktop. Linux Mint lives with home apps designed to enhance the user experience. An example of this is mintDesktop, which allows more extensive GNOME configuration and automatic search for Windows workgroups and network environments.

MintWifi makes it easy to configure Wireless cards without an Internet connection. MintDisk links NTFS partitions to write/read mode. MintMenu and mintConfig provide a new way to use the GNOME desktop.

A few minor system changes make Linux Mint a bit faster than Ubuntu. For example, IPv6 support is turned off in Linux Mint. Multimedia codecs are installed on Linux Mint by default.

The default application set is different between the two applications, and the version of some programs is more up-to-date, as Linux Mint versions will be released later.

Similarly, while Ubuntu supports PPC and x64 architectures, Linux Mint only stably supports X86 architecture and recently 64-bit version. Ubuntu provides installation for servers and other text, and these are not available on Linux Mint.

Requirements

At least 512 MB is recommended to run the LiveCD, but it works even if it is preinstalled.

It is OK with 256 MB of RAM. The space required for installation on the hard disk is 2.5 GB and is compressed into a 700 MB CD. If using the mint4win installer for Wubi-based Windows, available from version 6.0, a minimum of 256MB of RAM is recommended. After uninstalling in version 8, mint 9 goes back to the installation CD.