While an official announcement is still pending, Linux Mint 22.1, codenamed Xia, has been released. The new Mint’s ISO images are now ready to be downloaded and installed. I’m eager to get it up and running.
Linux Mint 22.1 is built on Ubuntu 24.04 Long Term Support (LTS) distro and powered by the Linux kernel 6.8. While most Linux users know that the Linux kernel developers no longer support the 6.8 kernel, it’s still safe to use. Canonical, Ubuntu’s parent company, will support this kernel until April 2029 and offer extended support until March 2034. Mint will also stand behind this release until April 2029.
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If you want to upgrade in the future, Mint will make it easy: “Until 2026, future versions of Linux Mint will use the same package base as Linux Mint 22.1, making it trivial for people to upgrade.”
Mint 22.1 includes a major overhaul of Debian Linux‘s Advanced Packaging Tool (APT). This command and its dependencies and relatives work in the background when you install new software or update old programs. Many of these programs have grown rusty, so Mint is replacing them with the next generation of these tools: Aptkit and Captain. These changes aim to enhance system reliability.
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Users who never go deeper than Mint’s graphic Software Manager won’t need to worry about these changes. They’re all under the hood. The Mint team said: “This modernization ensures that Linux Mint’s package management remains robust, user-friendly, and ready for the future.“
Speaking of the graphical user interface, Mint 22.1 boasts a brand new Cinnamon 6.4 desktop. It features a revamped default theme with darker tones and rounded corners for a more modern aesthetic. The update brings native dialogs, cleaner default fonts, and improved Wayland compatibility. My favorite new feature is the built-in Night Light feature. This feature automatically reduces blue light as the day progresses into the night to reduce eye strain. It works well and helps my old eyes a lot.
If you’re not a Cinnamon fan, the new Mint comes with two other popular default graphical desktops: MATE and Xfce.
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The release also introduces new power modes, allowing users to optimize their system for battery life or performance. Depending on your needs, you can choose between power-saver and balanced mode, which automatically adjusts performance to maximize battery life.
On some systems, which Mint has yet to spell out, an additional mode will maximize performance at the cost of battery life. I’m calling this mode turbo for now. Remember that this mode may override your display brightness settings or make other temporary adjustments to reduce power consumption or enhance performance.
Mint also now comes with Pipewire for its new sound server. I’ve been using Pipewire for some time now. It works well. I no longer see any audio problems with Linux.
Fans of the ZFS file system will be disappointed to see that it’s been removed from Mint. This change is because almost no one was using ZFS and it “required a significant amount of work and maintenance to be properly tested and supported.” This change shouldn’t prove a hardship. ZFS is best suited for hard-working file servers, not desktops.
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As usual, Mint comes with free top-of-the-line end-user programs, with everything you need for home or office work. Specifically, Mint comes with LibreOffice 24.2.7 for office work and homework, Firefox 134 for web browsing, Thunderbird 128.5.2 for email and calendering, and GIMP 2.10.36 for graphics editing. If you’re a gamer, Linux Mint supports Steam, which works the same way it does on Windows. All of this, including Mint, is free.
Don’t like these choices? No problem. Mint makes it easy to pick others. For example, I prefer Chrome for web browsing and Evolution for email. Mint makes it simple. You use the Software Manager to search for a program, download it, and install it with a click. Anyone who tells you it’s hard to install Linux programs hasn’t touched the operating system this decade.
I’m running the new Mint on my faithful 2020 Dell Precision 3451. This PC is powered by an Intel 8-core 3GHz i7-9700 CPU. It also includes 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. I’m also using Mint 22.1 on my 2024 HP Pavilion Desktop TP01-223. This computer has an eight-core 3.8 GHz AMD Ryzen 7 processor, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB Solid-State Drive (SSD). It also has integrated AMD Radeon Graphics.
Either machine is more computer than Mint needs. Linux Mint will run on pretty much any computer. You’re good to go if your PC has 2GB of RAM and 100GB of storage, any graphics card, and a monitor that supports a 1024×768 resolution. If you’re unsure if you want to use Mint, you can grab a PC from a second-hand store and try it.
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For existing Linux Mint 22 users, Mint will shortly provide an automatic upgrade. I wouldn’t upgrade by hand unless you know exactly what you’re doing. Me? I’ve been running Linux for decades. Most people should wait to be able to click a few buttons to make the upgrade. I expect this option to be out within the next few days.
Installing Mint 22.1 on a new or old machine is easy. You’ll do fine following my instructions to replace Windows with Linux Mint and download the Mint 22.1 ISOs instead of 22.0’s ISOs.
So, if you’re ready for a worry-free desktop operating system that’s stable as a rock, say goodbye to Windows and give Linux Mint 22.1 a try. It’s more than just a great Linux desktop. It’s a great desktop, period.
