Linux Mint is a community-driven Linux distribution based on Ubuntu or Debian that strives to be a

"modern, elegant and comfortable operating system which is both powerful and easy to use."[6] Linux
Mint provides full out-of-the-box multimedia support by including some proprietary software, such as
multimedia codecs, and comes bundled with a variety of free and open-source applications.[7][8]
The project was created by Clément Lefèbvre and is being actively developed by the Linux Mint
Team and community.[9]

Contents

 1History
 2Releases
 3Features
o 3.1Software by Linux Mint
 3.1.1Cinnamon
 3.1.2MintTools
o 3.2Installation
 4Editions
o 4.1Ubuntu-based editions
 4.1.1OEM version
 4.1.2No Codecs version
o 4.2LMDE
 4.2.1LMDE 1
 4.2.2LMDE 2
 4.2.3LMDE 3
 5Development
 6Reception
 7See also
 8References
 9External links

History[edit]
Development of Linux Mint began in 2006 with a beta release of Linux Mint 1.0, code-
named "Ada",[10] based on Kubuntu. Following its release, Linux Mint 2.0 "Barbara" was the first
version to use Ubuntu as its codebase. Linux Mint had few users from these early versions until the
release of Linux Mint 3.0, "Cassandra".[11][12]
Linux Mint 2.0 was based on Ubuntu 6.10,[13] using its package repositories and using it as
a codebase. From there, Linux Mint followed its own codebase, building each release from its
previous one, but continued to use the package repositories from the latest Ubuntu release. This
resulted in making the base between the two systems almost identical, guaranteeing full
compatibility between the two distributions rather than having Mint become a fork.[citation needed]
In 2008, Linux Mint adopted the same release cycle as Ubuntu and dropped its minor version
number before releasing version 5 "Elyssa". The same year, in an effort to increase the compatibility
between the two systems, Linux Mint decided to abandon its code-base and changed the way it built
its releases. Starting with Linux Mint 6 "Felicia", each release was now completely based on the
latest Ubuntu release, built directly from it, and timed for approximately one month after the
corresponding Ubuntu release, usually in May or November.[citation needed]
In 2010, Linux Mint released Linux Mint Debian Edition (LMDE). Unlike the other Ubuntu-based
editions (Ubuntu Mint), LMDE was originally a rolling release based directly on Debian and was not
tied to Ubuntu packages or its release schedule.[12] It was announced on May 27, 2015 that the Linux
Mint team would no longer support the original rolling release version of LMDE after January 1,
2016.[14] LMDE 2 "Betsy", the current release of LMDE, is a long term support release based on
Debian Jessie.[15] When LMDE 2 was released it was announced that all LMDE users would be
automatically upgraded to new versions of MintTools software and new Desktop Environments
before they were released into the main edition of Linux Mint.[16]
On February 20, 2016, the Linux Mint website was breached by unknown hackers, who briefly
replaced download links for a version of Linux Mint with a modified version that contained malware.
The hackers also breached the database of the website's user forum.[17][18] Linux Mint immediately
took its server offline to fix the issue and subsequently implemented enhanced security configuration
of their website and forum.[19]

Releases[edit]
Main article: Linux Mint version history
Every version of Linux Mint is given a version number and, until the 18.x series, was code-named
with a feminine first name ending in "a" and beginning with a letter of the alphabet that increased
with every iteration.[12] The 18.x series broke from the pattern with version 18 having the name
"Sarah".[20]
Initially, there were two Linux Mint releases per year. Following the release of Linux Mint 5 in 2008,
every fourth release was labeled a long-term support (LTS) version,[citation needed] indicating that it was
supported (with updates) for longer than traditional releases. Versions 5 and 9 had three years of
support, and all LTS versions following received five years of support.[citation needed]
On May 31, 2014, with the release of Linux Mint 17,[21] the Linux Mint team adopted a new release
strategy. Starting with the release of Mint 17, all future versions were planned to use a LTS version
of Ubuntu as a base, until 2016.[22] Under this strategy, Mint 17.1 was released on November 29,
2014,[23] Mint 17.2 was released on June 30, 2015,[24] and Mint 17.3 was released on December 4,
2015.[25] The 17.x releases are intended to be an easy, optional upgrade.[26] All three versions
included upgrades to the Cinnamon and MATE Desktop Environments and various Mint tools. In
addition, Mint 17.2 and 17.3 included an upgrade to the LibreOffice suite.[27][28] The 18.x series follows
the pattern set by the 17.x series, by using Ubuntu 16.04 LTS as a base.[20]
Linux Mint does not communicate specific release dates as new versions are published "when
ready", meaning that they can be released early when the distribution is ahead of schedule or late
when critical bugs are found.[29] New releases are announced, with much other material, on the Linux
Mint blog.[30]
Reviews of Linux Mint 18 "Sarah" were somewhat mixed, with several that were quite
favorable[31][32][33][34] and others critical of several specific new problems, with multiple reviews
complaining about the lack of multimedia/codec support by default.[35][36] Multimedia codecs that had
previously been included in the standard Mint distribution were no longer included in "Sarah", but
could be loaded with a graphical application that one Ars Technica reviewer said should be obvious
for new users.[32]
On January 3, 2018, the Linux Mint Team released news of Linux Mint 19 "Tara." The team has
stated that the 19.x releases will be using GTK 3.22, and will be based on Ubuntu 18.04 LTS, which
will be supported until 2023. On June 29, 2018, Linux Mint 19 "Tara" Cinnamon was released.[37]
As of August 4, 2019, the latest release is Linux Mint 19.2, "Tina." Linux Mint 19.2 is a long term
support release which will be supported until 2023.[2]
Features[edit]
Linux Mint primarily uses free and open-source software, making exceptions for
some proprietary software, such as plug-ins and codecs that provide Adobe Flash, MP3,
and DVD playback.[38][39][40] During the installation Linux Mint provides for users an option to prevent
the installation of third party and proprietary software (graphics and Wi-Fi drivers, Flash, MP3 and
other codecs).[41]
Linux Mint comes with a wide range of software installed that
includes LibreOffice, Firefox, Thunderbird, HexChat, Pidgin, Transmission, VLC media
player and GIMP. Additional software that is not installed by default can be downloaded using the
package manager. Linux Mint allows networking ports to be closed using its firewall, with customized
port selection available. The default Linux Mint desktop environments, Cinnamon and MATE,
support many languages.[42][43] Linux Mint can also run many programs designed for Microsoft
Windows (such as Microsoft Office), using the Wine Windows compatibility layer software for Linux,
or virtualization software, including VMware Workstation and VirtualBox, or KVM (Kernel based
Virtual Machine, built into the Linux kernel) hypervisor using Virtual Machine Manager.
Linux Mint is available with a number of desktop environments to choose from, including the
default Cinnamon desktop, MATE, KDE, and Xfce. Other desktop environments can be installed
via APT, Synaptic, or via the custom Mint Software Manager.
Linux Mint actively develops software for its operating system. Most of the development is done in
Python and the source code is available on GitHub.[44]

Software by Linux Mint[edit]

The new interface for mintUpdate, Linux Mint's Update tool

The Linux Mint Software Manager allows users to view, install, and uninstall programs.

Cinnamon[edit]
Cinnamon is a fork of GNOME Shell based on the innovations made in Mint Gnome Shell
Extensions (MGSE). It has been released as an add-on for Linux Mint 12 and available as a default
desktop environment since Linux Mint 13.[45]
MintTools[edit]

 Software Manager (mintInstall): Designed to install software from the Ubuntu and Linux Mint
software repositories, as well as Launchpad PPAs. Since Linux Mint 18.3, the Software Manager
has also been able to install software from Flatpak remotes, and is configured with Flathub by
default.[46] It features an interface heavily inspired by GNOME Software, and is built
upon GTK3.[47]
 Update Manager (mintUpdate): Designed to prevent inexperienced users from installing
updates that are unnecessary or require a certain level of knowledge to configure properly. It
assigns updates a safety level (from 1 to 5), based on the stability and necessity of the update.
Updates can be set to notify users (as is normal), be listed but not notify, or be hidden by
default. In addition to including updates specifically for the Linux Mint distribution, the
development team tests all package-wide updates. In newer versions of the operating system,
this safety level mechanism is largely deactivated in favor of system snapshots created by the
Timeshift tool.
 Main Menu (mintMenu): Created for the MATE desktop environment. It is a menu of options
including filtering, installation and removal of software, system and places links, favorites,
session management, editable items, custom places and many configuration options.
 Backup Tool (mintBackup): Enables the user to back up and restore data. Data can be backed
up before a fresh install of a newer release then restored.
 Upload Manager (mintUpload): Defines upload services for FTP, SFTP and SCP servers.
Services are then available in the system tray and provide zones where they may be
automatically uploaded to their corresponding destinations. As of Linux Mint 18.3, this software
is no longer installed by default but is still available in the Linux Mint software repositories.[48]
 Domain Blocker (mintNanny): A basic domain blocking parental control tool introduced with v6.
Enables the user to manually add domains to be blocked system-wide. As of Linux Mint 18.3,
this software is no longer installed by default but is still available in the Linux Mint software
repositories.[48]
 Desktop Settings (mintDesktop): A tool for configuration of the desktop.
 Welcome Screen (mintWelcome): Introduced in Linux Mint 7, an application that starts on the
first login of any new account. It provides links to the Linux Mint website, user guide and
community website.
 USB Image Writer/USB Stick Formatter (mintStick): A tool for writing an image onto a USB
drive or formatting a USB stick.
 System Reports (mintReport): Introduced in Linux Mint 18.3, the purpose of System Reports is
to allow the user to view and manage automatically generated application crash reports.