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ZDNET’s key takeaways
- Two new versions of Linux Mint will appear this year.
- The first, LMDE, is based on Debian Linux 13.
- The second, Mint 22.3, will be the next mainstream release.
Does it seem like Linux Mint developers just released a new version of their popular Linux distribution? Why, yes. Yes, they did. I installed Linux Mint 22.2, Zara, on Sept. 4. That isn’t stopping Clement “Clem” Lefebvre from announcing that Mint will be releasing not one, but two, new versions of Linux Mint before the end of 2025.
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First, the Mint programming team has kicked off development of Linux Mint Debian Edition (LMDE) 7, codenamed “Gigi.” This is on top of the latest Debian Linux distro, Debian 13, Trixie, and it comes after the 2023 LMDE 6 release.
Just in case
The point of LMDE, as Clem has remarked before, is not to replace the mainstream Ubuntu-based Mint, but it’s in case “Ubuntu was ever to disappear.” This is not a new policy.
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While Mint has never developed its own base distribution (as have Debian, Red Hat with Fedora, and CentOS Stream, or SUSE with SUSE Linux Enterprise), even back in 2013, Clem had said Mint was prepared if Ubuntu was to disappear. “It’s important for us not to depend on our components, but there are no plans to replace Ubuntu. LMDE was partly started to prepare for this eventuality.”
It should be noted that Mint has often not seen eye-to-eye with Canonical, Ubuntu’s parent company. In 2020, Mint stopped supporting Ubuntu’s Snap package. Earlier, Mint had declined to support Ubuntu’s proposed Mir display server/compositor.
Coming in September and December
The new LMDE will include Linux Mint 22.2’s key enhancements. It will also finally include long-awaited support for OEM installations. This will enable PC vendors to more easily ship LMDE-equipped desktops and laptops.
In a significant change, LMDE 7 will drop i386 support. Builds will be offered exclusively for amd64 architectures. This reflects the upstream decisions in Debian 13 to finally stop supporting the obsolete 32-bit architectures.
The Linux Mint team expects to release the LMDE 7 beta later this September.
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Simultaneously, Mint’s core developers plan to deliver Mint 22.3 by December 2025. This release has an intentionally short cycle. Its top priorities include a new application menu, a status applet, and Wayland-compatible handling for keyboard layouts and input methods.
These features are intended to modernize the Mint desktop further and address user feedback gathered throughout the year. It’s also expected to fix a controversial change in the Mint-Y theme. Many users are disappointed by its poor contrast in the display’s dark mode.
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Finally, this release will feature a new version of the Cinnamon desktop interface. Presumably, this will be Cinnamon 6.6. The latest shipping version is 6.4.8.
I’m a little bemused that Mint is releasing two new versions so soon after Mint 22.2 saw the light of day. Even so, I’m looking forward to both. When I next write about Mint, I expect to be doing it from a fresh installation of Mint 22.3.