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Linux Mint

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Wei2912 (talk | contribs) at 08:45, 28 June 2012 (→Linux Mint OEM Edition: Many more clarifications. Mint no longer has an OEM edition, instead it is now part of the editions.). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Linux Mint
Linux Mint 13 ("Maya") with Cinnamon desktop
DeveloperLinux Mint team
OS familyUnix-like (based on Ubuntu and Debian Edition (LMDE) from September 2010)
Working stateCurrent
Source modelFree and open-source software and proprietary software
Initial release27 August 2006
Latest releaseLinux Mint 13 ("Maya") / May 23, 2012; 12 years ago (2012-05-23)
Latest previewLinux Mint 13 ("Maya") RC / May 16, 2012; 12 years ago (2012-05-16)
Available inMultilingual
Update methodAPT
Package managerdpkg
PlatformsIA-32, x86-64
Kernel typeMonolithic (Linux)
Default
user interface		1.0: KDE
2.0 to 11: GNOME 2.x
12: GNOME 3 with MGSE
13: GNOME 3 with Cinnamon, or MATE
LicenseMainly the GPL
Official websitewww.linuxmint.com

Linux Mint is a Linux-based computer operating system designed for usability and ease of installation, particularly for users with no previous Linux experience.[1][2] It is available in several editions with different codebases.

History and development process

Linux Mint uses primarily free and open source software (FOSS), making exceptions for some proprietary hardware drivers, non-free firmware in the kernel and some other widely used software, such as the proprietary Adobe Flash plugin and RAR compression/decompression utilities.[3]

Linux Mint started in 2006 with a beta release called 1.0 "Ada". The project wasn't well known at the time and this version was never released as stable. With the release of 2.0 "Barbara" a few months later, the distribution caught the attention of many people within the Linux community and started to build an audience. Using the feedback given from its new community, the distribution released a quick succession of releases between 2006 and 2008. 5 versions were released as follows: 2.1 "Bea", 2.2 "Bianca", 3.0 "Cassandra", 3.1 "Celena" and 4.0 "Daryna".

Version 2.0 "Barbara" was based on Ubuntu 6.10, 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 it continued to use the package repositories from the latest Ubuntu release. As such the distribution never really forked. This resulted in making the base between the two systems almost identical and it guaranteed full compatibility between the two operating systems.

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 version 6 "Felicia" each release was now completely based on the latest Ubuntu release, built directly from it, timed for approximately one month after the corresponding Ubuntu release (i.e. usually in May and November).

In 2010 Linux Mint released a Debian Edition.[2] Unlike the other Ubuntu-based editions, this is based directly on Debian and is not tied to Ubuntu packages or release schedule.

Features

The Ubiquity installer allows Linux Mint to be installed to the hard disk from within the Live CD environment, without the need for restarting the computer prior to installation. UTF-8 is the default character encoding and allows for support of a variety of non-Roman scripts.

Linux Mint comes installed with a wide range of software that includes LibreOffice, Firefox, Thunderbird, XChat, Pidgin, Transmission 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. GNOME 3 (the current default desktop) offers support for more than 46 languages. Linux Mint can also run many programs designed for Microsoft Windows (such as Microsoft Office), through Wine or using a virtual machine (such as VMware Workstation or VirtualBox).

System requirements

As of Linux Mint 12, both Intel x86 and AMD64 architectures are supported.

Minimum Recommended
Processor (x86) 600 MHz 1 GHz
Memory 512 MB 1024 MB
Hard Drive (free space) 5 GB 10 GB
Monitor Resolution 800×600 1024×768

[4]

Note: If visual effects are desired, a supported GPU is required.

Installation

Installation of Linux Mint is generally performed with the Live CD.[5] The Linux Mint OS can be run directly from the CD (albeit with a significant performance loss), allowing a user to "test-drive" the OS for hardware compatibility and driver support. The CD also contains the Ubiquity installer, which can guide the user through the permanent installation process.

The main edition of Linux Mint is available in 32-bit and 64-bit. Installation CD images can be downloaded, or installation CDs purchased from 3rd party vendors.[6][7] Linux Mint can be booted and run from a USB Flash drive, with the option of saving settings to the flash drive. This allows a portable installation that can be run on any PC capable of booting from a USB drive. The USB creator program is available to install Linux Mint (Ubuntu, not LMDE) on a USB drive.

A Microsoft Windows migration tool, Migration Assistant, can be used to import bookmarks, desktop background (wallpaper), and various settings from an existing Windows installation into a new Linux Mint installation.

The Windows installer "Mint4Win", is included on the Live CD and allows Linux Mint to be installed from within Microsoft Windows. The operating system can then be removed similar to any other Windows software using the Windows Control Panel. This method requires no partitioning of the hard drive. It is only useful for Windows users; it is not meant for permanent installations because it incurs a slight performance loss.

Installation does not support LVM or disk encryption.

Package classification and support

Linux Mint divides its software repositories into four components to reflect differences in their nature and in their origin.

  • main
    component only includes software that is developed by Linux Mint.
  • upstream
    component includes software which is present in Ubuntu but patched or modified by Linux Mint. As a result, the software present in this component behaves differently in each distribution. Notable examples are Grub, Plymouth, Ubiquity, Xchat, USB Creator and Yelp (the help system).
  • import
    component includes software that is not available in Ubuntu or for which no recent versions are available in Ubuntu. Notable examples are Opera, Picasa, Skype, Songbird, the 64-bit Adobe Flash plugin and Frostwire.
  • romeo
    component is not enabled by default. It is used by Linux Mint to test packages before they are included in other components. As such it represents the unstable branch of Linux Mint.

In addition to the above, there is a "backport" component in the Linux Mint repositories. This component is there to port newer software to older releases without affecting the other components. It is not enabled by default.

Releases

Version Code name Release date
1.0 Ada 2006-08-27
2.0 Barbara 2006-11-13
2.1 Bea 2006-12-20
2.2 Bianca 2007-02-20
3.0 Cassandra 2007-05-30
3.1 Celena 2007-09-24
4.0 Daryna 2007-10-15
5 LTS Elyssa 2008-06-08
6 Felicia 2008-12-15
7 Gloria 2009-05-26
8 Helena 2009-11-28
9 LTS Isadora 2010-05-18[8]
10 Julia 2010-11-12[9]
11 Katya 2011-05-26[10]
12 Lisa 2011-11-26[11]
13 LTS Maya 2012-05-23[12]

There are two Linux Mint releases per year. Each release is given a version number and a code name, using a female first name starting with the letter whose alphabetical index corresponds to the version number and ending with the letter "a" (e.g., "Elyssa" for version 5, "Felicia" for version 6).

Releases are timed to be approximately one month after Ubuntu releases (which in turn are about one month after GNOME releases and two months after X.org releases). Consequently, every Linux Mint release comes with an updated version of both GNOME and X and features some of the improvements brought in the latest Ubuntu release. Selected releases (such as Linux Mint 5, 9, and 13) are labeled as Long Term Support (LTS) versions, indicating that they are supported (with updates) for five years, as compared to the 18-month support period for other releases.

The current release is Linux Mint 13 "Maya", released on 23 May 2012.

Editions

All editions of Linux Mint are available in both 32-bit and 64-bit.

Starting with Linux Mint 9 "Isadora", the distribution provided Live CD, Live DVD, OEM and US/Japan installation images for its main edition in both 32-bit and 64-bit.

On September 7, 2010, the Linux Mint Debian Edition (LMDE) was announced. The goal of this edition is to be as close to the main (GNOME) edition as possible, but based on Debian (as opposed to Ubuntu). Another notable difference is the rolling release distribution cycle. On April 6, 2011, the Xfce version of Mint Debian was released.

Default desktops on Linux Mint
Edition GNOME Cinnamon MATE KDE Xfce LXDE Fluxbox
32-bit 64-bit 32-bit 64-bit 32-bit 64-bit 32-bit 64-bit 32-bit 64-bit 32-bit 64-bit 32-bit 64-bit
Linux Mint Older release Yes Yes Yes Older release Yes No Older release No
LMDE No Yes Yes No Yes No No

Linux Mint Ubuntu-based Editions

As of version 13, Linux Mint gives users the choice between Cinnamon and MATE[13], as their default desktop environment in the main release edition, with Ubuntu as its base. The following Ubuntu derived editions are also available:

Linux Mint OEM Version

The distribution also provides an "OEM version"[14] (previously called the "Universal Edition"[15]) which is targeted at distributors. This OEM version is currently not implemented in Linux Mint 13, the newest version of the distrubution, but it is unclear if it will be implemented.

Linux Mint No codecs Version

The distrubution provides a "No codecs version" for magazines, companies and distributors in the USA, Japan and countries where the legislation allows patents to apply to software and distribution of restricted technologies may require the acquisition of 3rd party licenses[16]. Installing this version comes with the entry "Install multimedia codecs" which can be used to install back the codecs after installing the distrubution.

Linux Mint Debian-based Editions

Linux Mint Debian Edition uses Debian instead of Ubuntu, and is available with either the MATE/Cinnamon [17] or Xfce desktop environments.[18]

Development

Individual users and companies using the operating system act as donors,[19] sponsors[20] and partners[21] of the distribution. Linux Mint relies on user feedback to make decisions and orient its development. The official blog often features discussions where users are asked to voice their opinion about the latest features or decisions implemented for upcoming releases. Ideas can be submitted, commented and rated by users via the Linux Mint Community Website.[22]

The community of Linux Mint users use Launchpad to participate in translating the operating system and in reporting bugs.[23]

Most extraneous development is done in Python and organized on-line on GitHub.com, making it easy for developers to provide patches, to implement additional features or even to fork Linux Mint sub-projects (for example The Linux Mint menu was ported to Fedora). With each release, features are added that are developed by the community. In Linux Mint 9 for instance, the ability to edit menu items is a feature that was contributed by a Linux Mint user.[24]

The members of the development team are spread around the World and they communicate through private forums, emails and IRC.

Linux Mint reviews are tracked by the distribution and discussed by the development team and the community of users.[25]

Software developed by Linux Mint

The Linux Mint Update Manager.
The Linux Mint Software Manager allows users to view and install programs from the Software Portal directly from their desktop.

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.[26]

  • Cinnamon: A fork of GNOME Shell based on the innovations made in Mint Gnome Shell Extensions (MGSE). Released as an add-on for Linux Mint 12 and included in Linux Mint 13.[27]
  • Software Manager: Lets you run .mint files, which are files containing instructions to install packages. As of Linux Mint 6, this tool has been revamped, and now lets you view all the applications on the Mint Software Portal offline, provided you have an Internet connection to download the information first. Also allows you to install any of the programs listed directly from the desktop, instead of going to the site. The option to use the old MintInstall program is available, where you can go to the Ubuntu Repositories or the Getdeb.net website from a search.
  • Update Manager: 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.
  • Main Menu (MintMenu): An advanced menu, featuring filtering, installation and removal of software, system and places links, favorites, session management, editable items, custom places and many configuration options. Also ported to MATE in Linux Mint 12 (Lisa).[28]
  • Backup tool: Lets you backup and restore your files, your settings and your software selection to easily upgrade to newer releases by performing fresh installations.
  • Upload Manager: Lets you define upload services for FTP, SFTP and SCP servers. Services are then available in the system tray and provide zones where you can drag and drop files for them to be automatically uploaded to their corresponding destinations.
  • Domain Blocker: A basic domain blocking parental control tool. Lets you manually add domains to be blocked system wide. This tool was introduced with the release of Linux Mint 6.
  • Desktop Settings: A desktop configuration tool for easy configuration of the GNOME desktop.
  • Welcome screen: Introduced in Linux Mint 7, an application that starts on the first login of any new account. It shows a dialogue window welcoming the user to Linux Mint, and providing links to the Linux Mint website, user guide and community website.
  • Mint Gnome Shell Extensions (MGSE): A desktop layer on top of GNOME 3 to make it feel like GNOME 2. Includes a bottom panel, an application menu, the window list, task-centric desktop (i.e. switches between windows, not applications) and system tray icons. It is designed to give users a traditional desktop environment. This was included in Linux Mint in version 12 (Lisa).[29][30]

Reception

As of 2012, Linux Mint's page on DistroWatch is the most accessed page among Linux distribution pages there, surpassing Ubuntu. [31][32][33] DistroWatch is an unreliable measuring stick for actual Linux distribution share, however, as it only measures hits on the Distrowatch page of the various Linux distributions.[34]

Comparison with Ubuntu

Debian Edition

Linux Mint released a Debian Edition (LMDE) on September 7, 2010, in addition to its other, Ubuntu-based editions. Unlike Mint's Ubuntu-based editions, LMDE is based directly on Debian-testing (as opposed to Ubuntu) and retains a Semi-Rolling Release schedule as done by Debian-testing. The last releases of Debian Mint were on April 24, 2012 for MATE/Cinnamon and Xfce.[35]

LMDE is shipped in versions with both a GNOME and an Xfce desktop, and is available for both 32 bit and 64 bit architectures.[36][37]

Ubuntu-based editions

Linux Mint's Ubuntu-based editions have much in common with their parent Ubuntu releases, from the software repositories of which they build.[38] For instance, release 6 ("Felicia") uses the package pools of Ubuntu 8.10 ("Intrepid Ibex").[39]

Linux Mint has a stated focus on elegance, and it includes a number of applications that are not available in Ubuntu, and vice versa. Mint has a number of design differences from Ubuntu, including:

  • A different user interface, including a custom main menu.
  • A different approach to update management.
  • A different software selection installed by default and a number of differences in the configuration of the system.
  • A shell extension for GNOME 3 is available to allow a desktop environment similar to GNOME 2.[40]
  • MATE (fork of GNOME 2.x) is available from Mint Lisa (12) onwards.[41]

The Main version of Linux Mint has often been cited as a better beginner's Linux distribution than Ubuntu, due to the out-of-box readiness created by its default application choices and inclusion of restricted codecs (such as MP3 support and Flash).[42]

From a project point of view, the main differences from Ubuntu are:

  • Linux Mint does not communicate release dates. Releases are announced "when ready"; they can be released early when the distribution is ahead of schedule or late when critical bugs are found.
  • The philosophy of the Linux Mint project is compatible with the use of proprietary software. Linux Mint favors Open Source technology but also considers proprietary alternatives, the user experience of the desktop being the main concern with licensing coming second. For example, most editions of Linux Mint come with Adobe's Flash plug-in installed by default.
  • Ubuntu and Linux Mint adopt different update strategies. Ubuntu recommends its users update all packages and upgrade to newer versions using an APT-based upgrade method. Linux Mint recommends not to update packages that can affect the stability of the system and recommends the use of its Backup Tool and fresh installations to upgrade computers to newer releases.[43]
  • Linux Mint is community driven and not associated with a parent company. Ubuntu takes input from both its community and its parent company, Canonical.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Linux Mint 9 "Isadora" Review".
  2. ^ a b Joe Brockmeier (12 Jan 2011). "Linux Mint Debian Edition 10: Rolling Release Nirvana". Retrieved 13 January 2011.
  3. ^ Linux Mint FAQ: What about proprietary software?
  4. ^ http://blog.linuxmint.com/?p=1889
  5. ^ "''Installing Linux Mint''". Happysysadm.com. 2011-06-30. Retrieved 2012-01-01.
  6. ^ "OSDisc.com". 2010. Retrieved 12 May 2010.
  7. ^ "On-Disk.com". 2010. Retrieved 12 May 2010.
  8. ^ "Linux Mint 9 "Isadora" released!". 2010. Retrieved 18 May 2010.
  9. ^ "Linux Mint 10 "Julia" released!". 2010. Retrieved 12 November 2010.
  10. ^ "Linux Mint 11 "Katya"!". 2011. Retrieved 22 February 2011.
  11. ^ "Linux Mint 12 "Lisa"!". 2011. Retrieved 16 November2011. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  12. ^ "Linux Mint 13 "Maya"!". 2012. Retrieved 24 May2012. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  13. ^ "New features in Linux Mint 12". Linux Mint Blog. Retrieved 2 December 2011.
  14. ^ "Editions for Linux Mint 9 "Isadora"". 2010. Retrieved 17 July 2010.
  15. ^ "Editions for Linux Mint 8 "Isadora"". 2009. Retrieved 17 July 2010.
  16. ^ http://www.linuxmint.com/download.php
  17. ^ "Linux Mint Debian 201204 RC (MATE/Cinnamon & Xfce) released!".
  18. ^ "Download-Linux Mint".
  19. ^ "Linux Mint Donors".
  20. ^ "Linux Mint Sponsors".
  21. ^ "Linux Mint Partners".
  22. ^ "Linux Mint Community Website - Idea module". 2010. Retrieved 12 May 2010.
  23. ^ "Linux Mint on Launchpad". 2010. Retrieved 12 May 2010.
  24. ^ "Example of a user-contributed feature". 2010. Retrieved 12 May 2010.
  25. ^ "Linux Mint reviews and discussions page". 2010. Retrieved 12 May 2010.
  26. ^ "The Linux Mint GitHub repository". Retrieved 2010-05-12.
  27. ^ "The Linux Mint Blog » Blog Archive » Introducing Cinnamon". blog.linuxmint.com. 2012-01-02. Retrieved 2012-01-10.
  28. ^ "Misc. News". Retrieved 20 November 2011.
  29. ^ "The Linux Mint Blog » Blog Archive » Linux Mint 12 Preview". Blog.linuxmint.com. 2011-11-04. Retrieved 2012-01-01.
  30. ^ "New features in Linux Mint 12". Retrieved 13 November 2011.
  31. ^ http://www.pcworld.com/article/244950/ubuntu_shows_distrowatch_decline_as_mint_soars.html
  32. ^ http://www.muktware.com/3193/linux-mint-touches-all-time-high-distrowatch-will-ubuntu-recover
  33. ^ http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2127579/ubuntu-popularity-falls-linux-mint-flourishes
  34. ^ "Linux Distributions - Facts and Figures". distrowatch.com. Retrieved 09 November 2011. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  35. ^ "Debian Changelog". Linux Mint. Retrieved 2012-04-24.
  36. ^ "The Linux Mint Blog » Blog Archive » Linux Mint Debian (201009) released!". Blog.linuxmint.com. 2010-09-07. Retrieved 2012-01-01.
  37. ^ "Download". Linux Mint. Retrieved 2012-01-01.
  38. ^ "About". Linux Mint. 2007-09-24. Retrieved 2009-07-16.
  39. ^ "The Linux Mint Blog » Blog Archive » Mint 6 Review: Dedoimedo". Linuxmint.com. 2009-01-19. Retrieved 2009-07-16.
  40. ^ "New features in Linux Mint 12". Retrieved 20 November 2011.
  41. ^ "New features in Linux Mint 12". Retrieved 20 November 2011.
  42. ^ Purdy, Kevin (11 February 2010). "Why Linux Mint Might Be a Better Beginner's Linux Than Ubuntu". Lifehacker. Retrieved 22 April 2010.
  43. ^ "Recommended way to upgrade Linux Mint". Retrieved 2010-05-12.
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