Linux Mint

Linux Mint
	Linux Mint “Daryna” 4.0 running GNOME
OS family	Linux
Working state	Current
Source model	Free and Open Source Software
Latest release	4.0 / 2007-11-15
Available in	multilingual
Update method	APT
Package manager	APT
Platforms	i386
Kernel type	Monolithic kernel
Default; user interface	GNOME , KDE , Xfce
License	GPL
Official website	http://www.linuxmint.com/

Linux Mint is an operating system. This Linux distribution for desktop computers is based on and compatible with Ubuntu and uses the repositories from Canonical Ltd. While at the core Linux Mint is mostly based on Ubuntu, the design of the desktop and UI results in a different user's desktop experience. These differences include another desktop theme, a custom Linux Mint menu and the MintSoftware, a collection of system tools designed to make system management and administration easier for end users.

Branches

Like many other Linux distributions, Linux Mint is available at different test versions or "branches". The branch with the very newest features, or "unstable branch" of Linux Mint, is called "Romeo". It is not activated by default in Linux Mint releases. Users who wish to get cutting-edge features and help the distribution test new packages can add Romeo to their Advanced Packaging Tool (APT) sources.

New packages are first released in Romeo, where they are tested by developers and testers who use Romeo. After a package is found stable enough, it is backported to the latest stable release.

Based on its dependencies, a package can also be tested in Romeo to be later included in the next stable release.

MintSoftware

Linux Mint comes with its own set of Mint software aimed at making the experience easier for the user.

MintUpdate: Update-software designed specifically for Mint. MintUpdate 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 Mint distro, the development team tests all package-wide updates. This system is designed to prevent inexperienced users from installing updates that are unnecessary or require a certain level of knowledge to configure properly. MintUpdate is currently in beta 1.5 and will be included in the next Mint release.

MintInstall: A program to download software from Internet catalogs that distributes mint-files. A mint-file does not contain the software, but it contains all the information and sources to download that software.

MintDesktop: A desktop configuration tool for easy configuration of the desktop. MintDesktop has received a major overhaul in Mint 4.0.^{[citation needed]}
MintConfig: A customizable control center.
MintAssistant: A customization wizard that appear during first log-in for users, asking a few questions to customize Mint based on the user's level of knowledge and comfort with various Linux components. It currently asks if the user want to enable or disable fortune-cookies in the terminal, if the root account should be enabled or disabled, and if Mint should use MintDisk or fstab to mount NTFS-partitions.

MintUpload: An FTP client that uploads files to a server by right-clicking on the icons and selecting upload. The user will then be given a link he can give to other people for quick and easy sharing.
MintMenu: A python-coded menu that allows for fully customizable text, icons, and colors. It shares the same hotlinks to software as the Gnome main menu.

Releases

Linux Mint didn't follow a predictable release cycle. Releases were planned one after the other. The project first defined the goals for the next release.^{[citation needed]} When all the goals are achieved a beta is usually released and a date is announced for the stable release. Recently however, it has been decided that Linux Mint will correlate with the 6 month Ubuntu release cycle

Version	Codename	Edition	Window Manager	Code Base	APT Base	Release Date
1.0	Ada	Main	KDE	Kubuntu Dapper	Dapper	27/08/2006
2.0	Barbara	Main	GNOME	Ubuntu Edgy	Edgy	13/11/2006
2.1	Bea	Main	GNOME	Ubuntu Edgy	Edgy	20/12/2006
2.2	Bianca	Main	GNOME	Ubuntu Edgy	Edgy	20/02/2007
2.2	Bianca	Light	GNOME	Ubuntu Edgy	Edgy	29/03/2007
2.2	Bianca	KDE CE	KDE	Kubuntu Edgy	Edgy	20/04/2007
3.0	Cassandra	Main	GNOME	Bianca 2.2	Feisty	30/05/2007
3.0	Cassandra	Light	GNOME	Bianca 2.2	Feisty	15/06/2007
3.0	Cassandra	KDE CE	KDE	Bianca 2.2	Feisty	14/08/2007
3.0	Cassandra	MiniKDE CE	KDE	Bianca 2.2	Feisty	14/08/2007
3.0	Cassandra	Xfce CE	Xfce	Cassandra 3.0	Feisty	07/08/2007
3.1	Celena	Main	GNOME	Bianca 2.2	Feisty	24/09/2007
3.1	Celena	Light	GNOME	Bianca 2.2	Feisty	01/10/2007
4.0	Daryna	Main	GNOME	Celena 3.1	Gutsy	15/10/2007
4.0	Daryna	Light	GNOME	Celena 3.1	Gutsy	15/10/2007
4.0	Daryna BETA 008	Xfce CE	Xfce	Daryna 4.0	Gutsy	2/11/2007
4.0	Daryna BETA 021	Fluxbox CE	Fluxbox	Daryna 4.0	Gutsy	3/1/2008
test release	Debian ALPHA 023	Debian	GNOME	Debian 4.0	Etch	3/1/2008
4.0	Daryna BETA 044	KDE CE	KDE	Daryna 4.0	Gutsy	22/1/2008
4.0	Daryna BETA 021	E17 CE	Enlightenment	Daryna 4.0	Gutsy	January 2008
5	Elyssa	Main	GNOME	Ubuntu Hardy Heron	Hardy	30/04/2008
5	Elyssa	KDE CE	KDE	Kubuntu Hardy Heron	Hardy	30/04/2008
5	Elyssa	XFCE CE	Xfce	Xubuntu Hardy Heron	Hardy	30/04/2008

Legend:
Outdated	Stable (without backports from Romeo)	Stable (with backports from Romeo)	Alpha (test release)	Beta	Next Release

Editions

Main Edition: The Main Edition of Linux Mint provides a GNOME desktop with multimedia codecs which fit on a single CD.

Light Edition: Some of the codecs in the Main Edition are not freely redistributable in some parts of the world. For this reason, users who live in countries where the legislation doesn't allow them to use or distribute the Main Edition have access to a Light Edition of Linux Mint. The Light Edition is a copy of the Main Edition without any patented or proprietary component.

KDE Community Edition: Linux Mint also provides a KDE Edition (mostly for individual users). The Gnome desktop is replaced with KDE. The default selection of applications is different and this edition usually comes with more software. The KDE edition doesn't necessarily fit on a CD and can be available as a DVD download.

Mini Community Edition: Linux Mint using GNOME and Openbox to provide a lightweight, fast, and small mint environment..

Xfce Community Edition: An attempt to create a version easier on system requirements. The GNOME desktop is replaced with Xfce as the default desktop environment.

Fluxbox Community Edition: An extremely light and fast alternative to GNOME using Fluxbox as the window manager.

E17 Community Edition: A very lightweight and innovative alternative to GNOME utilizing the latest version of Enlightenment (window manager).

Notes

As of "Elyssa" the version number's sub edition is now dropped i.e. "linux mint 5.0" is now "linux mint 5" this is due to a decision to follow Ubuntu's 6 month release cycle, so there should no longer be more than one release per Ubuntu base.[1]
The Debian base release is released as an alpha (test release) because "it is not intented to be used as your main operating system but to give you a technological preview of how Linux Mint would behave if it was based on Debian."[2] Also note that the ISO acts as a "non-installable" live CD.
Linux Mint 5 will see the addition of a Professional Edition with a desktop targeted at the core professional desktop.

Comparison with Ubuntu

Linux Mint is based on Ubuntu and both distributions have a lot in common. For example, both distributions use the same software repositories as Ubuntu. For instance, release 2.2 (“Bianca”) uses the package pools of Ubuntu “Edgy Eft” (6.10). Most packages are the same on both distributions and the two systems behave almost identically.

Most differences are on the desktop. Both Ubuntu and Linux Mint focus on usability, but Linux Mint offers a different user experience and it includes a number of applications that are not available in Ubuntu. For instance, mintDesktop is a tool for configuration of the GNOME desktop and for automatic browsing of Windows workgroups and network neighbourhoods. MintWifi allows to configure wireless cards without an internet connection. MintDisk mounts NTFS partitions in read/write mode, mintMenu and mintConfig provide new ways to use the Gnome desktop.

Multimedia codecs are installed by default in Linux Mint. In Ubuntu, some of these are excluded by default but can be added after installation. The reason is that these are not open source software and the use may have legal consequences in some countries.

Ubuntu has a vastly larger support community than Linux Mint. However, the majority of Ubuntu help and advice is also applicable to Linux Mint. Ubuntu supports more languages from the LiveCD, and comes with better localization.^{[citation needed]} Lastly, whilst Linux Mint only supports x86 architectures, Ubuntu also supports x86-64, which is important for an increasingly large minority of desktop users as 64-bit processors gain market share.

External links