Linux Mint

An Ubuntu-based distribution focused on a familiar desktop.

Linux Mint provides a polished, low-friction experience for desktop users coming from Windows. The default Cinnamon edition ships a traditional panel-with-menu layout, sensible default applications, and the X-Apps suite (Xreader, Xviewer, Xed, Pix, Celluloid) — applications forked from upstream GNOME apps to keep a more conservative "panel + window list" style.

Clement Lefebvre started Mint in 2006 as a more user-friendly respin of Ubuntu, and the distribution has consistently performed well in distrowatch popularity rankings ever since. The Mint team also maintains the Linux Mint Debian Edition (LMDE), a Debian-based variant kept as a fallback in case Ubuntu's direction ever diverges sharply from Mint's preferences.

Mint's main appeal is its conservatism: a stable, attractive desktop environment, an Update Manager that distinguishes recommended updates from optional ones, and the Software Manager that mixes Flatpak, deb packages, and PPAs in a single search interface. It is consistently among the recommendations for newcomers to Linux.

License: Composite per package

Category: Distribution

Website: https://linuxmint.com/

Install

Download an ISO from https://linuxmint.com/download.php

Authors

Clement Lefebvre (founder)
Linux Mint team

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