The Linux Mint team has announced the BETA release of LMDE 7, codenamed “Gigi.” As you know, unlike the regular Mint edition, which is based on Ubuntu, LMDE (Linux Mint Debian Edition) is built directly on Debian.
Its purpose is simple – to ensure that Mint can continue delivering the same user experience even if Ubuntu were no longer available, while also serving as a testing ground to guarantee Mint’s software works outside the Ubuntu ecosystem.
Powered by Linux kernel 6.12, this new release is based on Debian 13 “Trixie” and includes all the improvements that recently landed in Linux Mint 22.2. In practice, that means users get the latest Mint tools and refinements, but on top of a Debian 13 base instead of Ubuntu. Let’s mention the most important ones.
Improved visuals, themes, and UI polishing:
- GTK4/libadwaita applications have been better integrated with Mint themes (Mint-Y, Mint-X, Mint-L), meaning more consistency in look and feel.
- The default theme (Mint-Y) has been tweaked toward cooler/bluer hues (a “metallic” feel), softer dark mode elements, etc.
There’s also a new native utility called Fingwit that was introduced. It lets users enroll and manage fingerprints, and use fingerprint authentication for actions such as screen unlock, sudo commands, and admin-level tasks.
Apart from that, some system and miscellaneous enhancements also take place:
- Xviewer (image viewer) had its color correction refined.
- Update Manager now shows a reboot button if updates require a reboot.
- WebApp Manager allows editing of the webapp description field.
- Improved thumbnail support for audio file types (e.g., AIFF) is now available via a new thumbnailer.
For those who want to try it, upgrade instructions from the beta to the final stable version will be provided once the stable release is ready. The installation ISO images can be downloaded here.
In conclusion, since the beta is already out, it’s safe to assume the final stable LMDE 7 “Gigi” release will land by the end of this month or early next month at the latest.
For more information, see the announcement.
I don’t think the statement “to ensure that Mint can continue delivering the same user experience even if Ubuntu were no longer available” is necessarily a factual representation of their views, even if they do say so themselves. No one believes Ubuntu desktop will ever disappear.
The real fear is that Ubuntu will replace the APT package manager and DEB packages from Debian over time with the snapd portable package manager and SNAP packages. The Mint developers have been vehemently opposed to this direction from the start and they are correct that Ubuntu has been signalling this direction with each new Ubuntu release.