Linux Mint’s March 2024 newsletter unveiled a range of enhancements and updates, promising an even smoother and more efficient user experience and offering a glimpse into what the upcoming Mint 22 ‘Wilma’ release will bring.
Significant Localization Improvements
Mint 22 will introduce notable localization improvements. It will streamline the installation process by removing preinstalled language packages not selected by the user, significantly reducing the disk space required.
Additionally, if you’re connected to the Internet, the installation will automatically download language packs for your selected language.
For users requiring English, German, Spanish, French, Russian, Portuguese, Dutch, or Italian, the relevant language packs will be readily available on the ISO image, eliminating the need for an internet connection.
Introduction of Deb822 and PipeWire
The Software Sources tool in Linux Mint 22 will incorporate support for the Deb822 format, offering a new edge in package management. Moreover, PipeWire will become the default sound server, marking a significant upgrade in audio handling.
Enhanced Media Support
The next version of Pix, Linux Mint’s image viewer and organize, will introduce support for JXL images, expanding the range of supported formats. Additionally, a new GIMP file thumbnailer is set to be included, facilitating easier access and management of GIMP files.
Kernel Series and Online Accounts
Aligning with Ubuntu’s kernel strategy, Linux Mint 22 will transition to a new series with each release, focusing on stability and support for newer hardware. The release will also introduce a new XApp, GNOME Online Account GTK, designed to connect users to their cloud data across various desktop environments, ensuring wide accessibility.
Thunderbird Developments
In response to Ubuntu 24.04’s shift of Thunderbird to a Snap package, Linux Mint has decided to continue to package it as a native DEB app in the upcoming Mint 22 release, maintaining its availability without relying on Snap packages.
Mint’s Editions Popularity Insights
Lastly, there are some interesting insights into the popularity of various Mint editions, revealing Cinnamon as the most popular choice among users, followed by Xfce and MATE.
However, the reliability of these statistics is questionable since they derive from the traffic on the Mint’s website rather than from actual counts of active installations – something that cannot be measured in practice.
