While there are many different Linux distributions, each with unique features and benefits, Linux Mint stands out as one of the most popular, polished, and user-friendly options for desktop users.
This is one of the reasons why fans of the distribution eagerly await each new release, and this summer will give them a lot of minty breath.
In his monthly report on the work done this past April, Clement Lefebvre, a Linux Mint Project Leader, sheds light on some facts that give us a pretty good guess of when we can expect the upcoming Mint releases, and more precisely Linux Mint 21.2, LMDE 6, and Mint’s EDGE ISO.
Linux Mint 21.2 “Victoria,” scheduled for release in late June, will be the first to see the daylight. Finishing touches are still being applied, with a heavy emphasis on attention to detail and, in typical Mint fashion, a strive to provide the greatest possible user experience.
For example, the developers used the accent color in the tooltips and notification messages instead of the traditional yellow labels with a brown border. Furthermore, whenever possible, they will prefer symbolic icons.
While many users will view such details as minor and insignificant, they clearly show Mint’s dedication to providing their users with only the best and unified desktop experience across the OS.
On top of that, the devs continue their work on hardening the security aspects of Warpinator in Mint 21.2, as support for Landlock and Bubblewrap has recently been added. This way, the app guarantees folder isolation, preventing it from writing outside its download folder.
However, our focus is less on the upcoming Linux Mint 21.2 “Victoria” release, which will continue on the 21.x series, rather than on the next LMDE (Linux Mint Debian Edition) 6. Yes, we like LMDE so much because it gives users the best of two worlds – Debian’s reliability and Mint’s pleasant desktop experience in one.
But we are so excited because it will be based on the brand new Debian 12 โBookwormโ set for release on June 10, which is one of the Open Source communityโs highlights for 2023.
According to the information published on the Mintโs blog, the LMDE 6 is slated for release within a month after the Mint 21.2. So, we have every reason to believe that in mid-July, users will also get the new LMDE 6, entirely based on Debian 12 โBookworm.โ
Mintโs EDGE ISO with kernel 5.19 will be published between Mint 21.2 and LMDE 6 releases in late June or early July. This special Mint ISO image is sometimes supplied in addition to the regular ISO images for circumstances in which you cannot start or install Linux Mint because your hardware is too new and incorrectly detected.
Finally, despite the information officially published on the Linux Mint blog, it is explicitly stated that there are still no precise ETAs for the releases. Therefore, these dates should be considered more indicative.
