The Mint team has just released its regular monthly newsletter; this time, we have some exciting updates to share with you.
One of the biggest updates comes in how the system handles keyboard layouts and input methods. Until now, Cinnamon has mostly relied on traditional layouts managed by libgnomekbd, which worked fine under Xorg but left Wayland users with only a US English layout. That limitation is now being addressed.
The new version integrates both traditional XKB layouts and IBus input methods side by side, meaning you’ll be able to set up and switch between things like French accents on a US keyboard and Japanese input with Mozc without hassle. All of this is fully compatible with the Wayland protocol.
Cinnamon’s on-screen keyboard is also changing. Instead of depending on libcaribou, it’s now implemented natively. That brings proper input method support and layout switching directly inside the on-screen keyboard itself, while also giving developers the chance to improve its appearance and behavior.
Another significant piece of work is the redesign of the application menu. The new layout introduces a sidebar with quick access to your avatar, places, and favorite applications, while system buttons have been relocated to the top, adjacent to the search bar.
App descriptions now appear directly under their names, categories take up less space to keep focus on applications, and you can hide or adjust sidebar elements to suit your setup.
Special directories are treated separately from bookmarks, and categories can once again use full-color icons if you prefer. Under the hood, the code was refactored for easier maintenance, with simpler keyboard navigation and refresh mechanisms.
For more information, see the announcement on Mint’s blog.
Image credits: Linux Mint
