Last September, the team behind Peppermint OS, a Linux distro known for its lightweight and customizable desktop environment, unveiled the Mini release; now, another exciting addition joins the family – Peppermint Loaded.
Of course, staying true to its roots, Peppermint OS’s flagship version continues to offer a clean and efficient XFCE desktop environment. Users can choose the applications they need, maintaining a clutter-free system.
This version is ideal for enthusiasts who appreciate a minimalist setup, ensuring a fast and responsive user experience. Available in 32-bit and 64-bit formats, it provides a familiar Peppermint experience with only essential pre-installed tools.
Peppermint Loaded: New Kid in Town
The big news, however, is another. Peppermint Loaded is a new member of the Peppermint family that introduces a fully equipped XFCE desktop setup by responding to community feedback for a more out-of-the-box solution.
In other words, it is designed for users who prefer not to spend time on extensive customizations.
In light of this, Peppermint Loaded includes a suite of essential applications pre-installed, such as Firefox, GIMP, LibreOffice, Atril, Inkscape, Thunderbird, Gnome System Tools, and Timeshift, ensuring that users can hit the ground running right after installation.
On top of that, the distro also brings several exciting additions:
- Btop++: A modern replacement for Htop, this advanced process monitor offers enhanced visual appeal and more detailed system insights.
- xDaily: A new GUI tool developed for easy system maintenance, reflecting the community’s preferences and suggestions.
- pfetch: A custom tool replacing Neofetch, designed to provide system information in a simplified and clean format.
The next good news is that Peppermint Loaded exclusively integrates Flatpak support, facilitating access to various applications. It even leverages a customized version of the Mint Store optimized for a seamless software installation experience.
However, it is important to note that Flatpak integration is currently unavailable for the 32-bit version.
Lastly, new users should be aware that the initial installation process might exhibit a delay when running the “/usr/sbin/update-system” script. This is normal and part of the system’s design to perform background updates, ensuring the system is fully updated at the first boot.
Refer to the announcement for detailed information. Peppermint Loaded 64-bit and 32-bit ISOs are available for download here.
Users can choose between two versions: one built on the rock-solid Debian 12 “Bookworm” and another based on the systemd-free Devuan “Daedalus” release.
