Ah, Linux Mint. With the Cinnamon desktop, if you want to know exactly. A love/hate relationship.
2025 could be the year for the system, because in many ways, as mentioned several times, it could be the perfect Linux replacement for Windows 10. Similar design, similar handling.
Version 22 is also quite up to date again and for really weak systems you can also use the Xfce version, which is a bit stripped down but functional. I can only recommend the MATE version so-so, maybe for fans.
With kernel 6.8, support until 2029 and new features like Pipewire, GTK 4 and better (experimental) Wayland, it is also at least right up there. Despite the actually conservative orientation.
The system was used on a Lenovo Yoga 13 inch with AMD Ryzen 8640
The installation is typically quite simple, I deleted the entire hard drive and installed the system with all codecs etc. It was quick, less than 10 minutes, but as always, newbies need help.
When you first start it up, the system is fast and quiet. That’s OK. The design is also reminiscent of Windows 10, which is certainly good for many people, the start menu is traditionally and clearly arranged and divided. So OK, as I said.
But the first trigger is already waiting. Because: In the start menu, hundreds of apps and programs seem to be installed under “All applications”. But no, not a hundred of course, but that is a somewhat strange, yes, peculiarity of the system. Apparently most of the settings are hidden in small apps, so there is an app for each settings category.
Because you can find “Date and time” in the start menu, for example. If you click there, a separate window opens for it. But if you go to the settings, the same window is integrated into the settings window. Unfortunately, I have to say: That’s a pretty stupid solution. Or: There’s a simpler way.
The good thing about Mint is: If you are familiar with Windows or older systems, you will find your way around quite well and quickly. Those who are switching will enjoy it and don’t have to deal with a lot of new things. Maybe everything is a bit too dark for some tastes, but you can change that extensively.
Quick settings in the bottom right aren’t my best friends either, new windows open immediately for Bluetooth and updates when you click on them, notifications are OK, WiFi, volume and battery are all separated into small mini menus, which is a bit old-fashioned. The calendar is also OK, you can even open the “date and time” settings again. Again in its own window, of course.
Design is a thing with the system. Yes, it is quite consistent and works, but you get the feeling that on the one hand it wants to look calmer and more traditional, but on the other hand icons are colorful and present.
The accent colors can either be split into two as in the standard state – blue for buttons and yellow for folders, for example, or you can select everything in one color. The Dark/Light/Mixed mode should be more than enough for many people, and you can always adjust background images.
But you can also click on “Advanced” and there: you go down the rabbit hole. Wild mixtures are possible – but Mint-Y Style is not without reason in the foreground as a pleasant and modern variant. I prefer to leave it like that.
The system allows for a mixture of old and new, and after a while the whole thing seems coherent enough that nothing really bothers you – but as I said, you can adjust other things yourself. Font sizes, contrasts and other aids are also there and ready to use.
Basically, I would think that the default for a mixed mode, i.e. a dark start bar but light windows (instead of just light or completely dark mode), is a good choice for the general public and those switching over. Blue accents and yellow folders – you can find your way around quickly.
The system knows what it is and who it wants to appeal to. It can do a lot, but doesn’t have to.
A lot of things are pre-installed as standard, you can view and edit documents, draw, scan and calculate, play videos and music – and so far you don’t even need an internet connection. Then there’s Firefox and Thunderbird, so that’s pretty much covered. LibreOffice, a calendar and a few tools, including one for data backups, round it all off.
So you can get a long way with a fresh system without any major changes, which is good and positive. For those who want more, there is of course the Software Manager, as it’s called here. The App Store or whatever. There’s just one really important thing: Non-verified Flatpaks aren’t displayed.
Flatpak as a basic format works and is there and everything is fine, but Chrome, for example, is only available if you activate it in the settings. You have to know. Nextcloud Client is available as a system package, not a Flatpak. Thunderbird and Firefox are also system packages, which is fine, but if you want to use the advantages of Flatpak, you have to delete the existing app first, then reinstall it using Flatpak. Many people might not care about that, but I think an up-to-date and well-maintained app is more important than it getting a new icon and approval from the system provider.
Incidentally, this also applies to LibreOffice: on the one hand because it was a few versions behind in the system version, on the other hand because the design was just too… light and confusing for me. The icons on a light background were simply a disaster, I’m sorry.
Once the system is set up, it runs nice and smoothly.
Chrome is installed and synchronized, Thunderbird has my emails ready and Nextcloud runs in the background and starts without me doing anything every time I restart. You can even click in the bottom right corner and all windows are instantly minimized. And you’re surprised that you actually need it every now and then.
The negative thing about the laptop was that you had to activate the gesture control first. But you can customize it really extensively and set your own preferences and much more. I also didn’t know that 4-finger up and down for the volume could be so useful. But it doesn’t seem to work in Wayland experimental yet. And: Apparently the gestures just don’t work anymore even after some standby. Open the laptop in the morning and gestures are simply not available.
Unfortunately, you have to reset the laptop’s screen brightness every time you log in and start it up, which is always at maximum. As with Elementary OS, it seems to remember the last status, but always goes to full brightness at first. It was the same with the keyboard lighting – always off by default after a restart.
You can also slide windows slightly to the left and right and thus set them to 50% split. What is irritating is that this is also the case vertically, otherwise you just slide windows up and they then become full screen. Not there, you have a wide window at 50% height. Half good, so to speak. Or just to get used to, but personally not my preference, but you can change it directly in the settings if you don’t like it. Nice.
And speaking of settings: These are available as individual apps and somewhat summarized as a settings app. That started to get annoying when you need them again and again. At least you can search for something in the start, for example, like “date”. Then you open the “Date and Time” app. If you then want to change something else in the settings, you have no choice but to close the current app and reopen the desired settings. And I don’t use settings in parallel so often that this would offer any advantages for me.
By the way, I failed to set my keyboard to German while the system is set to English. It may not be an everyday problem, but I just couldn’t find any settings for it. Later, however, I found out that this was probably a Wayland problem, as it is still experimental.
What I also didn’t like so much were the squashed notifications. Yes, they are okay, but as with other systems, they literally disappear in the taskbar. If you open them, you feel the need to press all the little Xs because there is no button to delete them all, as this is just text that once again nobody reads.
You can open photos and videos, but you can’t edit them by default. The photo display can only rotate, etc. The included app “Pix” can do that, which is more of a photo manager. It’s a matter of taste, but at least this app can also display normal folders – you don’t have to import anything, which makes it much more appealing to me.
Music is also possible without any problems, videos can be played, full screen, all good. I’ve only tried out a new app, Decibels, as a test. This is supposed to be integrated into GNOME. A bit controversial, as it’s a TypeScript-based app. Accordingly, you can install the Flatpak, but nothing happens when you open it. Oh well.
Since the system is geared more towards traditional strengths anyway, desktop use is very possible and, with the taskbar and functions, offers everything you need to organize your everyday life efficiently.
When connected to an external monitor via USB-C, the desktop is immediately expanded. That’s fine so far. In the settings, it was also possible to switch to just the 4K monitor, but scaling is again only available in 100, 200, 300 and 400%. I don’t know why, as even 200% is already excessively large on a 4K monitor. So, as is often the case, there is some catching up to do, and I would imagine that there is hope for Wayland.
Oh, the background remained as shown in the screenshot, but since it is Wayland, we’ll turn a blind eye for now.
Once again you go looking for WINE in the store.
You find it, several times in fact. To be precise, you find versions 5, 7 and 9, system apps and Flatpak. Maybe it’s good for some people that there are different versions available, but as a layman it’s not nice to look at and just confusing. That should be clear.
I chose a Flatpak with version 9 (stable-24.08) and you could then open EXE files directly. At least it works.
With Steam and a few games from the store, I was able to install and play everything straight away. It was easy and, depending on the hardware, it ran smoothly, especially with older games. So there’s not much to stop you from playing a nice game every now and then.
Something that was strange: Steam notifications are simply displayed in the middle of the desktop. Only the notification god knows why.
Linux Mint always manages to be divided. Because: Yes, the system works simply and plays all the – albeit not modern – pieces.
And then again, some parts of me say “no” because the system is boring and old-fashioned. Even after a seemingly major update like version 22, you almost have to look with a magnifying glass for new features. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Many would even say the opposite, because you can at least be sure that the system works simply at least in its basic features and has everything you need right out of the box.
Although not everything works, as you’ve seen. There are also some problems with the controls and, especially on a 4K monitor, working with the mini icons on the taskbar is no fun. Even switching to Wayland didn’t help matters.
So if you can do without being completely up to date and you prefer what we know as a “traditional desktop” anyway, then Linux Mint is also a good way to avoid Windows 11 upgrades in particular and get a system that, in my opinion, may not be particularly beginner-friendly in terms of setup, but with its conservative nature and the long update promise, it could simply give you a few quiet years before you have to or want to update or switch again.
So if you are looking for peace and quiet and a stable and not too unusual system: you have come to the right place.
In the addendum, it can be noted that the new release 22.1 was just missed, which is a shame, as it seems that some design changes have been made. In short, it is more in the direction of GNOME, but a bit more modern.