Modernization of APT dependencies
One of the major projects in Linux Mint 22.1 was a thorough review and modernization of APT dependencies. The goal was to clean up outdated components, rationalize, and create a streamlined, future-proof set of package management tools and libraries.
APT isn’t just a command-line utility; it’s a robust ecosystem of tools (like Synaptic, GDebi, and apturl) and libraries (such as aptdaemon and packagekit) that support Mint’s applications. Many of these tools, though functional, were built over a decade ago and are no longer maintained upstream. While Linux Mint, Ubuntu, and Debian have patched them over the years, their aging design and limited features created persistent issues and barriers to innovation.
To address this, Linux Mint transitioned to
Aptkit and
Captain:
- Aptkit replaces aptdaemon, providing a streamlined library for package management operations with updated functionality.
- Captain unifies the features of GDebi and apturl into a single, easy-to-use utility.
All the tools previously reliant on aptdaemon, synaptic or apturl now use these replacements.
Captain replaces Gdebi/apturl with better translations and less bugs
This transition has several benefits:
- Better translations: Everything is now fully translated, eliminating longstanding localization issues.
- Improved quality: By removing reliance on unmaintained components, Mint ensures fewer bugs and "paper cuts". Small bugs can be addressed, they're no longer considered as "upstream / wontfix".
- Simplified architecture: Moving to Aptkit allowed the Software Sources to downgrade foreign packages graphically and no longer rely on a VTE. In the Update Manager, it empowered us to boost Wayland compatibility and modernize the multithreading and multiprocessing code, which were getting very old.
- Easier development: Rather than constantly patching release after release (packagekit's inability to purge, aptdaemon's inability to remove essential orphans), we develop the features we need and rely on libraries that fully support what we need.
Foreign packages can be downgraded graphically
While these changes might be invisible to most users, they lay the groundwork for a smoother, more reliable experience and any new issues can now be addressed with ease. This modernization ensures that Linux Mint’s package management remains robust, user-friendly, and ready for the future.
Much improved package management, multithreading and multiprocessing in the Update Manager
These changes represent a significant step toward a smoother and more future-proof experience with the many tools which rely on package management.
Power Modes
Choosing a power mode allows you to balance between power saving and performance optimization.
The following power modes are available on all computers:
- Power-saver mode: Limits performance to conserve energy.
- Balanced mode: Adjusts performance based on your needs.
On supported systems, an additional
Performance mode is available. This mode maximizes performance at the cost of increased power consumption.
Power-saving modes reduce performance but can extend battery life, reduce heat generation, lower CPU frequency, and decrease fan noise. Note that the system may override user settings based on the selected mode to adjust display brightness or make temporary adjustments to further reduce power consumption or enhance performance.
In Cinnamon, you can select the power mode by navigating to
Preferences → Power Management:
Power mode selection in the Cinnamon settings
Alternatively, you can select a power mode directly from the power applet:
Power mode selection in the power applet
In Xfce and MATE, power modes can be managed from the terminal.
To view the available power modes, run the following command: powerprofilesctl.
To switch between modes, use the following commands:
- powerprofilesctl set power-saver to enable power-saver mode.
- powerprofilesctl set balanced to enable balanced mode.
- powerprofilesctl set performance to enable performance mode.
Night Light
Night Light is a feature designed to reduce your exposure to blue light by warming up the color of your monitor. As you approach bedtime, it adjusts the screen to help reduce eyestrain, headaches, and improve sleep quality.
This feature is fully integrated into the Cinnamon desktop environment and it supports both Xorg and Wayland.
To enable Night Light, navigate to
Settings → Night Light and toggle the option to activate it.
Night Light in Cinnamon
By default, Cinnamon automatically calculates your local sunrise and sunset times based on your system's timezone. During the day, the screen displays cooler, bluer tones, while at night, Night Light shifts the screen to warmer, redder tones.
If you prefer, you can switch to a manual schedule and set custom start and end times for when the feature is active.
You can also adjust the color temperature to control how warm or neutral you want the display to be during the night.
Cinnamon 6.4
Linux Mint 22.1 ships with the latest version of Cinnamon, which introduces a brand new default theme, native dialogs, new features and much improved Wayland compatibility.
New default theme
The default theme was redesigned with a modern aesthetic, characterized by smoother, rounded elements and darker tones that provide more contrast and depth. These changes are aimed at making the Cinnamon desktop visually appealing in all Linux distributions.
The rounder corners and refined contrasts allow the interface to feel less cluttered, offering a more relaxing and enjoyable user experience. The design adjustments align with trends in contemporary UI/UX design, offering a more polished and efficient interface while ensuring that Cinnamon retains its classic, approachable aesthetic.
Cleaner, modern dialogs
The confirmation dialogs now feature a cleaner layout and clearly separated buttons.
The dialogs to end the session, kill a non-responsive application, authenticate with policykit, join a network, switch audio device, change the display settings, unlock a keyring were previously implemented in Gtk and some of them relied on system components which are not compatible with Wayland.
To improve compatibility and make the user experience more consistent, Cinnamon switched them to native dialogs, implemented in Clutter, just like the panel and the other desktop components.
On-Screen display elements were also redesigned to look cleaner and more modern than before.
Improved Wayland compatibility
In Cinnamon 6.4, we've replaced the deprecated `policykit-1-gnome`, which had issues under Wayland, with native dialogs for better integration. As a result, all applications and features that require admin privileges are now fully functional in Cinnamon on Wayland.
This includes crucial features like:
- System snapshots
- Installing or updating software packages
- System settings
Additionally, the Night Light feature and the color plugin have both been updated to fully support Wayland.
Other Cinnamon improvements
New options include:
- Notifications can now appear above fullscreen windows (new setting).
- Nemo now has an option to disable auto-expanding of treeview columns during drag and drop.
- GWL (Global Window List) now includes an option to always show windows from other monitors.
Other notable improvements include:
- Simplified sound over-amplification settings for easier configuration.
- Cleaner Alt-Tab behavior with no more arrows, cryptic title changes, and minimized windows now placed at the end by default.
- Option to toggle password visibility in the screensaver dialog.
- Nemo actions now support keyboard shortcuts for more efficient navigation.
Other improvements
The Software Manager has been optimized for better speed, ensuring faster application browsing and installations.
The Bulky file manager now includes a useful feature for removing accents from file names, which is especially handy for international users managing large batches of files.
Thumbnails are now generated for .ora (OpenRaster) files, making it easier to browse graphic design projects and workflows.
Artwork improvements
In the Mint-Y theme, Cinnamon looks darker, rounder and more modern than before.
Since "Maya" in 2012, every Linux Mint release has come with a fresh batch of desktop wallpapers. People love them, and new sets are always a highlight, but with over 20 collections now, finding the right one has gotten tricky.
"Wallpapers" features the best colorful desktop backgrounds
Starting with Linux Mint 22.1, wallpapers are moving to themed sets, making them easier to explore and more organized.
The first set is "Wallpapers," full of bold, colorful designs featuring cool abstract patterns and 3D shapes to give your desktop a vibrant new look!
Main components
Linux Mint 22.1 features a Linux kernel 6.8 and an Ubuntu 24.04 package base.
LTS strategy
Linux Mint 22.1 will receive security updates until 2029.
Until 2026, future versions of Linux Mint will use the same package base as Linux Mint 22.1, making it trivial for people to upgrade.
Until 2026, the development team won't start working on a new base and will be fully focused on this one.
