Unless you've been living under a rock these past 15 years, you'll almost certainly have heard of Linux Mint. The OS is based on Ubuntu (in the case of this release, Ubuntu 22.04 LTS), meaning you have access to almost all Ubuntu applications out of the box.
"Out of the box" should perhaps be the tagline for Linux Mint, as the developers have placed a real focus on ease of setup and deployment for desktop users. Mint comes bundled with the ability to play almost all media formats. Traditionally, this has included proprietary software such as Adobe Flash Player but FOSS enthusiasts can take comfort in the fact that the Mint installer now offers these on an opt-in basis.
Mint has a respectable choice of built-in apps. Productivity is a breeze with the LibreOffice Suite (7.3.7.2) and the Thunderbird email client (102.4.2), while media needs are catered for via the powerful Rhythmbox (3.4.4) and Celluloid (0.21) music and video players.
You may notice that these aren't necessarily the most recent versions of these programs. This is because the Linux Mint team monitors software updates carefully, making for a much more reliable system. As Vera is based on an LTS version of Ubuntu, it should not only be more stable but will remain supported until 2027.
You can also use the included Mint software manager (MintInstall) to add extra apps. The program obviously draws on GNOME Software for inspiration, so is clear and easy to navigate. By default, it supports installation of apps via both Flatpak and DEB. If a program can be installed in more than one way, you can now choose between them.
This story is from the March 2023 edition of Linux Format.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the March 2023 edition of Linux Format.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Create your first WebSocket service
Mihalis Tsoukalos explains how to use the Go programming language to work with the WebSocket protocol.
Fantastic Mr Firefox
Nick Peers takes a trip down memory lane to reveal the story behind the rise - and slight fall - of Mozilla's popular web browser.
Set up your terminal and email like it's 1983
Jump in the hot terminal time machine with Mats Tage Axelsson who emails from the command line using the latest technology.
Universal layer text effects with GIMP
Posters use them, films and presentations are hard to imagine without them: text effects. Attract attention with Karsten Günther and GIMP.
Jump to a federated social network
Nick Peers reveals how you can get up and running with this free, decentralised and non-profit alternative to Twitter.
Free our SOFTWARE!
Taking anything for granted is dangerous, so Jonni Bidwell and Mike Saunders revisit how the free software movement got started to help free us from proprietary tyranny!
Master RPI.GPIO
Les Pounder goes back to the early days of the Raspberry Pi - and his career with this classic library! -
Waveshare Zero to Pi3
Transform your Pi Zero into a Pi 3, they promised Les Pounder, but it's more like adding on go-faster stripes.
The Best OPEN SOURCE Software Ever!
In an attempt to trigger controversy, Michael Reed and Neil Mohr unequivocally state these are the greatest free software apps ever. Probably. We’re just trying to be helpful.
Linux-Mandrake 7
Simplicity and a wide range of applications make this a great distribution for all Linux users.
