Linux Mint, one of the most popular Linux distributions, has reached version 21. This new version is codenamed Vanessa, and is released approximately eight months after the release of Linux Mint 20.3 “Una”. It comes with three different flavors based on the desktop environments they come with; Xfce 4.16, MATE 1.26, and Cinnamon 5.4.
Table of Contents
Based on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS
All of the flavors of Linux Mint 21 are based on the latest long-term-support version of Ubuntu; 22.04. It utilizes the most up-to-date LTS version of the Linux kernel as well, which is 5.15. The Linux Mint developers state that this version will receive security updates until 2027 and future releases until 2024 will use the same package base of it.
Linux Mint 21 comes with a bunch of new features and changes, starting with the Bluetooth manager. This release replaces Blueberry with Blueman, which is a desktop environment-agnostic tool. This tool extends the capabilities of Linux Mint regarding Bluetooth connections by delivering more features. Blueman also provides better connectivity, especially with audio devices.
Thumbnails for additional file types
Linux Mint 21 updates the old thumbnail generator which lacked the capability of generating thumbnails for certain file types. The developers have come up with a new project, xapp-thumbnailers, to enhance its capabilities and it can now generate thumbnails for AppImage, ePub, MP3 (album cover), RAW photos, and WebP file types.
Sticky Notes, on the other hand, can now duplicate the existing notes and the coloring algorithm for additional notes is changed to cycle the colors instead of defining a random color. The Process Monitor component is also added to the operating system which detects automated updates and system snapshots and notifies the users when they are running. This is a quite useful feature since while those tasks begin to run in the background, your system is likely to lose some of its performance for a while. Process Monitor’s little warnings might actually make the user go for a coffee break instead of trying to find what is going on, especially while gaming or working on performance-dependent software.
No driver is needed for printers
Linux Mint 21 delivers some improvements in printing and scanning actions as well. It now utilizes IPP (Internet Printing Protocol / Driverless Printing and Scanning) which removes the necessity of installing drivers for printers.
The uninstallation process on the main menu now also checks for dependencies and stops the operation if any of the dependencies are important for the system or used by any other software. Additionally, it cleans all of the dependencies installed on the system by the software, if it decides that they are no longer needed in the system. There are several background artworks included with Linux Mint 21 as well and Mint-X / Mint-Y themes have initial support for GTK4.
Cinnamon-specific improvements
The Cinnamon flavor of Linux Mint 21 also comes with additional improvements since it is the main desktop environment for Mint distribution. Muffin is now based on 3.36 and the Display settings are backported from gnome-control-center into cinnamon-control-center. Additionally, this section is now handled by Muffin. The desktop environment can now render all windows with the GTK theme, independent from their headerbar. The window animations are improved but they also lost the options for fine-tuning; the animation speeds can now only be changed globally.
The remaining changes in Cinnamon flavor for Linux Mint 21 are;
- The CJS interpreter, which was previously based on GJS 1.66.2, was rebased on GJS 1.70.
- The settings daemon features improved MPRIS support.
- Right-clicking an application in the main menu shows a context menu. If the application provides commands, these commands are now added to this menu.
Download Linux Mint 21 “Vanessa”
Linux Mint 21 “Vanessa” is now available for download for anyone who wants to enjoy its new features. You can follow the links below to download each flavor that comes with Xfce, Cinnamon, and MATE desktop environments:
| Flavor | File Size | Torrent | Direct |
| Cinnamon | 2.4GB | Download Torrent | Download ISO |
| Xfce | 2.4GB | Download Torrent | Download ISO |
| MATE | 2.5GB | Download Torrent | Download ISO |
SHA256SUMS
linuxmint-21-cinnamon-64bit.iso: f524114e4a10fb04ec428af5e8faf7998b18271ea72fbb4b63efe0338957c0f3
linuxmint-21-xfce-64bit.iso: 3ad001dc15cb661c6652ce1d20ecdc85a939fa0b4b9325af5d0c65379cc3b17e
linuxmint-21-mate-64bit.iso: 02a80ca98f82838e14bb02753bd73ee0da996c9cda3f027ae1c0ffb4612c8133
FAQ
Is Linux Mint 21 free?
Yes, Linux Mint 21 is completely free to use.
Is Linux Mint 21 stable?
Linux Mint 21 is stable as of its final version.
Which Linux kernel does Linux Mint 21 use?
Linux Mint 21 uses Linux Kernel version 5.15.
What is Linux Mint 21 based on?
Linux Mint 21 is based on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS.
Is Linux Mint 21 an LTS?
Yes, Linux Mint 21 is an LTS (Long-Term Support) version that will have official support for five years.
What is Linux Mint 21 called?
Linux Mint 21 is called “Vanessa”.
How long will Linux Mint 21 be supported?
Linux Mint 21 is a long-term support release and it will be supported until 2027 with security updates.
What version of Cinnamon does Linux Mint 21 use?
Linux Mint 21 comes with Cinnamon 5.4 desktop environment.
When was Linux Mint 21 released?
Linux Mint 21 was released on 31st July 2022.