Linux Mint 22 (codenamed Wilma) is the first release to feature the Ubuntu 24.04 LTS (codenamed Noble Numbat) as its base. As per usual, this is a long-term Linux Mint release which means it will be supported (just like Ubuntu) until 2029.

Even though the whole user experience has not massively changed, this particular release of Linux Mint is without a doubt exciting for a number of reasons. Firstly, there are the typical changes and improvements, but secondly (and more importantly) this release made me question the project's future the most. More on that a bit later.

As usual with Linux Mint releases, there's a lot to cover. For starters, Linux Mint 22 features a wide range of changes similar to its base Ubuntu 24.04 LTS. There are also a lot of desktop-specific changes in all three Linux Mint spins: Cinnamon, MATE, and Xfce.

Diving right into changes, we have some big news: Online Account is back. Having said that, users can now synchronize their Microsoft or Google accounts with the distro. This is not particularly exciting news, though, as this type of feature has been used in many distros for quite some time (including Linux Mint before it got removed a while back).

The new default Matrix client is another interesting addition. With its inclusion, users are now able (at least in theory) to connect with the Linux Mint community much more easily.

Another big change is related to the NEMO file manager. In short, users can now fully customize actions in the right-click menu. Users can reorder elements, tweak labels, change icons, and even add separators. Didn't think I would actually see this level of customization outside of KDE, to be honest, but there we are.

Linux Mint's software manager (and the project's team as a whole) is still very much focused on DEB packages. One good example is Thunderbird, an app that is currently shipped as snap in Ubuntu.

Other improvements include better support for high-resolution displays, Linux Mint has switched to PipeWire (just like Ubuntu), and both the installation and the ISO sizes are now a bit smaller.

The Software Manager app is also faster now (thanks to improved multi-threading support). Another interesting (and good) change is how Mint handles Flatpaks. In short, Flatpak support is enabled by default, and the same for Flathub. This means that it's a lot easier for new users to install apps, but it's worth noting that unverified Flatpaks won't appear in the Software Manager.

Sadly, Linux Mint 22's release was not without a fair bit of "controversy." Long-time Mint users are probably aware that a few too many apps in Mint 22 were downgraded over a theming disagreement. These include Mint's video player, calculator, scanning app, archive manager, disk usage analyzer, system monitor, and calendar (all have been reverted to GTK3).

Because all these apps have been upgraded to GTK4 (Libadwaita), the team behind Linux Mint couldn't apply the specific theme to these apps. Of course, I totally understand having a visually unified, cohesive ecosystem and a unique core experience. In short, the Linux Mint team doesn't want to rely on GNOME apps anymore.

Linux Mint still remains one of the most interesting Linux distros out there, but it seems that a change is needed. One could argue that Linux Mint has somewhat outgrown its Ubuntu base.

All this is making me question the future of Linux Mint. At the moment, Mint developers have their hands full. Not only have to implement their specific Mint changes over Ubuntu, but they also have to remove snaps, they have to maintain the Cinnamon desktop (and two extra spins MATE and Xfce, maintain extra Debian packages, and make sure to prepare for the upcoming Wayland transition (that's going to take about two years).

The team also has a new Thunderbird DEB repository to maintain, as well as seven more core apps.

To conclude, Linux Mint 22 marks a few important steps forward for Linux Mint, but also a few steps back. The whole opposition to Ubuntu is something that's bound "to explode" at some point. Linux Mint 22 is not a ground-breaking release, but it's a decent one.

It won't make you want to give Linux Mint a try, but it won't remove long-time users also.