The beta release of Linux Mint 21.3, codenamed “Virginia,” is now available for download and testing. This new version brings a wealth of exciting features and improvements that are sure to enhance your desktop experience.
But before you dive headfirst into downloading the ISO, let’s take a closer look at what awaits you in Linux Mint 21.3.
Core updates
One of the most significant aspects of Linux Mint 21.3 is its status as a long-term support (LTS) release. This means it will receive official updates and support until 2027, providing users with a stable and secure platform for years to come. Additionally, the new version comes with updated software across the board, including the Linux kernel 5.15 and an Ubuntu 22.04 package base.
Enhanced ISO Images and Secure Boot Support
The developers have significantly improved how Linux Mint 21.3 ISO images are created. These images now utilize the latest live-build version and boast full support for Secure Boot, ensuring compatibility with a wider range of hardware.
Hypnotix Gets Smarter
The popular TV viewer application, Hypnotix, has received some exciting upgrades in this latest release. You can now set channels as favorites for easy access, and even create your own custom channels by adding any URL you can stream. Additionally, Hypnotix now includes its own local version of yt-dlp to ensure continued compatibility with Youtube channels.
New Action Spice in Cinnamon desktop
The flagship desktop environment, Cinnamon, has undergone a major upgrade in this release. Cinnamon 6.0 introduces a new type of spice called Action Spices. These spices are essentially add-ons for your file manager’s context menu, allowing you to perform various actions with a single click.
Like the other Cinnamon spices, such as applets, desklets, etc, you can now download the new spices as “Actions” from a new setting. You can now even uninstall them as well. This opens up possibilities for many users to contribute action spices to the community.
Initial Wayland support
While not intended to replace Xorg as the default display server yet, Cinnamon 6.0 features experimental Wayland support. This allows users to test out Wayland and provide valuable feedback to the development team. As of my test, many features are still not working and have bugs. So, if you want to try it out, give it a go. But expect issues. You should report them to GitHub so that the developers can check it out.
Other Notable Improvements
Beyond the major features, Linux Mint 21.3 boasts a plethora of other improvements and bug fixes. These include:
- Return of 75% scaling
- Reintroduction of window opacity keybinding
- Ability to disable stylus buttons
- Configurability of the monitor used for notifications
- Right-click menu for editing menu apps
- New desktop zoom gesture
- Improved gesture-triggering options
- New shift-middle click action in the sound applet
- Option to hide app buttons in the grouped window list when hovering
Getting Your Hands on the Beta
If you’re eager to get your hands on the latest and greatest that Linux Mint has to offer, you can download the Linux Mint 21.3 beta ISO image using the torrent link below:
https://linuxmint.com/torrents/linuxmint-21.3-cinnamon-64bit-beta.iso.torrent
Important Note: As with any beta release, it’s important to remember that Linux Mint 21.3 may still contain bugs and stability issues. Therefore, it’s recommended to only install it on a testing machine and avoid using it for critical work.
Closing Notes
We encourage everyone to download the beta and contribute to its development by providing feedback to the team.
Via release notes
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