Published Dec 20, 2022, 2:42 PM EST
David is a freelance writer based in the Pacific Northwest, but originally hailing from the Bay Area. A journalist by training who has been writing professionally since 2009, he discovered the power of Unix-like operating systems and the command-line interface while learning how to edit video on macOS. It also helped that he'd originally cut his computing teeth on MS-DOS in the '90s.
He has been using Linux regularly in some form since 2006. David has been able to combine his passion for computing and writing in his career as a freelance writer. His writing has appeared in Techopedia, TMCnet, and Walyou, among others.
David holds a B.A. in communication from California State University, East Bay. A dedicated lifelong learner, he's been using Linux-based CAS tools like SymPy and Sage on Linux to make sure he remembers what he learned in his math classes and maybe even pick up a few new concepts along the way. Linux and open source have allowed him to explore advanced topics like calculus and linear algebra more easily than he could with pencil and paper.
The Linux Mint development team has announced the release of Linux Mint 21.1, codenamed "Vera." The release will likely be a welcome holiday gift for its users.
What's New in Linux Mint 21.1?
Linux Mint, which had already been promised for release in December 2022, has a number of new features.
The developers detailed the new features on the official release page.
Linux Mint 21.1 was given a fresh look and feel.
The operating system looks cleaner and more modern. It's also more configurable and comes packed with a variety of themes.
The most noticeable change from the new version is what's missing. The desktop icons have been hidden to reduce clutter. This is true of the flagship Cinnamon desktop as well as the MATE and Xfce editions.
There are also new accent colors and other tweaks to the default theme to highlight the visual appeal of the distro.
Linux Mint 21.1's Under-the-Hood Improvements
Apart from cosmetic enhancements, there are some more substantial features in Linux Mint 21.1 as well.
Linux Mint now includes a tool to verify ISO images that are downloaded from the project's mirrors. This is to increase security by reducing the chance of some malicious actor replacing the installation images. The USB image writer will now write Windows installation images to make repairing any Windows installations easier.
Users may simply opt for a Bittorrent download, as the verification of the file integrity is effectively done automatically by the way the protocol works. Since popular Linux distros are well-seeded, the torrent download will also be much faster than a conventional download. The Cinnamon version of Linux Mint 21.1 weighs in at 2.5 GB.
Linux Mint 2.1.1 Is In It for the Long Haul
While this version of Linux Mint is brand new, it's a long-term support release. Linux Mint 21.1 users will receive updates until 2027. This will likely appeal to those running it on older hardware. This mirrors the strategy of Ubuntu, which Linux Mint is based on.
Linux Mint 21.1 A Welcome Holiday Gift for Linux Users
Heading into the holiday season, the arrival of Linux Mint 21.1 will likely be a welcome gift for the distro's fans. Linux Mint has a reputation as the distro for new Linux users, and the decluttered interface and other improvements in version 21.1 could help it retain that reputation. There's a lot more below the surface of Linux Mint than meets the eye.