Which linux mint to use

Choose the right edition¶

You can download Linux Mint from the Linux Mint website.

Read below to choose which edition and architecture are right for you.

Cinnamon, MATE or Xfce?¶

Linux Mint comes in 3 different flavours, each featuring a different desktop environment.

Cinnamon	The most modern, innovative and full-featured desktop
MATE	A more stable, and faster desktop
Xfce	The most lightweight and the most stable

The most popular version of Linux Mint is the Cinnamon edition. Cinnamon is primarily developed for and by Linux Mint. It is slick, beautiful, and full of new features.

Linux Mint is also involved in the development of MATE, a classic desktop environment which is the continuation of GNOME 2, Linux Mint’s default desktop between 2006 and 2011. Although it misses a few features and its development is slower than Cinnamon’s, MATE runs faster, uses less resources and is more stable than Cinnamon.

Xfce is a lightweight desktop environment. It doesn’t support as many features as Cinnamon or MATE, but it’s extremely stable and very light on resource usage.

Of course, all three desktops are great and Linux Mint is extremely proud of each edition. Although there are more features and better support in some editions than others, and some do run faster and use less resources than others, they’re all great alternatives and choosing the right edition is largely a matter of taste.

Other than their features and performance, Cinnamon, MATE and Xfce also represent three different desktop environments, with different menus, different panels and configuration tools. The right one for you is the one where you feel at home.

If you are unsure which desktop to choose start with the Cinnamon edition. Try them all eventually when you have the time. All three of them have their own audience within the Linux Mint community and they’re all very popular.

32-bit or 64-bit?¶

64-bit is recommended.

The 32-bit ISO images are provided for compatibility with older computers. 32-bit processors are extremely rare nowadays and most computers are able to run in 64-bit. If your computer was manufactured after 2007, you probably have a 64-bit processor.

If you have an old computer and you are unsure whether or not it can run in 64-bit, read X86 Chronology.

You can try to boot Linux Mint 64-bit on your computer. If it isn’t compatible, nothing bad will happen. You will just get an error message.

© Copyright 2017, Linux Mint Revision 11740971 .

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Linux Mint Cinnamon vs MATE vs Xfce: Which One Should You Use?

Last updated March 20, 2021 By Dimitrios 63 Comments

Linux Mint is undoubtedly one of the best Linux distributions for beginners. This is especially true for Windows users that walking their first steps to Linux world.

Since 2006, the year that Linux Mint made its first release, a selection of tools has been developed to enhance user experience. Furthermore, Linux Mint is based on Ubuntu, so you have a large community of users to seek help.

I am not going to discuss how good Linux Mint is. If you have already made your mind to install Linux Mint, you probably get a little confused on the download section on its website.

It gives you three options to choose from: Cinnamon, MATE and Xfce. Confused? I’ll help you with that in this article.

If you are absolutely new to Linux and have no idea about what the above things are, I recommend you to understand a bit on what is a desktop environment in Linux. And if you could spare some more minutes, read this excellent explanation on what is Linux and why there are so many of Linux operating systems that look similar to each other.

With that information, you are ready to understand the difference between the various Linux Mint editions. If you are unsure which to choose, with this article I will help you to make a conscious choice.

Which Linux Mint version should you choose?

Briefly, the available choices are the following:

• Cinnamon desktop: A modern touch on traditional desktop
• MATE desktop: A traditional looking desktop resembling the GNOME 2 era.
• Xfce desktop: A popular lightweight desktop environment.

Let’s have a look at the Mint variants one by one.

Linux Mint Cinnamon edition

Cinnamon desktop is developed by Linux Mint team and clearly it is the flagship edition of Linux Mint.

Almost a decade back when the GNOME desktop opted for the unconventional UI with GNOME 3, Cinnamon development was started to keep the traditional looks of the desktop by forking some components of GNOME 2.

Many Linux users like Cinnamon for its similarity with Windows 7 like interface.

linux mint 20.1 cinnamon

Performance and responsiveness

The cinnamon desktop performance has improved from the past releases but without an SSD you can feel a bit sluggish. The last time I used cinnamon desktop was in version 4.4.8, the RAM consumption right after boot was around 750mb. There is a huge improvement in the current version 4.8.6, reduced by 100 MB after boot.

To get the best user experience, a dual-core CPU with 4 GB of RAM as a minimum should be considered.

• Seamless switch from Windows
• Pleasing aesthetics
• Highly customizable

• May still not be ideal if you have a system with 2 GB RAM

Bonus Tip: If you prefer Debian instead of Ubuntu you have the option of Linux Mint Debian Edition. The main difference between LMDE and Debian with Cinnamon desktop is that LMDE ships the latest desktop environment to its repositories.

Linux Mint Mate edition

MATE desktop environment shares a similar story as it aims to maintain and support the GNOME 2 code base and applications. The Look and feel is very similar to GNOME 2.

In my opinion, the best implementation of MATE desktop is by far Ubuntu MATE. In Linux Mint you get a customized version of MATE desktop, which is in line with Cinnamon aesthetics and not to the traditional GNOME 2 set out.

Performance and responsiveness

MATE desktop has a reputation of its lightweight nature and there is no doubt about that. Compared to Cinnamon desktop, the CPU usage always remains a bit lower, and this can be translated to a better battery life on a laptop.

Although it doesn’t feel as snappy as Xfce (in my opinion), but not to an extent to compromise user experience. RAM consumption starts under 500 MB which is impressive for a feature rich desktop environment.

• Lightweight desktop without compromising on features
• Enough customization potential

• Traditional looks may give you a dated feel

Linux Mint Xfce edition

XFCE project started in 1996 inspired by the Common Desktop Environment of UNIX. XFCE” stands for “XForms Common Environment”, but since it no longer uses the XForms toolkit, the name is spelled as “Xfce”.

It aims to be fast, lightweight and easy to use. Xfce is the flagship desktop of many popular Linux distributions like Manjaro and MX Linux.

Linux Mint offers a polished Xfce desktop but can’t match the beauty of Cinnamon desktop even in a Dark theme.

Performance and responsiveness

Xfce is the leanest desktop environment Linux Mint has to offer. By clicking the start menu, the settings control panel or exploring the bottom panel you will notice that this is a simple yet a flexible desktop environment.

Despite I find minimalism a positive attribute, Xfce is not an eye candy, leaving a more traditional taste. For some users a classic desktop environment is the one to go for.

At the first boot the ram usage is similar to MATE desktop but not quite as good. If your computer isn’t equipped with an SSD, Xfce desktop environment can resurrect your system.

linux mint 20 xfce ram usage

• Simple to use
• Very lightweight – suitable for older hardware
• Rock-solid stable

• Outdated look
• May not have as much customization to offer in comparison to Cinnamon

Conclusion

Since all these three desktop environments are based on GTK toolkit, the choice is purely a matter of taste. All of them are easy on system resources and perform well for a modest system with 4 GB RAM. Xfce and MATE can go a bit lower by supporting systems with as low as 2 GB RAM.

Linux Mint is not the only distribution that provides multiple choices. Distros like Manjaro, Fedora and Ubuntu have various flavors to choose from as well.

If you still cannot make your mind, I’ll say go with the default Cinnamon edition first and try to use Linux Mint in a virtual box. See if you like the look and feel. If not, you can test other variants in the same fashion. If you decide on the version, you can go on and install it on your main system.

I hope I was able to help you with this article. If you still have questions or suggestions on this topic, please leave a comment below.

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8 Reasons Why Linux Mint is Better Than Ubuntu for Linux Beginners

Last updated January 29, 2021 By Abhishek Prakash 500 Comments

Which one is better, Linux Mint or Ubuntu?

This question has been there ever since Linux Mint came in the picture, and this article does not answer to this question. Well, not entirely.

So, what is this about then?

I have been an Ubuntu user for a long time. I stray to other Linux distributions but I keep coming back to Ubuntu, sooner or later. I occasionally try my hands on Linux Mint also, mostly for the purpose of writing articles about it. I must say using Linux Mint is quite a pleasant experience.

As a die-hard Ubuntu fan, I come back from Mint to Ubuntu eventually but not before noticing that Linux Mint is better than Ubuntu for a beginner.

It’s because there are a few things that Linux Mint handles better than Ubuntu, by default. And this ‘by default’ matters when we are talking about a Linux beginner. Because an experienced Linux user will find his/her way. It’s the beginners who struggle with even a seemingly obvious thing.

Considering that I have used both of these popular Linux distributions, I am confident that I can make a fair comparison of Linux Mint and Ubuntu.

The comparison which I am doing here is from the point of view of a beginner Linux desktop user who probably has just switched from Windows or thinking to switch to Linux. But it should still be a good read for an experienced user.

8 things that make Linux Mint better than Ubuntu for beginners

Ubuntu and Linux Mint are unarguably the most popular desktop Linux distributions. While Ubuntu is based on Debian, Linux Mint is based on Ubuntu. Question is why to use an Ubuntu derivative or a Debian derivative instead of using the source itself. The answer to the question is that the derivative is better.

Hardcore Debian users would disagree but Ubuntu makes Debian better (or should I say easier?). Similarly, Linux Mint makes Ubuntu better.

How come? I am going to list five things that Linux Mint does better than Ubuntu.

Note that the comparison is mainly between Ubuntu GNOME vs Linux Mint’s Cinnamon desktop. A few parameters might not be applicable to other versions with different desktop environments. If you didn’t know, you can read this article to understand what is a desktop environment.

1. Low memory usage in Cinnamon than GNOME

Linux Mint technically tries to get rid of what they think is unnecessary in Ubuntu while aiming to make the experience faster. Of course, that includes using the Cinnamon desktop instead of GNOME as well.

Even though the difference isn’t huge, Linux Mint tends to get an edge with a lower memory consumption over Ubuntu. It is worth noting that the memory consumption depends on what applications you’re running and if they’re resource-friendly. But, out of the box, without any modifications, Linux Mint seems to be light on resources. This makes it an ideal choice for computers with older configuration.

Of course, if you have a core i7 with 16 GB of RAM, this won’t matter. But if you have a core i3 processor with 4GB of RAM (or lower), Cinnamon desktop gets the win technically.

Of course, you can install Cinnamon on Ubuntu but we are discussing the default desktop environments here.

2. Software Manager: faster, sleeker, lighter

Ubuntu Software Center takes ages to load, heavily eats up resources, and is slow while interacting with it. Of course, things have improved over the years but even with Ubuntu 20.04, on board, you will often notice it loading up slow or freezing when updating/installing an app.

On the other hand, Linux Mint’s Software Manager is lighter and quicker. Personally, I haven’t noticed it slow down, it is always snappy whenever you need it.

3. Software Sources with more features

As of now, you get all the essential options to manage repositories, revert the settings, and a couple other things to tweak the software sources as per your requirement.

With Ubuntu, you get the necessary features but Linux Mint goes a step beyond and offers additional benefits like the ability remove foreign packages, add missing keys, remove duplicate entries, and a couple other options which you don’t get with Ubuntu (considering Ubuntu 20.04).

The automatic options to troubleshoot (as shown in the screenshot below) is very useful for beginners, which you will not find in Ubuntu 20.04.

4. Themes, Applets and Desklets

I am not saying it’s rocket science to install themes in Ubuntu. But Linux Mint does it better than Ubuntu.

First, you don’t need to install a new tool (like GNOME Tweak) just to change themes in Mint. It already lets you tweak it from the System Settings. On top of that, you can have several themes from the community at your disposal in Themes System Settings under ‘Get more online’ option.

Ubuntu, on the other hand, does not have this ease in installing the themes. You’ll have to look at places to download the zipped themes file and then install it.

Similarly, Linux Mint also has a separate entry in Settings for applets and desklets. You can also access an online collection of indicator applets and desklets (Windows like desktop widgets in Linux). You won’t find this ability in Ubuntu.

So, for users who want out of the box customizability and the support for applets/desklets with the ease of managing them, Linux Mint will be a perfect choice.

5. Codecs, Flash and plenty of applications by default

It’s not that you cannot install media codecs in Ubuntu. Ubuntu too gives the option to install codecs while installing OS itself. But if you don’t do at installation, you will find yourself struggling.

Ubuntu has a package named Ubuntu Restricted Extras that consists of most commonly used media codecs, including Adobe Flash.

While this package can easily be installed using a simple command, you won’t find it listed in the Ubuntu Software Center. Instead, you will have to browse/scroll down and choose to install GStreamer if you want.

Linux Mint doesn’t come with codecs installed (you do get the option to include it while installing it). But if you search for codecs using the Software Manager, at least it provides you the correct options right away.

You can either choose to install the Ubuntu-restricted-extras package to get the commonly used codecs or something else from the list.

6. More Desktop Choices with Longterm Support

Both Ubuntu and Linux Mint (based on Ubuntu, of course) support 5 years of system updates. However, with Ubuntu, you only get 5 year system updates for GNOME edition by Canonical.

If you want to try Kubuntu, Lubuntu or any other official flavors of Ubuntu, you will end up with only 3 year of system updates.

But, with Linux Mint, no matter whether you use Cinnamon desktop edition, MATE, or XFCE, you get 5 year system updates. I think that gives Linux Mint a slight edge over Ubuntu with different desktop choices without comprising on the software updates.

7. Linux Mint Disables Snap Store by Default

Of course, I don’t have anything against the Snap store in general. It is useful for some users with a variety of applications available while having the ability to get the latest updates. And, with Ubuntu, you get to make use of it by default.

On the other hand, it isn’t open-source and some recent decisions by Canonical to replace parts of APT with Snap without users consent have drifted away a lot of users.

So, if you are someone who does not prefer Snap store, Linux Mint will be a good option for you which blocks Snaps to be installed by APT. However, you may choose to follow one of our tutorials to enable snap support in Linux Mint 20, in case you want it.

8. Pre-installed Linux Mint Apps Are Awesome!

The Linux Mint team does some awesome work on some of their own tools that come pre-installed.

For instance, the update manager on Linux Mint and the Timeshift application to back up/restore easily.

With the update manager, you get to select what you need to update, check history on the update, and get some detailed information for each package update. The Software Updater in Ubuntu is good enough, but I tend to like the Linux Mint’s manager that works snappy all the time.

Not just limited to that, you can head right into Timeshift through the update manager giving you quick access to back up/restore.

Overall, it is a robust update manager. And, if you pair it up with pre-installed Timeshift application to create system backups, you will always be a click away from restoring your system.

Ubuntu 20 Software Updater

With Ubuntu, you can install Timeshift application to back up/restore but that does not come baked in.

What do you say? Mint or Ubuntu?

Keep in mind that it is not a hate post against Ubuntu. I am a great fan of Ubuntu. Personally, I have never liked Cinnamon interface. It’s just too dull for me. I prefer the user experience on Ubuntu.

However, everyone has their set of choices, and I just thought of giving you some reasons if you were thinking about Linux Mint as the desktop operating system for your computer.

It’s just that Linux Mint seems to be a better option than Ubuntu for an absolute beginner to Linux. Considering that Cinnamon has an interface like Windows, it may also be a factor when choosing between Ubuntu and Linux Mint. Of course, you can also check out some windows-like distributions in that case.

For users who have some experience with Linux desktop, it’s more of a personal liking between Ubuntu and Linux Mint. But if you ever wonder why Linux Mint over Ubuntu, these reasons may help you to decide.

What do you think? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

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