Review: Linux Mint 22
Quoting: DistroWatch.com: Put the fun back into computing. Use Linux, BSD. —
I'm usually impressed by new releases of Linux Mint and version 22 has been no exception. The distribution delivers on virtually every front for desktop users. It's easy to set up, it offers a solid collection of popular applications without overly crowding the application menu, and it ships with three desktop flavours - ranging from full featured (Cinnamon), to classic (MATE), to lighter (Xfce). The welcome window makes it easy to access help, change the look of the system, and perform essential tasks such as making backups and installing updates. The software centre is fast and flexible, uniting Flatpak and Deb packages fluidly in one space.
Cinnamon uses nice, sane defaults, and it should be familiar for people migrating from Windows, while being flexible for people who want a distinctly different look and feel. Media support works out of the box, the update manager integrates with Timeshift for bullet-proof updates, and the system is stable. Even the new Wayland session works surprisingly well.
I played with Mint for five days and didn't manage to find any errors, any crashes, or any common task that it tripped over. The closest I can come to a complaint is it would have been nice if the system installer offered more guided partitioning options, perhaps offering a drop-down menu for root filesystems such as ext4 and Btrfs alongside the existing LVM option. And that's it, that's the nearest thing to a limitation or fault I could find after nearly a week with Mint 22.
There is a reason, several reasons, I usually recommend Linux Mint to less experienced users and Linux newcomers. It is easy to install, offers five years of support, it's stable, and it is possible to perform virtually any task from the desktop without opening a command line. The system is unusually friendly, integrated across components, and it's pleasantly straight forward to install software across multiple formats. It's also consistent. While some mainstream distributions publish a mixture of good and bad releases, Mint has steadily published good, polished releases for over a decade that have delivered a friendly, stable experience. I'd recommend it for both beginners and more experienced users who want to spend more time using their computer than setting it up.