The stable release of Linux Mint 22 will release later this July, but not within the usual two weeks after the beta release. Reason: quite a parade of bugs throwing a spanner in the works. The Linux distro came into beta later anyway because of the many changes in Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, on which Linux Mint is based.
So writes Clement Lefebvre, lead of Linux Mint, in a blog post. According to him, when posting on Sunday, 7 July, 109 bugs had already been reported, 53 of which had not yet been fixed. Among these are major system bugs stemming from changes in the AppArmor security module that cause applications to crash. Also, libraries that control hardware-accelerated playback of media files lead to crashes of UI system Xorg, and there are problems with Flatpaks and Mint Install.
Stability will improve
Lefebvre assures users that updates to address these bugs will come out gradually toward the beta release, improving system stability over time. But until then, there will be no stable release.
Linux Mint 22 will receive support until 2029, so waiting a few weeks is not a drama in that regard. However, running the beta version of Mint is advisable only on secondary systems. Those already using the beta do not need to upgrade when the stable version comes out. That will happen automatically when the next update is applied.
Most changes under the hood
Even though Ubuntu 24.04 LTS – on which Linux Mint 22 is based – shook things up quite a bit, many users will not notice many major changes in this version of Mint (code name: ‘Wilma’). Most of the changes are under the hood. What is notable, however, is the improved speed of the Software Manager, which no longer needs to load content before the main window becomes active.
Also, Linux Mint warns against unverified Flatpacks. The creators of this distro prefer that users not install them. Linux Mint further comes in three different UI variations: Cinnamon, which is a variation of GNOME 3, MATE (a fork of GNOME 2 for users who prefer the earlier version of this interface) and the lightweight Xfce.