Linux Mint

Reader supplied reviews for Linux Mint Average rating 8.9 from 1010 review(s) Please specify which version of the distribtion you are reviewing. Please select a rating in the range of 1-10. Please write at least a few sentences about the distribution while limiting your review to 4080 characters. What are your thoughts on Linux Mint? Please include a few pros and a few cons, along with your overall impression of the operating system. Our FAQ page has tips on writing a good mini-review. Version: -- 22.37-LMDE6-LMDE21.35-LMDE20.34-LMDE19.318.317.316151413121110987654.03.13.02.22.12.0 Rating:    -- 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 out of 10 Your review (minimum 250 words): Past reviews - sort by: DateVotes Version: 22.3 Rating: 10 Date: 2026-04-12 Country: Belgium Votes: 38 Mint 22.3 Cinnamon is one of those rare Linux experiences where you keep thinking, wow, so it is still possible. Everything just works in a clean, stable, and pleasantly drama free way. After more than 20 years on Debian, I honestly never thought I would switch, but KDE eventually lost me with how broken and exhausting it became. Too many rough edges, too much friction, too little trust. Mint feels wonderfully grounded in comparison. Cinnamon does exactly what a desktop is supposed to do. Clean 4K scaling, consistent behavior, solid performance, no strange daily hiccups. It looks neat, stays out of the way, and simply works. I do not have to babysit my desktop every other day. I can just use it. And yes, even my modern nerdy setup with local AI, Docker, WebUI, GPU workloads, and all the related technical toys runs surprisingly smoothly on it. That is exactly what I like about Mint: it is not trying to be trendy at any cost, it is trying to be practical. It does not want to impress me, it wants to be reliable. That is almost a luxury now. For me, Mint 22.3 Cinnamon is one of the few systems right now that feels pleasant, stable, and technically mature at the same time. Not a showpiece, not an experiment box, just a genuinely good Linux desktop. Was this review helpful? Yes No Version: 22.3 Rating: 9 Date: 2026-04-11 Country: Australia Votes: 13 Linux is most useful in reviving older computers. Mint v22.3 was installed on a Fujitsu model Q616 Windows tablet (2 in 1, 4G RAM, 128 SSD). A keyboard F2 option to edit Bios and boot from a Live-USB was used. The Touch screen, WiFi, Webcam, BT and sound all worked, out-of-the-box. The installation features to Dual-Boot with another OS without resorting to gParted and the option to Encrypt the Home folder made the process easy. Not having used Windows for many years, I did not find enough apps to make it worthwhile keeping and found all I needed in the Linux repository: LibreOffice, PDF arranger, Veracrypt, Audacity etc. The system ran fast with the XFCE desktop. An older iPhone mounted without having to code a mount point. Mint has run well on other old computers, Acer-E3 (2G RAM), HP-Pavillion and Lenovo. I havn’t yet run it on a 2014 MacBook Air, as the Live-USB did not sense the Wi-Fi of SSD out-of-the-box but would probably work with added drivers. Was this review helpful? Yes No Version: 22.3 Rating: 9 Date: 2026-04-03 Country: Indonesia Votes: 12 🏗️ The Setup My laptop is a classic workhorse: an **Intel i7-3520M** with **16GB of RAM** and dual graphics (NVIDIA/Intel). While this hardware is several years old, Linux Mint 22.3 makes it feel like a brand-new machine. It’s snappy, efficient, and everything worked right out of the box. 🚀 What’s New and Why It Matters 1. Better Troubleshooting (System Information) The old "System Reports" tool has been completely overhauled and renamed to System Information. The "USB" and "GPU" pages are lifesavers. If you’ve ever struggled to figure out why a webcam isn't working or if your graphics card is actually doing its job, these new pages show you exactly what’s happening in plain English. No more digging through confusing terminal commands. 2. A Cleaner, Faster Menu The Cinnamon 6.6 desktop introduces a redesigned application menu. It now features a handy sidebar for your favorite apps and folders (like Documents or Downloads). It’s much more organized, letting you get to your work faster without scrolling through a massive list of software. 3. Smarter File Management (Nemo) The file manager, Nemo, got some "quality of life" upgrades that you’ll notice immediately: Pause and Resume: You can now pause large file copies. If you’re moving a big folder and need to unplug your drive for a second, you can just hit pause and finish later. Template Manager: It’s now easier to create "templates" for new files (like a standard text note or a spreadsheet) so you can start a new project with a simple right-click. 4. Better Notifications We’ve all missed a pop-up message while away from the desk. Now, if you miss a notification, a small badge (a little number or dot) appears on the app icon in your taskbar. It’s a small change that makes a huge difference in staying organized. 🛠️ Performance on Older Hardware Despite being a "modern" OS with the new Linux Kernel 6.14, Mint 22.3 is very light on resources. Memory Usage: On my 16GB system, it idles at a very low percentage, leaving plenty of room for heavy tasks like web browsing with 20+ tabs or coding. Battery & Heat: The "Zena" update includes better power management. My ThinkPad stays cool, and the fans don't ramp up unnecessarily. 🏁 The Verdict Linux Mint 22.3 "Zena" is the perfect balance of "it just works" and "I can customize everything." It doesn't force unnecessary changes on the user, yet it feels modern and polished. If you have an older laptop sitting in a drawer or you’re tired of the complexity of other operating systems, "Zena" is a fantastic reason to switch. It’s supported until **2029**, so you can set it up once and enjoy a stable experience for years to come. Was this review helpful? Yes No See all 1010 reader reviews of Linux Mint...