Linux Mint 19.3 has been released and is now available to download.
In keeping with the Linux distro’s tradition of giving each release a female codename, Linux Mint 19.3 is called ‘Tricia’, following on from 19.2 ‘Tina’ and 19.1 ‘Tessa’.
Read on to learn more about what’s new in Linux Mint 19.3, where you can download it from, and how to upgrade from an earlier release (should you be running one).
Linux Mint 19.3 Features
Linux Mint 19.3 is based on Ubuntu 18.04.3 LTS and Linux Kernel 5.0.
The latter means the distro now touts better hardware support and several performance tweaks.
Some new applications are included in Linux Mint 19.3, including the Celluloid (formerly GNOME MPV) media player. Celluloid replaces Xplayer and VLC respectively.
Mint 19.3 also jettisons its last remaining mono dependency by removing Tomboy from the default install (Tomboy will remain available from the repos). Note-taking needs are now catered for by Gnote (pictured below) which has better support for HiDPI displays.
Microsoft Paint alternative Drawing is also pre-seeded by default, taking the place of The GIMP (which is still available to install). Considered more user friendly, Drawing is perfect for basic image editing needs like cropping, resizing, and adding text and other annotations.
A new tool in Linux 19.3 tries to detect problems with your system and offer up advice on how to fix them. For instance, if you’re missing multimedia codecs, or a new hardware driver is available. Look out for a little alert icon in the tray area to access the System Report tool.
The new Linux Mint logo is also to debut in this release, most notably on the refreshed GRUB screen (image top right) and a new animated Plymouth boot splash. It’ll also appear as the logo for the Cinnamon app menu.
Cinnamon desktop updates
Cinnamon 4.4 is at the core of Linux Mint 19.3.
Among the scores of improvements made to the adaptable desktop environment are new panel configuration options for independent panel zone text and symbolic icon sizing.
There are speed boosts when using the Cinnamon menu applet, configurable window focus modes, and full HiDPI support.
Linux MInt’s Bluetooth tool Blueberry is now easier to use and more performant than before. It also boasts improved device detection, better error reporting and support for even more Bluetooth devices — nice!
Not strictly related to the main flavour, but Xfce 4.14, the most recent stable update to the Xfce desktop, is also available in Linux Mint 19.3. This offering will be lure to LTS users who like a stable foundation, but fancy a newer (lighter) desktop on top.
Download or Upgrade to Linux Mint 19.3
Linux Mint 19.x users (including those who haven’t upgraded to Linux Mint 19.2) can upgrade to Linux Mint 19.3 directly, no reinstall required, using the built-in Update Manager > Edit > Upgrade To Linux Mint 19.3 ‘Tricia’:
Those running Linux Mint 18.x or earlier can not upgrade directly and will have to perform a fresh install in order to get the latest features and apps.
Don’t have Linux Mint installed at all? No problem! You can download Linux Mint 19.3 as a bootable ISO image that you can flash to a USB or write to a DVD and boot the release on any compatible laptop and desktops PC.
You can use the live image to try it out first, without installing it to your system.
Is this release worth trying?
Now, while Mint isn’t my preferred flavour of Linux (check the site domain to learn mine) there’s no denying that Linux Mint is hugely popular with Linux users of all shades and skill sets.
Both newbies hankering after something more Windows-y and well-oiled developers looking for a dependable desktop for building their wares will find plenty to love in Linux Mint 19.3, especially with the addition of a newer Linux kernel.
I am also suitably impressed by the speed and responsiveness of the Cinnamon desktop.
If you try this release out do let me know what you think of it in the comments section below!