ComputingLinux

Linux Mint 15

I have just updated the Linux Mint partition on my laptop to version 15 ‘Olivia’, and moved from the MATE-based to the Cinnamon-based spin.

So far, I’m very impressed. It’s built on Ubuntu 13.04, and has inherited the performance improvements of the new Ubuntu release.

It boots quickly, it seems smoother and more stable than my previous experiences with Cinnamon, and the Mint branding is looking better than ever.

Looking through the list of new features and improvements, Clem and the team must have collectively put more hours into this release than any of the previous ones.

I like the MintSources tool, the HTML greeter is nice and I love the ‘Desklets’. The screensaver with away message is also a clever idea – I’m amazed nobody has thought of that before. There are some gorgeous new backgrounds too. I’d still like to see better category browsing in the Mint Software Manager, but that’s a very minor niggle.

I’ve already done a bit of minor visual tweaking – as always, I’ve added the Mint logo in place of the cog on the Mint Menu, and I’ve put the panel at the top of the screen, with window and workspace hot corners at the bottom left and right respectively.

All-in-all, a good solid new release from the Mint crew. With OpenSUSE and Manjaro still installed as well, it’s now even harder to choose when my GRUB screen appears…