Distribution developers Linux Mint announced its intention to release its next version by the end of December 2026, which implies a shift to publishing releases annually rather than every six months as before. The new release strategy has not yet been finalized, and discussions are ongoing on issues such as the development cycle length, maintaining a pre-release freeze, switching to a semi-rolling update model (as in the LMDE reaction), and the start of publishing alpha versions.
The reason cited for extending development cycles is that release preparation is time-consuming and limits development opportunities. With frequent releases, most of the time is spent on testing, bug fixing, and release preparation, rather than on improving and adapting the distribution to changes in the ecosystem. Linux.
Additionally, it is worth noting the decision to include it in the next release. Linux Mint live-installer, previously used in the LMDE edition (Linux Mint Debian Edition), and the use of the Wayland protocol in the Cinnamon desktop environment. The live installer will replace the Ubiquity installer and will support OEM deployment, operation on BIOS/EFI systems, secure boot mode (UEFI SecureBoot), work with LVM partitions, and LUKS-based disk encryption. The release Linux Mint 23 will be based on a package base Ubuntu 26.04 LTS, kernel Linux 7.0 and Cinnamon 6.7 desktop environment.
Source: opennet.ru
