distribution release , switched to the package base . The distribution is fully compatible with Ubuntu, but differs significantly in the approach to organizing the user interface and the selection of applications used by default. The developers of Linux Mint provide a desktop environment that follows the classic canons of desktop organization, which is more familiar to users who do not adopt the new GNOME 3 interface building methods. DVD builds based on shells are available for download (), () and (). Linux Mint 20 is classified as a Long Term Support (LTS) release, with updates for it until 2025.
Major Changes in Linux Mint 20 (, , ):
- Includes versions of desktop environments ΠΈ , the design and organization of work in which the development of the ideas of GNOME 2 continues - the user is offered a desktop and a panel with a menu, a quick launch area, a list of open windows and a system tray with running applets. Cinnamon is based on GTK3+ and GNOME 3 technologies. The project evolves the GNOME Shell and the Mutter window manager to provide a GNOME 2-style environment with a more modern look and feel, using GNOME Shell elements to complement the classic desktop experience. MATE continues the development of the GNOME 2.32 codebase and is completely free from crossovers with GNOME 3, allowing you to use the traditional GNOME 2 desktop in parallel with the GNOME 3 desktop. The Xfce desktop edition, as in the previous version, comes with .
Π Implemented support for fractional scaling, which allows you to choose the optimal size of elements on screens with high pixel density (HiDPI), for example, you can increase the displayed interface elements not by 2 times, but by 1.5.
Performance optimization of the code for processing thumbnails in the Nemo file manager. Icon generation is now asynchronous, and icons are loaded at a lower priority than directory navigation (the idea is that content processing is prioritized, and icon loading is done as a leftover, which can significantly speed up work at the expense of longer display of stub icons ).
The dialog for setting monitor parameters has been redesigned. Added the ability to select the screen refresh rate and support for assigning custom scaling factors for each monitor, which solves the problem of working when connecting a regular and HiDPI monitor at the same time.
- generating assemblies for 32-bit x86 systems. Like Ubuntu, the distribution is now only available for 64-bit systems.
- Snap packages and snapd are excluded from the distribution, as well as automatic installation of snapd along with other packages installed via APT is prohibited. If desired, the user can install snapd manually, but adding it with other packages without the user's knowledge is prohibited. Dissatisfaction with Linux Mint with the imposition of the Snap Store service and with the loss of control over packages if they are installed from snap. Developers cannot patch such packages, manage their delivery, or audit changes. Snapd runs as root and is dangerous if the infrastructure is compromised.
- The composition includes a new utility Warpinator for exchanging files between two computers on a local network, using encryption for data transfer.
- An applet is proposed for switching between an energy-efficient Intel GPU and a high-performance NVIDIA GPU in systems with hybrid graphics based on NVIDIA Optimus technology.
Implemented full support for the "On-Demand" profile, which, when enabled, uses the Intel GPU for rendering in the session by default, and the application menu provides the ability to launch each program using the NVIDIA GPU (in the right-click context menu shows "Run with NVIDIA GPU"). To control launch on NVIDIA GPUs from the command line, the nvidia-optimus-offload-glx and nvidia-optimus-offload-vulkan utilities are proposed, which allow switching rendering to GNU NVIDIA via GLX and Vulkan. To boot without NVIDIA proprietary drivers, the "nomodeset" option is provided in "Compatibility Mode".
- The XappStatusIcon applet adds the ability to handle mouse wheel scroll events and implements a new gtk_menu_popup()-like function that makes it easier to port applications with GtkStatusIcon.
The StatusNotifier (Qt and Electron apps), libAppIndicator (Ubuntu indicators), and libAyatana (Ayatana indicators for Unity) APIs are supported, allowing XappStatusIcon to be used as a single mechanism for minimizing to the systray without requiring support for different APIs on the desktop side. The change improved support for placing indicators in the system tray, applications based on the Electron platform and the xembed protocol (GTK system tray icon placement technology). XAppStatusIcon outsources icon, tooltip, and label rendering to the applet side, and uses DBus to pass information through applets, as well as click events. Applet-side rendering provides quality icons of any size and solves display problems.The Blueberry, mintupdate, mintreport, nm-applet, mate-power-manager, mate-media, redshift and rhythmbox applets have been moved to use XAppStatusIcon, which made it possible to give the system tray a coherent look. All editions (Cinnamon, MATE and Xfce) unified many icons in the system tray, added character icons, and implemented support for high pixel density (HiDPI) displays.
- We continued to improve applications developed as part of the X-Apps initiative, aimed at unifying the software environment in editions of Linux Mint based on different desktops. X-Apps uses modern technologies (GTK3 for HiDPI support, gsettings, etc.) but retains traditional interface elements such as toolbars and menus. Among such applications are Xed text editor, Pix photo manager, Xreader document viewer, Xviewer image viewer.
- Added support for concatenating lines and removing leading blank lines before saving a file to the Xed text editor (a fork of Pluma/Gedit).
- In Xviewer, buttons have been added to the panel to switch to full screen mode and display a widescreen slideshow (). Provided remembering the opening of the window to full screen.
- In the Xreader Document Viewer (an offshoot of Atril/Evince), a button for printing has been added to the panel.
- Completely redesigned Gdebi interface, utilities for opening and installing deb packages.
- The Mint-Y theme introduces a new palette, in which, by manipulating hue and saturation, brighter colors are selected, but without losing readability and comfort. New color sets Pink and Aqua are offered.
- Added new yellow directory icons.
- The login welcome interface prompts the user to select a color scheme.
- Added support for stretching a background image across multiple monitors to the login screen (Slick Greeter).
- Apturl has changed its backend from Synaptic to Aptdaemon.
- In APT, for newly installed packages (not for updates), the installation of packages from the recommended (recommends) category is enabled by default.
- When running a live session under VirtualBox, the screen resolution is set to at least 1024x768.
- Release ships with linux-firmware 1.187 and Linux kernel
5.4.
Source: opennet.ru