Is Linux Mint Burning Out? Developers Consider Longer Release Cycle (nerds.xyz)
(Wednesday February 11, 2026 @05:45PM (msmash)
from the tough-luck dept.)
- Reference: 0180771844
- News link: https://linux.slashdot.org/story/26/02/11/1821222/is-linux-mint-burning-out-developers-consider-longer-release-cycle
- Source link: https://nerds.xyz/2026/02/linux-mint-longer-development-cycle/
[1]BrianFagioli writes:
> The Linux Mint developers say they are [2]considering adopting a longer development cycle , arguing that the project's current six month cadence plus LMDE releases leaves too little room for deeper work. In a recent update, the team reflected on its incremental philosophy, independence from upstream decisions like Snap, and heavy investment in Cinnamon and XApp. While the release process "works very well" and delivers steady improvements, they admit it consumes significant time in testing, fixing, and shipping, potentially capping ambition.
>
> Mint's next release will be based on a new Ubuntu LTS, and the team says it is seriously interested in stretching the development window. The stated goal is to free up resources for more substantial development rather than constant release management. Whether this signals bigger technical changes or simply acknowledges bandwidth limits for a small team remains unclear, but it marks a notable rethink of one of desktop Linux's most consistent release rhythms.
[1] https://slashdot.org/~BrianFagioli
[2] https://nerds.xyz/2026/02/linux-mint-longer-development-cycle/
> The Linux Mint developers say they are [2]considering adopting a longer development cycle , arguing that the project's current six month cadence plus LMDE releases leaves too little room for deeper work. In a recent update, the team reflected on its incremental philosophy, independence from upstream decisions like Snap, and heavy investment in Cinnamon and XApp. While the release process "works very well" and delivers steady improvements, they admit it consumes significant time in testing, fixing, and shipping, potentially capping ambition.
>
> Mint's next release will be based on a new Ubuntu LTS, and the team says it is seriously interested in stretching the development window. The stated goal is to free up resources for more substantial development rather than constant release management. Whether this signals bigger technical changes or simply acknowledges bandwidth limits for a small team remains unclear, but it marks a notable rethink of one of desktop Linux's most consistent release rhythms.
[1] https://slashdot.org/~BrianFagioli
[2] https://nerds.xyz/2026/02/linux-mint-longer-development-cycle/