Is Linux Mint In Trouble? (nerds.xyz)
- Reference: 0181733328
- News link: https://linux.slashdot.org/story/26/04/16/2029253/is-linux-mint-in-trouble
- Source link: https://nerds.xyz/2026/04/linux-mint-trouble/
> The developers behind Linux Mint say the project is [2]rethinking its release strategy and moving toward a longer development cycle , with the next version now expected around Christmas 2026. In a [3]monthly update , project lead Clement Lefebvre said the team reached a "crossroads" and needs more flexibility to fix bugs, improve the desktop, and adapt to rapid changes across the Linux ecosystem. The upcoming development build, temporarily called Mint 23 "Alfa," is currently based on Ubuntu 26.04 LTS and includes Linux kernel 7.0, an unstable build of Cinnamon 6.7, and early Wayland related work.
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> Mint is also replacing the long used Ubiquity installer with "live-installer," the same tool used by Linux Mint Debian Edition, allowing the project to unify installation infrastructure across its Ubuntu based and Debian based variants. While the team frames the changes as an opportunity to improve quality and reduce maintenance overhead, the shift has raised questions about the project's long term direction and whether Linux Mint may eventually lean more heavily on its Debian roots rather than its traditional Ubuntu base.
[1] https://slashdot.org/~BrianFagioli
[2] https://nerds.xyz/2026/04/linux-mint-trouble/
[3] https://blog.linuxmint.com/?p=5019
Why would that make them "in trouble?" (Score:2)
They've maintained the debian base for a long time.
Ubuntu ... Ugh (Score:3)
Backstory: I started out with Gentoo and Mandrake Linux in '99. They were exciting, but ... messy and difficult.
Then, I started using Ubuntu on the job, and it was amazing. It felt like "Linux has finally arrived as a real OS!" It was incredible, and I thought the distro wars were all but over: Ubuntu won.
But then Shuttleworth (the maniac founder of Canonical/Ubuntu) thought the same thing, and started acting like the Bill Gates of the Linux community. Linux is supposed to be a community project, but he kept trying to force bad technical decisions on the rest of the community (eg. Unity).
Ultimately I switched to Linux Mint, which leveraged Ubuntu to offer great Linux ... without being constrained by Shuttleworth (eg. I run MATE or Cinnamon, not Unity).
TLDR; But what I care about, and I think what most people care about, is "Linux that works well". Few people give a damn about Ubuntu and Shuttleworth: if Linux Mint can deliver a great experience without them, it will be a *better* distro for it!
LMDE? (Score:2)
"whether Linux Mint may eventually lean more heavily on its Debian roots rather than its traditional Ubuntu base."
I know, they could call it Linux Mint Debian Edition... oh wait. They already have that.
As long as Mint can circumvent Debian's stubborness with Broadcom WiFi cards I don't see a problem here.
Fedora was only slightly better as the arcane incantation actually worked. The incantation also updated the kernel which I did not ask for but at least it all worked in the end.
Apple and Microsoft are both
Raises hand (Score:2)
> Linux Mint may eventually lean more heavily on its Debian roots rather than its traditional Ubuntu base.
And that would be bad why? Sure, Debian moves more slowly than Ubuntu, but but they're also not all-in on Snap. I'll take stability over cutting-edge for most things, especially if things that need more frequent (security) updates, like Firefox and Thunderbird, are also available - as packages. Also, don't most fixes from Ubuntu (and others) eventually get pushed upstream to Debian anyway?
Is Linux Mint In Trouble? (Score:4, Insightful)
so - no - but need some click bait-y stupid headline...
Re: (Score:2)
Thanks for that.. I hate titles like this.