by ·154 Comments

The team is proud to announce the release of LMDE 201403 RC.

Screenshots

LMDE 201403 Cinnamon Edition


LMDE 201403 MATE Edition

Highlights

  • Update Pack 8
  • Cinnamon 2.0
  • MATE 1.6
  • Latest Mint tools and improvements
  • Support for EFI and GPT

If you’re new to LMDE, welcome to Linux Mint Debian!

Important links

LMDE in brief

  • Linux Mint Debian Edition (LMDE) is a semi-rolling distribution based on Debian Testing.
  • It’s available in both 32 and 64-bit as a live DVD with Cinnamon or MATE.
  • The purpose of LMDE is to look identical to the main edition and to provide the same functionality while using Debian as a base.

FAQ

1. Is LMDE compatible with Ubuntu-based Linux Mint editions?

No, it is not. LMDE is compatible with Debian, which isn’t compatible with Ubuntu.

2. Is LMDE fully compatible with Debian?

Yes, 100%. LMDE is compatible with repositories designed for Debian Testing.

3. What is a semi-rolling distribution?

Updates are constantly fed to Debian Testing, where users experience frequent regressions but also frequent bug fixes and improvements. LMDE receives “Update Packs” which are tested snapshots of Debian Testing. Users can experience a more stable system thanks to update packs, or switch their sources to follow Testing, or even Unstable, directly to get more frequent updates.

4. How does LMDE compare to the Ubuntu-based editions?

Pros:

  • You don’t need to ever re-install the system. New versions of software and updates are continuously brought to you.
  • It’s faster and more responsive than Ubuntu-based editions.

Cons:

  • LMDE requires a deeper knowledge and experience with Linux, dpkg and APT.
  • Debian is a less user-friendly/desktop-ready base than Ubuntu. Expect some rough edges.

Additional notes:

  • About bugs: Please use this blog to report bugs.
  • Dedicated chat room: #linuxmint-debian is open to LMDE users on irc.spotchat.org.

Download links:

Torrents:

MD5 sums:

  • Cinnamon 32-bit: b5d2e82911c68865eff94e5a1b7fd7f2
  • Cinnamon 64-bit: 642110dbc8f111940f68cab739c07792
  • MATE 32-bit: 1641734a5ecc9a1ed81a53fe80ab4743
  • MATE 64-bit: 50a536ef81be0c2027d2ae64c4d2583c

Cinnamon 32-bit:

Cinnamon 64-bit:

MATE 32-bit:

MATE 64-bit:

Enjoy!

We look forward to receiving your feedback. Thank you for using Linux Mint and have a lot of fun testing the release candidate!

by ·29 Comments

Sponsorships:

Linux Mint is proudly sponsored by:

Gold Sponsors:
VMware Cloud Hosting
Silver Sponsors:
Idera (formerly R1Soft)
ThinkPenguin.com
Bronze Sponsors:
Vault Networks *
AYKsolutions Server & Cloud Hosting
7L Networks Toronto Colocation *
David Salvo
Gutscheindrache.de Coupons
MBCEStore Mexico
Sysnova Information Systems		 Community Sponsors:

To become a sponsor or to see the full list of Linux Mint sponsors, please visit: http://www.linuxmint.com/sponsors.php

Donations:

A total of $6493 was raised thanks to the generous contributions of 263 donors:

  • $132.85 (6th donation), Goran A.
  • $132.85, Eero O. K.
  • $100 (2nd donation), Geoffrey G.
  • $100 (2nd donation), Paul S.
  • $100 (2nd donation), Teknosophy, LLC
  • $100, Chris M.
  • $100, Erkki L.
  • $100, Timothy P.
  • $100, Donald R.
  • $100, Ivo P.
  • $100, Brennan H.
  • $100, George Z.
  • $100, Jerry H.
  • $79.71, André L.
  • $79.71, Fiorello F.
  • $75, David J. E.
  • $75, Darren R.
  • $66.43 (2nd donation), David S. aka “dava”
  • $66.43, Frank Z.
  • $66.43, Julian R.
  • $66.43, Javier R. S.
  • $66.43, Göran P.
  • $64, Michael A. aka “one of 2programmers”
  • $55.8 (3rd donation), Nikolaj P. aka “nbpetersen“
  • $53.14, Rene V. D. H.
  • $50 (46th donation), Matthew M.
  • $50 (2nd donation), Robert S.
  • $50 (2nd donation), Elliot P.
  • $50 (2nd donation), Charles R. H.
  • $50, Douglas V.
  • $50, Christopher O.
  • $50, Bruce R.
  • $50, Jens G.
  • $50, Roy Q.
  • $50, Arron M.
  • $50, Matthew L.
  • $50, Gary H.
  • $50, Tony B.
  • $50, James J.
  • $50, Trond V. E.
  • $50, Andrew S.
  • $50, Philippe D. P.
  • $46.5, Andreas S.
  • $40 (8th donation), Benoit Frigon aka “bfrigon.com“
  • $40, Kenneth J. L.
  • $40, Pete S.
  • $40, Dana Humfleet
  • $39.86 (47th donation), Olli K.
  • $39.86 (2nd donation), Giuseppe L.
  • $39.86 (2nd donation), Paul G.
  • $39.86 (2nd donation), Anthony H.
  • $39.86, Joseph J.
  • $33.21 (5th donation), Peter Schallmoser-Schlogl
  • $33.21 (4th donation), Raymond E.
  • $33.21 (3rd donation), Jon G.
  • $33.21 (2nd donation), Manfred
  • $33.21, Neil P.
  • $33.21, P. D. B.
  • $33.21, Johannes W. K.
  • $32, buche
  • $30, Andrea Denzler
  • $30, Tom W.
  • $30, Robert E.
  • $30, Brad L.
  • $30, John A.
  • $30, Christopher C.
  • $30, Ronald H.
  • $30, Terje B.
  • $26.57 (2nd donation), Eduard L.
  • $26.57 (2nd donation), David Sherwood
  • $26.57, Adrian S.
  • $26.57, Reimund S.
  • $26.57, Peter J.
  • $26.57, Rainer E.
  • $26.57, B S.
  • $26.57, Patrick R.
  • $26.57, Florian G.
  • $26.57, Gabriele B.
  • $25 (28th donation), Ronald W.
  • $25 (7th donation), Benoit Frigon aka “bfrigon.com“
  • $25 (4th donation), Robert H.
  • $25 (3rd donation), Gary B.
  • $25 (2nd donation), Steve O aka “stratus_ss”
  • $25 (2nd donation), Everett H.
  • $25, Rick B.
  • $25, Jan B.
  • $25, John C.
  • $25, Raymond M.
  • $25, Bohdan N.
  • $25, Cristina V.
  • $25, Réjean Daigle
  • $25, Michiel E.
  • $25, Drew Anderson dba Anderson Publishing
  • $25, Jim W. S.
  • $20 (6th donation), Antony P.
  • $20 (5th donation), Antony P.
  • $20 (4th donation), Jorgebadad aka “jungle_boy”
  • $20 (3rd donation), Roger B.
  • $20 (3rd donation), Uncle Geek
  • $20 (2nd donation), Philip F. S.
  • $20 (2nd donation), Alex N.
  • $20 (2nd donation), Uncle Geek
  • $20 (2nd donation), Ian B.
  • $20, John M.
  • $20, Steve L. aka “Bigfella”
  • $20, Trevor P.
  • $20, Oliver F.
  • $20, Andrew S.
  • $20, Dmitriy aka “Corpsee“
  • $20, Raymond S.
  • $20, Bernardo S.
  • $20, Harman J.
  • $20, Kelvin Maffey
  • $20, Brian L.
  • $20, Thomas T.
  • $20, Frédéric E.
  • $20, Julian E.
  • $20, Roger C.
  • $20, Tomislav K.
  • $20, Kodiak Firesmith aka “for Cinnamon DE”
  • $20, Tim D.
  • $20, Alicina M.
  • $20, Prukhorov M.
  • $20, Marie I.
  • $20, Jean-charles B.
  • $20, Klaus G.
  • $20, David W.
  • $20, Paul B.
  • $20, Mario C.
  • $20, Victor C.
  • $20, Chan S. Y.
  • $20, Oleksandr L.
  • $20, Ian B.
  • $19.93 (2nd donation), Maarten O.
  • $19.93, Jonathan M.
  • $19.93, Angel C. S.
  • $19.93, Jochen S.
  • $15, Giovanna R.
  • $15, Emmanuel G. aka “setec astronomy”
  • $15, Ralph S.
  • $15, Jacob R.
  • $15, William Z.
  • $14.76, Gerd K.
  • $13.29 (9th donation), Mark W.
  • $13.29 (7th donation), Siegfried H.
  • $13.29 (4th donation), Joanna Z. aka “GreenCatX”
  • $13.29 (2nd donation), Daniel C.
  • $13.29 (2nd donation), Wieger W.
  • $13.29 (2nd donation), Juan C. S. A.
  • $13.29 (2nd donation), Mick J.
  • $13.29 (2nd donation), Reinhard W.
  • $13.29, Jan A.
  • $13.29, Thomas A.
  • $13.29, Gábor A.
  • $13.29, Olaf S.
  • $13.29, Franz W.
  • $13.29, Piotr Wiejaczka aka “profesorleniuch“
  • $13.29, Janoš Z.
  • $13.29, Michael S.
  • $13.29, Michel H.
  • $13.29, Pierre F.
  • $13.29, Eduardo M.
  • $13.29, Christian B.
  • $13.29, Helmut P.
  • $13.29, Jaroslav J.
  • $13.29, Abdellah T.
  • $13.29, Mattia S. aka “mat”
  • $13.29, Patrick S.
  • $13.29, Morel I.
  • $13.29, Jordi F. N.
  • $13, C. Ken Brady aka “KingOfWeird”
  • $10.63, Keith B.
  • $10.63, Martin S.
  • $10 (12th donation), Maarten E.
  • $10 (7th donation), Geoff Perry
  • $10 (5th donation), Randolph Carter aka “Schattenjager”
  • $10 (3rd donation), Jeff T.
  • $10 (2nd donation), Лялин В.
  • $10, Richard R. P.
  • $10, Raphael C.
  • $10, Edwin W.
  • $10, Charles E.
  • $10, Kenn H.
  • $10, Jose P. M. S.
  • $10, Jonathan G.
  • $10, Howard B.
  • $10, Salem E.
  • $10, Przemyslaw C. aka “PrzemCio“
  • $10, Martin W. K.
  • $10, Bertrand D.
  • $10, Vinny P.
  • $10, Daniel I. M.
  • $10, Robbie T.
  • $10, Hubert P.
  • $10, Bryant L.
  • $10, Russell C.
  • $10, Christopher D.
  • $10, Popov R.
  • $8 (2nd donation), Victor C.
  • $7.97 (2nd donation), Philippe C.
  • $7.97 (2nd donation), José J. A. A.
  • $6.64 (26th donation), Marco aka “Dictionary-Maker“
  • $6.64 (25th donation), Marco aka “Dictionary-Maker“
  • $6.64 (2nd donation), Daniel S. aka “Sennemaa”
  • $6.64 (2nd donation), aka “Rus”
  • $6.64, Rafael B. M.
  • $6.64, Simion I. C. V. I. I.
  • $6.64, Christian L.
  • $6.64, Piotr W.
  • $6.64, Javier V. A.
  • $6.64, Ulrich F.
  • $6.64, Örvar S.
  • $6.64, Marko L.
  • $6.64, Romans M.
  • $6.64, Dieter S.
  • $6.64, Jose M. R. S.
  • $5 (10th donation), Miljenko D. aka “ljacmi”
  • $5 (7th donation), Carlos W.
  • $5 (6th donation), Edward S.
  • $5 (6th donation), Christopher R.
  • $5 (5th donation), Edward S.
  • $5 (3rd donation), Stuart K.
  • $5 (3rd donation), Scanplus aka “The Brochure Printers“
  • $5 (2nd donation), Gonzalo M. D. O.
  • $5 (2nd donation), Donald H.
  • $5 (2nd donation), Selim Ö.
  • $5 (2nd donation), Grzegorz G.
  • $5, Stephan O.
  • $5, Robert Woestman
  • $5, Tyler B.
  • $5, mashter
  • $5, Adam H. aka “Acid_1“
  • $5, Jh B.
  • $5, Fiona M.
  • $5, Miles R.
  • $5, Marius G.
  • $5, Hayrettin Ç.
  • $5, Juan R.
  • $5, Özgür Ö.
  • $5, Yolkin T.
  • $5, Vladimír L.
  • $5, Gerard A.
  • $5, Shawn D.
  • $4, Phillip D.
  • $3.99, Alberto B. C.
  • $3, Andrew A.
  • $2.66 (3rd donation), Daniel S. aka “Sennemaa”
  • $2.66, Ali P.
  • $19.86 from 15 smaller donations

If you want to help Linux Mint with a donation, please visit http://www.linuxmint.com/donors.php

Rankings:

  • Distrowatch (popularity ranking): 3665 (1st)
  • Alexa (website ranking): 5387th

Events:

News and summary:

  • We’ve had a fantastic end of the year in 2013 with two consecutive all-time highs in donations in November and December following the releases of the Cinnamon, MATE, KDE and Xfce editions of Linux Mint 16. In December alone we received donations from 332 people! What a feeling for us here not only to love the work we do but to be able to give you a product we’re proud of and to see so many of you react to that and support us. We had tremendous fun working on “Petra” and backporting its features and improvements to Linux Mint 13 “Maya”, and your reception to that has been amazing, you gave us praise, thanks, support but also constructive criticism and feedback and we’re not just eager to get the next cycle started again and to work on Linux Mint 17 LTS but we’re also full of ideas on how to make it better. As you can see you’re making it all happen, you’re empowering us so much and these monthly stats are the best opportunity for us to thank you. Many many thanks to everyone involved.
  • UP8 was released and brought LMDE on par, if not slightly ahead of Linux Mint 16, with updated MATE 1.6, Cinnamon 2.0 and Mint tools packages. We’re currently working on new LMDE ISO images. Although they’re not publicly in QA yet both editions look really good. Design considerations around systemd and a bug impacting 3D acceleration when more than one session is open are currently holding the release. I can’t give you an ETA but I don’t expect it will take too long for these ISOs to come out as RC. All our resources are on this at the moment.

by ·165 Comments

Introduction

The most significant improvements in Petra are being backported to Maya.

Among other things, this gives Linux Mint 13 LTS users access to the following packages:

  • MDM 1.4
  • Cinnamon 2.0
  • MATE 1.6
  • The latest versions of mintwelcome, mintstick, mintnanny, mintupload, mintupdate, mintinstall, mintsystem, mintmenu and mintdesktop.

How to

To enable the backports in Linux Mint 13, follow the steps below:

1. Open the “Software Sources” tool from “Menu -> Preferences -> Software Sources”
2. Click on the “Backported packages (backports)” checkbox as illustrated in the picture below

3. Launch the “Update Manager” from “Menu->Administration->Update Manager”
4. Select all level 1, 2 and 3 updates
5. Click on “Install Updates”

Once you’re finished installing the updates, restart your computer.

Enjoy 😉

FAQ

– Why isn’t this happening automatically via the “main” components of the repositories?

It’s an opt-in. Some people are interested in getting the latest features (and they can follow the easy steps described above). Others prefer not to change what already works. By using the backports component of the repositories, which are disabled by default, people have the choice to upgrade these components or to keep them from being upgraded.

As with every upgrade and new version of software, there is a risk of regression. These upgrades have been thoroughly tested in Petra and are known to work in Maya, but the decision to stick with the current versions or to upgrade to the newer ones is entirely yours. Note that both versions are available in the Linux Mint 13 repositories (via main and backports) and that although the process is a bit tedious, it is possible to downgrade all or some packages back to their original versions.

– Will these backports also find their way into LMDE?

Yes, LMDE will receive these backports as well as a major upgrade called Update Pack 8 in January 2014.

Upgrade Notes

Cinnamon 2.0:

  • Cinnamon 2.0 no longer needs nautilus or gnome-session-fallback. Feel free to remove these components. If you don’t need support for bluetooth and wacom tablets you can also remove gnome-control-center.
  • Make sure to install mint-meta-cinnamon to retrieve all the new important packages coming with Cinnamon 2.0
  • Cinnamon 2.0 uses a Cinnamon backend. Your current settings applied to the GNOME backend, so you will lose your default Cinnamon configuration.

MATE 1.6:

  • MATE 1.6 uses gsettings. Your current MATE settings are stored in mateconf. You will lose your MATE configuration during this upgrade.

MDM 1.4:

  • MDM triggers the installation of numlockx. This may activate numlock on your behalf. If on a laptop you find yourself unable to type your password, please make sure to disable numlock. You only have to do it once. After that, your preference is configurable in MDM.
  • Make sure to install the package “mint-mdm-themes”
  • Make sure to restart your computer after the upgrade, especially if you upgrade MDM.
  • If MDM complains that it cannot find a theme and consequently fails to start, do the following:
    • Make sure you have a file called /usr/share/mdm/distro.conf, if you don’t then upgrade the package ubuntu-system-adjustments
    • Delete your MDM configuration with the command: sudo rm -f /etc/mdm/mdm.conf
    • Reset the MDM configuration with the command: sudo touch /etc/mdm/mdm.conf
    • Reboot the computer