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Linux Mint 21, codenamed “Vanessa,” is a major update coming to Mint users in the summer of 2022. The first beta was on July 14, 2022. Here’s a rundown of what’s new in Linux Mint 21. this version: changes, improvements and new features. .
Vanessa is the first release of the Linux Mint 21 “V” series, with a long-term support plan that lasts until 2027. As you will see, upcoming improvements and new updates make the latest Linux Mint more efficient and advanced than its predecessors. predecessors. .
The Blueman Bluetooth Manager
Linux Mint 21 has dropped the Blueberry Bluetooth manager for Blueman. The main purpose of Blueman is to manage Bluetooth settings to share data between multiple devices. It is an efficient manager that works well in all environments. You can even use it from the command line.
Blueberry depended on the traditional gnome-bluetooth project, while Blueman provides a more granular interface to check and control your connections while relying on the standard Bluez stack. It has improved connectivity and works better, especially with audio devices.
Improved file explorer thumbnails
Vanessa focuses on performance and usability improvements, integrating xapp-thumbnailers to improve your user experience. It’s often frustrating for users when the file manager doesn’t recognize a file and instead of a preview or thumbnail, it shows a question mark or stays blank.
This affects usability and tarnishes the user experience, especially since new file extensions appear on the market every so often. Thumbnailer fills this gap and adds missing thumbnails to files like ePub, MP3, RAW, AppImage and WebP. You will now see a preview of the image contained in those files.
More sticky note options
Sticky Notes is a useful utility for taking quick notes on your desktop. Improved Sticky Notes in Vanessa allow you to duplicate your notes, eliminating the need to copy the text from one note and paste it into the new one she has created.
This update, like the previous two, focuses on improving usability. Previously, when creating a new note, the app assigned a random color to the note. In this update, you can choose a color of your choice. Additionally, the update has also changed the notes icon in the system tray.
Automated task monitor
Automated tasks usually run in the background to improve your productivity and make things easier. These tasks can be pre-scheduled tasks that keep you safe, such as your browser application receiving a security patch in the background. Or maybe you create your own tasks that automate things you often do manually.
But sometimes these tasks can also slow down your device which affects its performance. Vanessa brings a monitor that shows the processes running in the background with a pop-up window in the system tray. This way, she will know precisely which automated tasks are slowing down her system without having to open and examine the system monitor.
RELATED: How to Schedule Tasks in Linux: An Introduction to Crontab Files
Improved XApps like Timeshift
XApps has received quite a few updates for improvements to Vanessa. The Mint developers keep the backup tool, Timeshift, as an XApp moving forward, which means a more consistent experience across all editions of Mint. The new update allows you to stop the backup process in case of low storage space and can also determine the space required for the next snapshot.
Additionally, Xviewer, Warpinator, The Thingy, and WebApp Manager have also received notable updates. All these updates work to give you a better user experience.
Mutter-based muffin
Muffin is the window manager for the Linux Mint Cinnamon desktop environment. In Vanessa, the version of Cinnamon is 5.4 and contains an update that changes the base of Muffin in Mutter, the display server, the window manager, and the compositor library that Muffin forked from.
Previously, Muffin was behind Mutter in terms of features. After this reorganization, Muffin receives faster updates and improvements. It’s a performance update though, so you won’t see many visual changes.
GTK theme rendering
Cinnamon 5.4 on Vanessa has added a function that renders all windows with the GTK theme. Improves the visual appearance and performance of the system regardless of the window layout.
The GTK theme rendering is more of a performance boost, but you’ll also notice some visual changes. After the Muffin update, the cinnamon-control-center It has seen quite a few improvements. It has added display settings options to the Control Center, and the GTK theme is responsible for active and inactive window panes and application styles.
Improved printing and scanning
At some point, you’ve probably experienced frustration trying to set up a printer on your Linux PC. It usually ends up being a driver related problem.
Vanessa supports a driverless print and scan system where it communicates with the printer or scanner much faster without needing a driver to work. This update makes the printing and scanning process much smoother and more efficient compared to previous versions.
Improved software source selection
Linux Mint 21 has improved the software sources menu by allowing you to select multiple sources, repository lists, and PPA lists. It helps you clean your device efficiently and remove multiple items simultaneously.
The system runs a dependency check every time you try to uninstall an application to protect system files and performance. This way, you can be sure that deleting one app won’t cause problems for other apps.
cool new backgrounds
While most of the changes we’ve discussed above focus on usability and performance, Mint 21 is not without a few appearance-related updates for your aesthetic pleasure.
The latest version of Linux Mint has added new wallpapers in this update to give your desktop a new look. Added 20+ new wallpapers in different categories, and you get extra support for dark mode in your apps, which improves the overall look and feel of the Mint theme.
How to get Linux Mint 21 “Vanessa”
Until the official version is released, please visit the official Vanessa Beta Announcement blog post to download the ISO. You can download it as a torrent or regular file from various sources listed on the official website. Please refer to the official Vanessa release notes for more information before installing.
We recommend testing this version first in a virtual machine because, at the time of writing, it is in its final beta stages. It is essential to check the specifications of your device and comply with Vanessa’s requirements (in the ad post) to avoid conflicts. Check out this guide on how to install Linux, in case you’re not sure.
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