TheLinux Mint upgrade to version 17.3 Rosa is one upgrade regular users do not want to skip.
This latest release in downloadable ISO format, available in the MATE and Cinnamon desktop editions, hit servers earlier this month. Several days later, the upgrade was available from within the package management repository for existing Linux Mint users. That eliminates the need for a clean installation and having to set up all the apps and configurations to use the new release.
Linux Mint 17.3 is based on Ubuntu 14.04 LTS and is supported until 2019. It is a major upgrade from version 17.2 Rebecca.
Compared to the many recurring bland Ubuntu releases cycles, Linux Mint does not disappoint. Each decimal advance has been marked with should-not-miss improvements to the constantly evolving Linux Mint distro.
Some of the key changes in this release involve the handling of software updates and managing hardware drivers. Rosa has updated software applications and brings refinements under the hood with Linux Kernel 3.19 and many new desktop features from Cinnamon 2.8.
One big improvement is the ability to select localized mirror servers for much faster file downloads from the package management system. Another huge improvement is the Cinnamon desktop, which is more refined.
Seeding Success
I hold a fondness for the Linux Mint distro. My home office is stuffed with numerous desktops and laptops. Each one is configured with several Linux distros.
Most of these distros come and go as I shuffle through a never-ending inventory of products to review. A few distros stand the test of time. Linux Mint continues to hold the spotlight as my primary choice.
Why? The Cinnamon desktop is just too good to set aside. I dabble with other distros that have a Cinnamon edition, and I have yet to find another distro’s integration of Cinnamon that exceeds the performance I get from Linux Mint.
Still, choice of desktop environment largely boils down to the hardware compatibility and user preference. Part of what makes up that preference is the performance, convenience and configurability of the desktop environment.
Best in Both Batches
For both Mint Rosa editions, the software repositories are duplicated on many servers all over the world. Linux Mint’s developers make a big push in the Rosa release to get users to localize the servers providing the software.
If you do not select closer server locations, the Software Sources configuration tool reminds you of the opportunity. The list of mirrored servers includes the delivery speed of the downloads. I found a big improvement in the download times when I changed the default settings.
Improvements under the hood for both Cinnamon and MATE include a more robust Driver Manager. It refreshes the cache before looking for drivers and reports update and installation errors if appropriate. The drivers list is sorted by status. The Driver Manager indicates whether drivers are open source.
Another big deal involves support for the Broadcom chipset. If it’s detected with the recommended Broadcom STA drivers, the Driver Manager also lists B43 installers. You do not need an Ethernet connection, either.
The login screen features an on-screen keyboard and improved HiDPI support. To improve the support for touchscreens and mobile devices on the log-in screen, an on-screen keyboard pops up. This is a nice touch. This keyboard is available for the default theme (Mint-X), and it provides both common and special characters.
Rosa MATE Edition
MATE puts a more modern spin on traditional Gnome 2 desktop performance. It is a very comfortable alternative to the Cinnamon desktop option.
The Application menu has a better look resulting from the addition of a frame, borders and shadows. Some padding fluffs up the appearance throughout the menu’s different sections.
Screen-tearing and window managers have better desktop settings support for more window and compositing managers. Besides the traditional Marco, Metacity and Xfwm4 window managers, three major additions are built in: Openbox, Compiz and Compton.
Wobbly windows are activated by default and justify adding Compiz for its wow factor. This eye candy tastes as good in MATE as it does in Cinnamon.
To make it easier to use these additional visual features, this latest MATE version has two new commands: wm-detect shows information about which window/compositing managers are running, and wm-recovery recovers or returns to the default window manager.
The attention the developers paid to upgrading the MATE edition is obvious. This desktop option is now on a par with Gnome and Cinnamon. It supports a very wide range of applications and is fully compatible with Totem, VLC and many other video players.
Details matter here. For example, the screensaver does not start while a video is playing. Touchpad support is better as well. As long as the hardware supports it, you can use tap or click with two or three fingers for the right and middle clicks.
You also can activate natural scrolling to reverse the direction of scrolling and make it feel more natural. If you never use the touchpad, now you can turn it off.
Cinnamon Edition
The Cinnamon-specific upgrade involves lots of window dressing and desktop improvements in background art, system tools and tweaks galore.
For instance, better applets rule this release. The sound applet is a solid example.
It has a fresh new layout. The track information and media controls are part of a new overlay, which sits on top of the cover art.
Multimedia players that support seeking show a flat progress bar underneath that tells how far into the song you are and lets you navigate to other locations in the music. Input controls, applications and output devices are in the right-click context menu.
More redesigning is evident with attached output devices. They show their name and their origin. That makes it easy to distinguish among them when multiple audio devices are connected.
The power applet has lots of fixed bugs and better detection of multiple batteries. It shows brands and model information. Connected devices and batteries display with OEM data. So instead of a generic reference to a wireless mouse, Cinnamon tells you the make and model.
Cinnamon and Spice
The Cinnamon desktop received a spice cabinet full of tweaks and fixes. These bring a horde of performance improvements to the Muffin window management, multiple monitor use and graphics card integration.
Again, it all has to do with attention to details. For instance, Cinnamon now supports microphone mute buttons, better HiDPI detection for TV screens over HDMI, and improved performance of the Cinnamon Settings Daemon. QT5 applications look more native and sport the GTK theme as well.
One of the best improvements in the Cinnamon desktop upgrade affects the Workspace Switcher. It shows a visual representation of the workspaces with little rectangles corresponding to each window inside of them.
Improvements to the System tray brings support for indicators. You can turn these on/off in the System settings/General panel.
What is the difference? Cinnamon renders indicators with a Clutter menu, which looks similar to the panel itself. Status icons can have tool tips and a context menu, but indicators cannot.
Bottom Line
Linux is all about comparisons. Linux Mint 17.3 is a clear winner by any standards. From my view, it even outperforms Microsoft’s Windows 10 OS upgrade.
I recently upgraded several Windows 7 installations on legacy computers to Windows 10. I also bought a new touchscreen laptop to put a top-of-the-line performer in my test gear inventory. Dual booting always loads Linux Mint by default unless I override into Windows for a client-specific task.
The Cortana personal assistant feature is already passe and turned off. The redesigned tiles and menu animation are boring. Not much else is different for the virtual desktop feature borrowed from Linux.
Not only is Linux Mint 17.3 — either Cinnamon or MATE — an ideal Linux distro, it’s also a Windows 10-crushing alternative.
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Wow, new and improved sparkly warkly super dooper…really? Despite all the hyperbole and undefinable ie subjective praise, I find 17.3 to be darker (depressing dull menu color scheme), more cumbersome and bloated as well as definitely slower.
Went back to 17.2 because its fast, light, menus system is more logical and leaner. The shutdown menus doesnt take 25s like it does in 17.2 but other than that and some window dressing nothing to get hyped up about. The change reminds me more of a microsoft upgrade and we all know how good they are. Unfortunately Mint is always vague about its alleged imrpovements – saying its better doesnt make it so. Try it if you like it great! but nothing to rush into imo.
‘Sparkly warkly’ or not, Linux Mint gives me complete privacy.
It doesn’t sneak around a dozen back doors spying on my family and for that reason alone, Linux Mint will always be superior to anything Microsoft spits out.
Even Canonical’s Ubuntu is pure spyware and this family studiously avoids anything from Canonical that hasn’t been stripped clean of its spying capabilities and altered enough to be good enough for the privacy conscious.
Nothing, but nothing, compares to Linux Mint for the most important thing in the world – complete privacy.
I tried Debian, Ubuntu 14.04, Ubuntu 15.10 Linux Mint 17.1, I have a disk of Point Linux, but it is like Debian too. So far Linux Mint is my favorite, everything is within reach, I love the pick & choose programs, I can click on, to install. I can put favorites on the bottom bar to make it easily accessible Like Artha, Speed Crunch Calculator, Cheese, so that my computer can become my camera too, & because my camera quit. Since everything is accessible & I don’t have to look for anything, I do my computers functions like a breeze & even have time for a game of solitare or tetravex. I cannot really see Mint being even better, But as long as you do not do like Ubuntu 15.10, & make my computer into a cloud computer, I will be happy.