The Wait is Over! Linux Mint 22.2 "Zara" is Here

Linux Mint stands out as one of the most reliable long-term supported distributions available today. Built on Ubuntu's foundation, it offers rock-solid stability and a great user experience without the controversial decisions that plague its upstream counterpart.

The distribution provides five years of security updates, making it ideal for users seeking a set-and-forget desktop experience. Unlike Ubuntu's snap-heavy approach, Linux Mint maintains traditional package management while adding useful enhancements.

The latest version, Linux Mint 22.2 "Zara", continues in this path with meaningful improvements across the desktop and promising updates until 2029.

1. Linux Kernel 6.14

Linux Mint 22.2 ships with Linux kernel 6.14, delivering significant performance improvements for AMD and Intel hardware. The kernel includes enhanced AES encryption performance with 2-3% gains on AMD Zen 4 and Zen 5 processors.

AMD users benefit from Ryzen AI NPU6 support through the AMDXDNA driver and dynamic P-State management for better power efficiency. Intel Arc GPU compatibility was enhanced for older CPU generations, including Alder Lake and Raptor Lake systems.

The release also features an Ubuntu Noble package base, providing the foundation for system packages while ensuring compatibility with Ubuntu's software ecosystem. This combination delivers modern hardware support for this new release.

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2. User Interface Upgrades

The login screen looks better than ever thanks to the addition of blur effects in both the panel and dialog box. Support for user avatars was also added, creating a more polished login experience.

libAdwaita was patched to work with themes in this release. Support was added to the Mint-Y, Mint-X, and Mint-L themes. Plus, several applications, including GNOME Calendar, Document Scanner, and Disk Usage Analyzer, were upgraded to their libAdwaita versions.

XDG Desktop Portal XApp now supports accent colors. It scans the GTK theme for a coded color called accent_color and provides it via the XDG Settings API. This changes the accent color in Flatpak libAdwaita applications based on your chosen GTK theme.

The team also created libAdapta, a fork of libAdwaita with theme support and a few extras. It provides the same features as libAdwaita while following themes in desktop environments that provide theme selection.

Another visible change is the addition of blue tints to gray colors throughout the interface. This follows modern UI design practices used by Trello, Firefox, Google Docs, and other applications to create a more metallic and contemporary appearance.

3. A Refined Software Manager

The Software Manager welcome screen looks better than before with an improved visual design. That is coupled with a "Help" tooltip (looks like a question mark) that was added to explain the difference between Flatpak and system packages, making package selection much simpler for users.

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4. Application Upgrades

For this, we start with Hypnotix, the IPTV app, which now includes two new display modes. "Theater" hides menus and controls so a video fills the entire window, and the other one is "Borderless" which removes borders and title bars for a distraction-free experience.

There are some performance improvements too that have resulted in a faster startup, searches scaling well with large playlists, and smoother playback that no longer interrupts sessions or resets the volume when switching channels.

Similarly, for Sticky, the notes now feature rounded corners and work with Wayland. A new D-Bus method allows notes to reload on demand, and the community-developed Android companion app StyncyNotes enables syncing across devices.

Linux Mint 22.2 also introduces a new app, Fingwit. It manages fingerprint authentication across the system. Supported devices can now unlock the screensaver, approve sudo commands, and authorize admin apps securely using fingerprints.

5. Miscalleanous Changes

We wrap up this release blog with a look at other notable changes included in Linux Mint 22.2:

• In WebApp Manager, the webapp description field is now editable.
• The Update Manager now shows a reboot button whenever an update requires it.
• This release is supported until 2029, with the same base being used until 2026 for ensuring easy upgrades.
• XApps have been improved, where Xviewer color correction is refined, and a new AIFF thumbnailer was added.

📥 Get Linux Mint 22.2

This release is now live on the official website and is available in three editions: Cinnamon, MATE, and Xfce.

For existing users, the upgrade path is very straightforward. First, launch "Update Manager" from the application launcher. Here, go into the "Edit" menu and look for this option: Upgrade to "Linux Mint 22.2 Zara".

Click to begin the upgrade process and review each page carefully. On the second-to-last page, you will be asked to agree to a disclaimer. Accept it to continue with the upgrade.

Now, it is a waiting game, which depends on your internet connection and storage speed. Let the downloads and installation of packages complete, and then reboot your computer when prompted.

That’s it. If everything went smoothly, your system should now be upgraded to Linux Mint 22.2 "Zara".

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