Linux Mint is an open source operating system which is available for use free of cost. One can use Linux Mint as a replacement for paid and proprietary operating systems. It is suitable for most users as it is easy to install, configure and use while being powerful in terms of features and performance. The latest Long Term Support (LTS) version of Linux Mint with support till 2025 is Linux Mint 20.3 ‘Una’. Linux Mint provides users with an option to choose the best Linux Mint Edition. The editions are Cinnamon, MATE and Xfce.
Experienced users may have a choice for a particular edition. However, naive users are many times confused with this multiple edition option. As they may not be sure about the suitable version to download and install as per their requirement or system configuration. This article tries to help out such users in arriving at a decision to choose the best suited edition by presenting the key features and comparison of each edition in different ways.
Linux Mint system requirements:
Before proceeding to choose your edition, it is better to first ensure that the computer you are going to install Linux Mint upon complies with the Linux Mint minimum requirements or recommended Linux Mint requirements in terms of hardware resources, specified officially by Linux Mint for installing Linux Mint as following:
| Component | Minimum Required | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| RAM | 2 GB | 4 GB |
| Disk Space | 20 GB | 100 GB |
| Resolution | *on lower resolutions, press ALT to drag windows with the mouse if they don’t fit in the screen | 1024 x 768 |
Once you are assured that the computer on which Linux Mint is planned to be installed has the minimum or recommended specifications, you can proceed further to explore the features of different editions offered by Linux Mint. The following table provides a first glance in the form of a matrix of features associated with each edition of Linux Mint 20.3 ‘Una’:
| Criteria ⇒ | Linux Kernel | Ubuntu Package Base | Long Term Support | Support Till |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux Mint Editions ⇓ | ||||
| Cinnamon | 5.4 | 20.04 | Yes | 2025 |
| MATE | 5.4 | 20.04 | Yes | 2025 |
| Xfce | 5.4 | 20.04 | Yes | 2025 |
The above table informs that all three editions are built upon same base technology. All editions will receive security updates till 2025. For more particular selection, refer the table below:
| Criteria ⇒ | Features | Popularity | Stability | Resource-Efficient | Performance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux Mint Editions ⇓ | |||||
| Cinnamon | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| MATE | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Xfce | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
The above table represents the ranking of criteria such as features provided in each edition, popularity of each edition, stability of each edition, resource-efficiency of each edition and performance of each edition. The edition with ranking “1” ranks highest and the edition with ranking “3” ranks lowest in the ranking criteria. The edition with ranking “2” can be considered as average performer in that particular criteria.
Beginners can understand the above table as following:
- Cinnamon is the most popular edition of Linux Mint with highest number of features provided in the Operating System which makes it most popular with users. However, it requires much more resources as compared to other editions. It is best suited for beginners who have latest high-end machines with ample available resources.
- Xfce comparatively has the least features provided to users but has all the required core features thus result I requirement of less resources and ranks highest in terms of performance and resource utilization. It could be useful for users who have to deal with most important required features of Linux Operating System and have a bit low end machine. It is suitable for users who need best performance with limited resources.
- MATE could be best suited for a middle level Linux user who has equal weightage for features as well as performance.
Using the above information, a user may derive the best suited edition by creating his own parameters to arrive at a decision based on their requirement.
All the Linux Mint editions are wonderful when put in use. A user may give a try to all the versions to check the best which suits their taste whenever they have time as all the three editions have different desktop environments, different menus, different panels and different configuration tools.
Key Feature of each Edition:
| S. No. | Edition | Feature |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cinnamon | The most modern, innovative and full-featured desktop |
| 2 | MATE | A more stable, and faster desktop |
| 3 | Xfce | The most lightweight and the most stable |
You can choose any one of the above editions as per requirement. You may even try out test run of more than one edition to check out the best suitable edition for you. It may be noted that the installation process is same for all editions.
Once you are ready with selection of the Linux Mint Edition, you would be required to choose an architecture (32-bit / 64-bit) based on the configuration of your system. Earlier Linux Mint used to offer ISO files for 32-bit / 64-bit Linux Mint versions. But, at present, 32-bit is obsolete and only 64-bit is offered. It’s always better to go ahead with 64-bit version, if your computer supports it. One way of checking whether your computer supports 64-bit is to create a Linux Mint 64-bit bootable media and boot your computer with this media. If your computer successfully boots with 64-bit Linux Mint media, it means your computer supports 64-bit Architecture. If it does not boot from 64-bit, it will not harm your machine and you would be ensured that the computer is 32-bit. Thus, you could proceed ahead with creating 32-bit Linux Mint bootable media of an older Linux Mint version and installing it on your system.
You can refer the user configuration manual of your machine to check out the architecture of your machine whether it is 32-bit or 64-bit. Nowadays, all modern computers that are sold after 2007 are based on 64-bit Architecture. If you have an older or outdated machine, you may proceed with 32-bit ISO download. You may note that the installation process is same for all editions.
Also note that the 64-bit ISO can boot with BIOS or UEFI, however, the 32-bit ISO can only boot with BIOS. All modern machines are now equipped with UEFI, however, if you have a older machine it would have plain BIOS. One way of identifying BIOS and UEFI is that, BIOS screen typically has blue background with yellow highlighted menu options without any mouse support. However, UEFI mostly nowadays provides with mouse cursor support and secure boot options.
By now, you must be certain of which Edition and Architecture of Linux Mint you would proceed with. If you are still not sure or do not have a specific requirement you can choose Linux Mint 20.3 “Una”-Cinnamon edition.
If you are sure then proceed with downloading ISO file, check authenticity and Integrity of ISO file, create Linux Mint bootable media and Install Linux Mint.
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