Cinnamon 6.4: A Fresh Minty Flavour for Your Linux Desktop
Introduction
The world of Linux desktop environments is rich and diverse, offering users a wide array of choices to suit their preferences and workflows. Among these options, Cinnamon stands out as a modern, feature-rich, and user-friendly desktop environment that has gained significant popularity over the years. With the recent release of Cinnamon 6.4, it's time to take a closer look at this exciting update and explore what makes Cinnamon a compelling choice for Linux users.
Origin and History
Cinnamon was born out of a desire to provide users with a more traditional desktop experience in the face of significant changes in the Linux desktop landscape. Originally developed by the Linux Mint team, Cinnamon began as a fork of GNOME 3 in 2011. The impetus behind Cinnamon's creation was the controversial decisions made by the GNOME developers in their 3.x release, which sparked the creation of several alternate desktop environments.
Unlike some other desktop environments that emerged during this period, such as MATE, Cinnamon has continued to evolve and modernise while staying true to its goal of providing a traditional computing experience. This commitment to balancing familiarity with innovation has been a key factor in Cinnamon's enduring popularity.
Development and Team
Cinnamon is primarily developed and maintained by the Linux Mint team, led by Clement Lefebvre. The desktop environment serves as the flagship DE of Linux Mint, as well as its sibling LMDE (Linux Mint Debian Edition). The development team has shown remarkable dedication to improving Cinnamon, consistently releasing updates that enhance functionality, performance, and aesthetics.
One of the strengths of the Cinnamon development team is their responsiveness to user feedback and their ability to adapt to changing technologies. For example, they have successfully mitigated some of the more controversial decisions made by the GNOME/GTK developers, ensuring that Cinnamon remains a stable and user-friendly environment.
What Sets Cinnamon Apart
Cinnamon distinguishes itself from other desktop environments in several key ways:
1. Balance of Features: Cinnamon strikes an excellent balance between simplicity, customization, power, and stability. Unlike some environments that excel in one area at the expense of others, Cinnamon manages to offer a near-perfect blend of all these qualities.
2. Customisation: While Cinnamon's default look is reminiscent of Windows 7, it offers extensive customization options. Users can easily modify the layout to resemble macOS, Ubuntu's modified GNOME, standard GNOME, or create their own unique setup.
3. Stability: Unlike some other extensible desktop environments, Cinnamon's extensions and applets tend to be extremely stable and reliable, not breaking with every new version.
4. Familiar Yet Modern: Cinnamon maintains a traditional desktop paradigm while incorporating modern features and design elements, making it accessible to newcomers and satisfying for experienced users.
5. Continuous Improvement: The Cinnamon team consistently works on refining the user experience, as evidenced by the regular updates and new features introduced in each version.
Cinnamon 6.4: The Latest Release
Cinnamon 6.4 was released on November 28, 2024, bringing a host of improvements and new features. This release is set to be the default desktop environment in the upcoming Linux Mint 22.1 (Xia) distribution, expected to launch in late December 2024.
Changelog Highlights:
1. Revamped Default Theme:
- Much darker and more contrasted appearance.
- Rounded elements for a modern look.
- Redesigned modal dialogs.
- Support for panel highlights.
- Coloured buttons in dialogs.
- Gap between applets and the panel.
- Updated styling for calendar and power applet menus.
- Reduced horizontal padding on notification buttons.
2. Night Light Feature:
- Built-in Night Light functionality in Display settings to reduce eye strain during nighttime use.
3. Improved Application Management:
- New "Force Quit" dialog written in Clutter for frozen applications.
4. New Status Applet:
- Addition of a new status applet for improved system monitoring.
5. Modernised UI Elements:
- Updated media buttons and workspace On-Screen Displays (OSDs).
6. Enhanced User Experience:
- Improved notifications, animations, and application launcher.
- Renamed "Quit" option to "Shut Down" in the main menu.
Supported Distributions
While Cinnamon is most closely associated with Linux Mint, it's available on a variety of Linux distributions. Here's a list of some popular distributions that support Cinnamon:
1. Linux Mint (flagship distribution)
2. LMDE (Linux Mint Debian Edition)
3. Fedora
4. Ubuntu
5. Debian
6. Arch Linux
7. Manjaro
8. openSUSE
9. Gentoo
10. Mageia
It's worth noting that the experience and integration of Cinnamon may vary depending on the distribution, with Linux Mint offering the most polished and well-integrated Cinnamon experience.
Conclusion
Cinnamon 6.4 represents a significant step forward for this beloved desktop environment. With its revamped theme, new features, and continued focus on user experience, Cinnamon remains a top choice for Linux users seeking a modern, customizable, and user-friendly desktop environment. Whether you're a long-time Linux user or just making the switch from another operating system, Cinnamon offers a comfortable yet powerful computing experience that's well worth exploring.
Disclaimer
The information provided in this article is based on the latest available data at the time of writing. As the Linux ecosystem is constantly evolving, some details may change over time. Always refer to the official documentation and release notes for the most up-to-date information on Cinnamon and its features.
References
Tux Machines — Linux Mint 22.1 Slated for Release in December with Revamped Cinnamon Theme
Tux Machines — Cinnamon 6.4 to Debut with Revamped Default Theme
Cinnamon 6.4 Desktop Environment Released with Revamped Theme, Night Light - 9to5Linux
Cinnamon 6.4 Desktop Environment Released, Here’s What’s New
Linux Mint's Cinnamon 6.4 gets a sleek new look ahead of December launch - Neowin
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