The Linux Mint team has announced the launch of the Cinnamon 6.4 desktop environment, which is set to be the default version for the upcoming Linux Mint 22.1 (Xia) release, expected in late December 2024. Significant improvements are highlighted in this version, featuring a new darker and more contrasted default theme that includes rounded elements and redesigned modal dialogs. Additional enhancements consist of support for panel highlights and colored buttons in dialogs, creating a more cohesive user interface.
The updated theme ensures that new installations of Linux Mint will have modern styling across various applets, including the calendar and power applets. The notification buttons have been refined for better usability, and the overall visual consistency has been elevated with reduced horizontal padding.
One of the standout features in Cinnamon 6.4 is the built-in Night Light functionality, aimed at reducing eye strain for nighttime users. This release also introduces a newly designed “Force Quit” dialog, providing more efficient handling of unresponsive applications. Alongside these enhancements, Cinnamon has modernized media controls, workspace OSDs, and the application launcher.
Further changes include renaming the “Quit” option to “Shut Down” and capitalizing the “Lock Screen” in the main menu, which also now supports notifications in full-screen mode. Additionally, the power module has gained Power Profile options, and various improvements have been made for battery device labels and image previews.
Users will find the Grouped Window List applet has received a new feature to display windows only from the current monitor, enhancing multitasking capabilities. Cinnamon 6.4 is expected to be available for other GNU/Linux distributions, making it accessible to a wider audience.
This release of Cinnamon represents a significant step forward for the desktop environment, focusing on usability and aesthetic cohesion, setting the stage for an exciting launch with Linux Mint 22.1 in the coming weeks.
For more information, you can visit Linux Mint 22.1 (Xia).