The latest release of Cinnamon, version 6.6, has been unveiled by the Linux Mint team. This version will serve as the default desktop environment for the highly anticipated Linux Mint 22.3, codenamed "Zena," which is slated for release in late December 2025 or early 2026.
Cinnamon 6.6 introduces a revamped application menu applet, allowing users to switch between symbolic and full-color icons for different categories. This release also enhances user interaction with color system buttons on hover and provides configurable options for Places and Bookmarks. Numerous visual updates have been added to improve user experience.
In addition to the aesthetic changes, Cinnamon 6.6 modernizes functionality with better keyboard management and a virtual keyboard that includes a new button for layout switching, a context menu shortcut for accessing Keyboard Accessibility settings, and improved theme support. The virtual keyboard also features a fade-in/out effect when toggling visibility.
The Settings application enjoys significant enhancements, including the addition of a Thunderbolt module, a new tab for window tiling, options for battery-critical actions in the Power module, manual scheduling for Night Light settings, and a new System Information tool.
Several updates have been made to various applets:
- The Sound applet resolves an issue where album art would not return after volume changes.
- NetworkManager now displays multiple active VPN connections.
- The Workspace Switcher offers a new option to display window icons.
- The Printer applet is more context-sensitive, appearing only when needed, while the Window List applet now supports notification badges.
New features include keyboard shortcuts for layout switching, enhancements to notification management, and better support for touch gestures when changing volume. Improved functionality also encompasses fractional scaling preferences and root authentication options.
Cinnamon 6.6 also optimizes user productivity with adjustments like Alt+Tab behavior specific to the current monitor and refined Expo effects based on mouse position. The release transitions to XApp symbolic icons and introduces an IBus runtime dependency, further improving the overall performance and adaptability of the desktop environment.
While Cinnamon 6.6 will be the default for Linux Mint 22.3, users can also install it on other distributions such as Arch Linux that offer the latest Cinnamon release through their repositories.
For more information on Linux Mint 22.3, visit Linux Mint’s official page.