Linux Mint....Monthly Newsletter...LMDE 7....Get Educated, read it All

[Condobloke]

Monthly News – March 2025 – The Linux Mint Blog

blog.linuxmint.com

Linux Mint Debian Edition Is Getting Support for OEM Installations with LMDE 7 - 9to5Linux

Linux Mint Debian Edition is getting OEM support with the LMDE 7 release based on the Debian GNU/Linux 13 "Trixie" operating system.

9to5linux.com

"LMDE 7 will be based on the next major version of Debian operating system, Debian GNU/Linux 13 “Trixie”, due out in June 2025.....So, lmde 7 will follow shortly thereafter.
LMDE 7, which will be based on the next version of Debian Stable, will come with full support for OEM installations.
Thanks to OEM installs, Linux Mint can be pre-installed on computers which are sold throughout the World. It’s a very important feature and it’s one of the very few remaining things which wasn’t supported by LMDE.


OEM stands for “Original Equipment Manufacturers”. It’s used to refer not only to manufacturers but to any company big or small which sells computers. This feature is also used by individuals who either donate or sell their computers.

 

[Deleted member 204243]

Thanks to OEM installs, Linux Mint can be pre-installed on computers which are sold throughout the World.

Will it, though? Every single time I tried LMDE there was something wrong with it. Standard Mint editions are a better choice for pre-installed OS, IMO.

 

[The Duck]

Every single time I tried LMDE there was something wrong with it.

Interesting I've never had an issue with LMDE always worked OOTB.

Could be I've never had any issues because I use old desktop computers.

What I've always disliked about LMDE is the Cinnamon desktop environment.

Yes I'm aware that I can switch desktop environments but I shouldn't have to.

The developers should offer an Xfce desktop version imo perhaps one day they might.

 

[Mike-BTU]

Interesting I've never had an issue with LMDE always worked OOTB.

Could be I've never had any issues because I use old desktop computers.

What I've always disliked about LMDE is the Cinnamon desktop environment.

Yes I'm aware that I can switch desktop environments but I shouldn't have to.

The developers should offer an Xfce desktop version imo perhaps one day they might.

Is KDE Plasma available as a DE in LMDE?

 

[Condobloke]

KDE Plasma is a set of graphical shells developed by KDE for Unix-like operating systems. With the KDE brand repositioning in 2009, Plasma 4.4 succeeded KDE 4.3. Currently, it has four workspace variants: one for desktop PCs and laptops, one for TVs, one for smartphones, and another for embedded and touch-enabled devices. Wikipedia

 

[Condobloke]

Will it, though?

There is every chance that it will, despite your having problems when you initially tried lmde.
How long ago, (in other words which version), and a boatload of other possible variables may have influenced this.

I keep LMDE6 on a usb stick. On occasion I boot to it, more to remind myself of just how damn good it is. Bearing in mind the fact the lmde6 has been out for a while now, and doesnt get showered with updates in the same manner that standard Mint editions do.....it does all right for itself.
It comes across as being a bit 'behind' most of the standard Linux Mint versions, but that is to be expected.

As the time draws nearer to LMDE7 being released, it is also to be expected that quite a serious amount of work will have gone into this release.

Clem & his team are to be commended for their efforts

 

[wizardfromoz]

Yes I'm aware that I can switch desktop environments but I shouldn't have to.

The developers should offer an Xfce desktop version imo perhaps one day they might.

They may well do so, if/when LMDE becomes their main offering.

Bear in mind, though, that it is Cinnamon which is their flagship, and was developed by them, before spreading to many other distros. They also maintain it.

So if LMDE could be considered their parachute for either of

• something happening to Ubuntu
• their own in-house policies deciding that wish to break ties with the Ubuntu base

then it only makes sense for them to have a distro whose DE development and maintenance is under its own control.

Wiz

 

[Condobloke]

The bottom half of the page in the link :

Linux Mint Debian Edition Is Getting Support for OEM Installations with LMDE 7 - 9to5Linux

Linux Mint Debian Edition is getting OEM support with the LMDE 7 release based on the Debian GNU/Linux 13 "Trixie" operating system.

9to5linux.com

Is worth a read....saying (among other things)

Clement Lefebvre also talked about enhanced search functionality in Cinnamon’s Nemo file manager thanks to the implementation of a new filter for finding files using regular expressions that match their filenames. This feature should be available in an upcoming Nemo release for all existing Linux Mint users.


Last but not least, the Linux Mint leader said that the team is working on adding support for keyboard layouts and input methods to the Wayland session of the Cinnamon desktop environment. As you know, Cinnamon’s Wayland session is still considered experimental, but users can try it since the Linux Mint 21.3 release.



“It’s functional, but it’s not fully ready yet,” said Clement Lefebvre. “Although it’s great news for Wayland compatibility, it can impact toolkit compatibility and input methods for Asian languages. We need a little bit more time to finalize it and properly test it.”

On top of that, the Linux Mint devs are working on changing version numbers for the JavaScript engine that powers the Cinnamon desktop environment, CJS. Future versions of CJS will be versioned according to the Mozilla JavaScript engine it uses and it will be updated independently from Cinnamon, said Clement Lefebvre.


“This change will especially benefit Linux distributions like Debian and Ubuntu, making it easier for them to ship Cinnamon without having to maintain multiple versions of the Mozilla JavaScript engine.”

“This change will especially benefit Linux distributions like Debian and Ubuntu, making it easier for them to ship Cinnamon without having to maintain multiple versions of the Mozilla JavaScript engine.”

 

[Condobloke]

@Mike-W0BTU
I booted into LMDE6, type KDE Plasma into the Software Manager (it is the same software manager as in Linux mint 22.1).....

(I run two monitors....hence the 'spare' LM icon

 

[Brickwizard]

Interesting I've never had an issue with LMDE always worked OOTB.

Could be I've never had any issues because I use old desktop computers.

I'm with you, I switched to LMDE with LMD4 as my main drive on both laptop and desktop, my desktop is now 10 yrs and my laptop coming up to 5 years, also installed ok kit as old as 2008 not had any installation problems with the OS but did have a machine specific problem with my laptop

 

[Deleted member 204243]

Of course, my personal experience is not that important. I just don't think there will be demand for computers with LMDE pre-installed. Experience Linux users will not choose Mint and for newbies the Ubuntu based version seems to be a better option.

 

[gvisoc]

It's an interesting read. However, OEM support doesn't mean that tomorrow all manufacturers are going to go bananas putting LMDE instead of some alternative OS such as Windows.

However, this makes a lot of good in the second hand market to give a second life to all the hardware that has been banned from Windows 11.

PS -- @Tritone "experienced" users will choose whatever floats their boat, and many will stay on LMDE. There's a lot of experienced users with a lot of experience not only on Linux, but also on something else, that just want that: work on something else. That don't find any pleasure in working on the system, but rather they'd work on something else running on the system. It's not my cup of tea, but neither is Debian nor Arch. There's more life than a system that requires hacking into it, especially when it comes to being productive with something.

 

[Deleted member 204243]

There are already several companies that specialise in Linux machines. While some of them offer Mint as an option, it's never the main/default option. They either choose Ubuntu or their own distribution. The fact that Ubuntu seems to be always there, makes me believe that the Mint option is the Ubuntu-based version and not LMDE.

 

[Sherri is a Cat]

I keep LMDE6 on a usb stick. On occasion I boot to it, more to remind myself of just how damn good it is.

This is going to sound sarcastic and mouthy... It's not.

If LMDE is so good, why don't you just use it instead of keeping it on a USB drive???

But seriously, I'm thinking about switching to LMDE instead.

 

[Condobloke]

Good question.

LMDE6 does not have the polish that LM22.1 has....in many areas, too numerous to mention. I addition to that, as you know I spend a great deal of my time here telling people about/sorting problems with/ and generally giving advice re LM22.1 and everything associated with it.
LM22.1 is at the top of the popularity list on distro watch, ergo the greatest number of enquiries/installs/problems etc etc etc....come from LM22.1....not LMDE6.

With the release of LMDE7, that may change, or at least change to some degree. The "degree" will determine how I approach the presence of LMDE7 on my PC. it may end up on the second SSD....which is still a pain in the butt to get to...i would still need to reboot LM22.1 and select lmde at the grub menu and boot to it, in order to find the answer for some queries/problems. Although not all...some of the material is the same for both distros....installing, firewall (I think), Timeshift, and quite a few other aspects....and that in turn depends on what Clem and his merry bunch of men, manage to do with LMDE7 before its release. I can't see any drastic changes at this stage....

I have a laptop which may fit on my desk...somewhere....maybe install LMDE7 over the top of the LM22.1 install already on there.

Having said all that, is LMDE a solid choice, I hear you ask.

Yes. very good. Solid, Reliable, Dependable

Much the same as a car you have never driven before. Get behind the wheel and take it for a spin.
Usb stick...attach lmde to it in the usual way....boot to it. Look everywhere....look for differences....blah blah...etc. no need for a timeshift snapshot, you are in Live mode. It will do no harm to LM22.1's install if you do the boot up on that PC.

Summary: I stick with LM22.1 because it suits my sense of organisation etc....not because LMDE is inferior in any way.