Linux Mint 19.3 has been released

[harlan4096]

Linux Mint 19.3 has been released. The update of the popular Linux distribution is available in the flavors Xfce, Mate and Cinnamon as usually. The new version of the Linux distribution is a long term support release that will be supported until 2023.

New and existing users may download the ISO images from the official project download site. The new version introduces several changes and new features, brings refinements, and bug fixes among other things.

Tip: Check out the how to upgrade to Linux Mint 19.3 guide for instructions on upgrading existing installations.

All three desktop environments feature the same core that is made up of a Linux kernel 5.0 and is based on Ubuntu 18.04.

Let us start with something that is no longer included by default in any of the Linux Mint editions: GIMP. The image editor is no longer preinstalled but since we are talking Linux, can be installed just like any other Linux application with a couple of clicks. Our guide on installing third-party software in Linux Mint may help you out in case you are in need of guidance.

The developers of Linux Mint made the decision to focus on the simpler app Drawing which supports basic image editing options only. Windows users may be reminded of Paint, which is included natively in Windows, and third-party image editors such as Paint.net, Photoshop or GIMP that are more powerful but need to be installed manually.

Another change that will be noted by many Linux Mint users is the focus on the media player Celluloid in the new release. Previous versions of Linux Mint provided the app Xplayer instead. Celluloid is a MPV frontend and offers better performance and hardware acceleration according to the team.

The apps that got replaced does not end here. The note taking application Tomboy has been replaced with Gnote. Gnote offers the same functionality -- with the notable exception of the system tray icon -- but is based on modern technology unlike Tomboy (which, among other things did not support HIDPI).

Support for HIDPI is almost completed in the new release; it is supported by all applications except for Hexchat and Qt5Settings.

Linux Mint 19.3 users may set time zones in the language settings along with locale and region.

Linux Mint 19.3 features a new System Reports feature that displays an icon in the system tray area. The app is designed to inform users of the system about potential issues. The team notes that it may hint at missing language packs, multimedia codecs, or newer hardware drivers that are available.
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