The Linux Mint team has unveiled the beta version of Linux Mint 22.3, codenamed 'Zena', featuring significant updates to the Cinnamon desktop environment. This release, the fourth and final in the Linux Mint 22 series, builds on Ubuntu 24.04.3 LTS and introduces enhancements like a redesigned app menu and improved file search capabilities. It aims to provide a more polished experience, particularly with Wayland support.
Linux Mint 22.3 beta, released on December 20, 2025, marks the culmination of the Linux Mint 22 branch, following the 22.2 'Zara' update from early autumn. Based on Ubuntu 24.04.3 LTS, it incorporates the Linux 6.14 kernel and prepares for upcoming hardware enablement updates, including Linux kernel 6.17 and Mesa 25.2.
Key changes center on Cinnamon 6.6. The Mint Menu receives a major overhaul, featuring a full-height sidebar with the user's account picture, symbolic app category icons, and description text. It retains a three-column layout but adds customization options, such as search bar position and icon styles. The menu now avoids duplicating panel-pinned apps in favorites, replacing defaults like Firefox with Text Editor, Calculator, and Character Map.
Symbolic icons shift to the XApp Symbolic Icons set, addressing issues from upstream GNOME changes that removed icons used by non-GNOME applications. A revamped System Information tool provides detailed views of USB devices, GPU status, PCI components, and BIOS details, simplifying hardware diagnostics.
In Nemo file manager, users gain regex support for filename searches, enabling precise patterns like 'Screenshot-2025100[1-8].png' for specific files. Additional Nemo improvements include pause/resume for file operations, a toolbar button for dual-pane view (activated via F3), and a template manager in preferences.
The on-screen keyboard is rewritten as a native Cinnamon implementation, improving visuals and adding input method switching. It functions under Wayland, advancing Cinnamon's Wayland compatibility. Night Light gains a simple panel applet for toggling and an 'always on' option in settings.
Other Cinnamon tweaks encompass app icon badging for notifications, workspace switcher icons, window tiling options, and better fractional scaling choices. Software updates include Timeshift snapshot pausing and Warpinator IPv6 support.
The beta is available for download from the Linux Mint website, requiring a 64-bit PC with 2GB RAM. Stable release is anticipated by late December 2025 or early January 2026, with support extending through 2029. Users should report issues via GitHub.
