Linux Mint has announced its upcoming release, version 22.3 codenamed Zena, based on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS. The distribution will feature several enhancements, including a revamped Cinnamon menu and new tools for system management. A beta version is expected in early December, with the final release around Christmas.
Clement Lefebvre, leader of the Linux Mint project, revealed the codename for the next major release, Linux Mint 22.3 “Zena,” on December 2, 2025. This version will be the third installment in the Linux Mint 22 series, built on Canonical’s Ubuntu 24.04 LTS (Noble Numbat) operating system, which provides support until 2029. It will use the same package base as previous releases, Linux Mint 22.2 and 22.1, to ensure compatibility and a smooth upgrade path, while incorporating the Linux kernel 6.14 and inheriting Ubuntu's hardware enablement kernel, GPU drivers, and security updates.
The beta release is scheduled for the first half of December 2025, with the final version targeted for later in the month, ideally around the Christmas holidays. Lefebvre noted that most projects have been tagged and packaged, indicating the release is imminent.
Key features include a redesigned application menu in the Cinnamon desktop environment, now supporting symbolic category icons from XApp, along with Wayland-compatible keyboard and input method handling and an improved on-screen keyboard. New System Information and System Administration tools will debut, enhancing user diagnostics and management.
In the Nemo file manager, users will gain the ability to pause file operations, regular expression filename matching, file transfer pause and resume, templates plugin integration, and improved Nemo Actions with custom icons from Spices. The Timeshift backup tool adds pause and resume during snapshots. Warpinator, the file-sharing app, introduces text messaging and IPv6 support. Other additions encompass always-on night light, template management, per-app panel notification indicators, cursor hiding in full-screen Hypnotix playback, and the ability in the Captain package handler to install multiple packages from apt URLs. Cinnamon 6.6 further advances Wayland support.
This release follows the delayed rollout of Linux Mint 22.2, prompting developers to adhere to their standard schedule without delay.
