Linux Mint Debian Edition (LMDE) 4 'Debbie' is here, but you don't want it
Linux Mint Debian Edition (LMDE) 4 "Debbie" has finally exited Beta and is ready for download. Exciting stuff, right? I suppose. The thing is, you probably don't want it.
Don't get me wrong, LMDE isn't really a bad operating system, but it isn't intended for widespread use. Most people should use "regular" Linux Mint, which is based on Ubuntu. This Debian variant is really just a backup distribution (a contingency plan) in case Canonical ever stops developing Ubuntu -- something that hopefully won't happen anytime soon. With all of that said, some people do run LMDE as their daily operating system for some reason.
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"LMDE is a Linux Mint project which stands for 'Linux Mint Debian Edition.' Its goal is to ensure Linux Mint would be able to continue to deliver the same user experience, and how much work would be involved, if Ubuntu was ever to disappear. LMDE is also one of our development targets, to guarantee the software we develop is compatible outside of Ubuntu. LMDE aims to be as similar as possible to Linux Mint, but without using Ubuntu. The package base is provided by Debian instead," says Clement Lefebvre, Linux Mint head developer.
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Lefebvre shares the following significant changes found in Linux Mint Debian Edition (LMDE) 4 "Debbie."
- Automated partitioning with support for LVM and full-disk encryption
- Home directory encryption
- Support for automated installation of NVIDIA drivers
- NVMe support
- SecureBoot support
- Btrfs submodules support
- Revamped installer
- Automatic installation of microcode packages
- Automatic resolution bump for the live session to a minimum of 1024×768 in Virtualbox.
- Linux Mint 19.3 improvements (HDT, Boot-repair, System reports, language settings, HiDPI and artwork improvements, new boot menus, Celluloid, Gnote, Drawing, Cinnamon 4.4, XApp status icons…etc)
- APT recommends enabled by default
- Removed deb-multimedia repository and packages
- Debian 10 Buster package base with backports repository
Like I said, you probably shouldn't download Linux Mint Debian Edition (LMDE) 4 "Debbie," but if you still want to, you can grab an ISO here. There are both 32-bit and 64-bit versions, but most of you will want the latter. Before you install anything, it is suggested you read full release notes here.
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