Ubuntu-based Linux Mint 20.1 'Ulyssa' BETA is here with Cinnamon, MATE, and Xfce
Back in October, we told you that Linux Mint 20.1 would be named "Ulyssa." There was excitement about this version of the operating system, especially since the developers planned to release it around Christmas. Unfortunately, there was controversy and drama surrounding Ulyssa too, as we learned the Linux Mint developers were foolishly wasting resources on an IPTV player named "Hypnotix."
So here we are -- Christmas is fast approaching, and today, the Ubuntu-based Linux Mint 20.1 'Ulyssa' BETA finally becomes available for download. The pre-release operating system can be had with your choice of three excellent desktop environments -- Cinnamon, MATE, and Xfce.
Linux Mint 20.1 is based on the rock-solid Ubuntu 20.04 LTS and Linux kernel 5.4. It will be supported until 2025 and comes with an all-new unified filesystem layout. For the desktop environments, Xfce is at version 4.14, MATE is at 1.24, and Cinnamon is 4.6. And yes, the aforementioned "Hypnotix" IPTV is installed by default for some reason. Sigh.
What's particularly cool about Linux Mint 20.1 'Ulyssa' BETA is a new Web App manager that can turn any website into an "app" that you can pin to a panel for fast access. And no, it doesn't just launch as a tab in your web browser. The developers explain, "When a Web App runs it behaves like a desktop application. It has its own window and its own icon." Very cool.
If you want to give Linux Mint 20.1 "Ulyssa" BETA a try, you can download an ISO using the below links. Remember, since this is a pre-release operating system, it is not recommended to install on a production machine as there will be bugs. Be sure to read both the full release notes and what's new notes which we have linked to next to each download.
- Cinnamon (Download) (Release Notes) (What's New)
- MATE (Download) (Release Notes) (What's New)
- Xfce (Download) (Release Notes) (What's New)
If you do install Linux Mint 20.1 BETA, please share your experience with the pre-release operating system in the comments below.
Photo credit: Victoria Chudinova / Shutterstock