LMDE 5

Last month, Linux Mint Debian Edition (LMDE) 5 was released to the world. Code-named "Elsie," many fans of the operating system probably did a fresh install right away. Understandably, however, some users are still running the previous version of the distribution, LMDE 4 "Debbie."

If your computer is still running Debbie, but you want to easily move onto Elsie, I have some great news. Today, the Linux Mint developers officially release the new LMDE Upgrade Tool in Beta. It is important to note this tool is only to be used with LMDE at this time, and not the "regular" Ubuntu-based Linux Mint.

Linux Mint Debian Edition (LMDE) exists in case Ubuntu ever stops being developed. You see, the "regular" Linux Mint is based on Ubuntu, so if Canonical ever closed its doors, things would be quite disastrous for Linux Mint. Will Ubuntu actually die one day? While Ubuntu's demise is unlikely to happen anytime soon, the reality is, nothing lasts forever. So I suppose it makes sense for the Linux Mint developers to have a contingency plan.

With all of that said, you don't have to wait for Ubuntu to die to use Linux Mint Debian Edition. LMDE is a perfectly fine operating system, and it can absolutely be used as your daily distribution. If you fancy giving Linux Mint Debian Edition a try, today is your lucky day. The newest version of the distro, LMDE 5, is finally available for download.

Debian is a great Linux distribution in its own right, but also, it serves as a base for many other operating systems. For instance, two of the best Linux distros, Ubuntu and deepin, are based on Debian.

Linux Mint is a popular operating system based on Ubuntu, but did you know there is actually a lesser-known variant of the operating system based on Debian? It's true! The unimaginatively named "Linux Mint Debian Edition" (aka LMDE) cuts out the Ubuntu middleman and is based on Debian directly.