Linux Mint 22.2 “Zara” is now in beta testing, giving users an early look at what will become the next long-term support release of the popular desktop Linux distribution. When the final version arrives it will be supported until April 2029, but for now this is a preview build so some rough edges are expected.
The beta already shows plenty of refinements. Sticky Notes now have rounded corners, work with Wayland, and can sync with Android devices using the new StyncyNotes app. The login screen has a blur effect, user avatars, and a cleaner layout. Hypnotix, Mint’s IPTV player, adds Theater and Borderless modes along with faster performance and playback that keeps your session from timing out.
A new addition called Fingwit handles fingerprint authentication for sudo commands, admin apps, and unlocking the screensaver. Users without encrypted home directories can even set it to handle login at the greeter.
On the visual side Mint developers have patched libAdwaita to respect themes, added accent color support for Flatpak apps, and forked it into libAdapta for even better theme integration. Mint-Y also has subtle color changes, shifting greys toward cooler tones for a softer and more modern look, especially in dark mode.
Other updates include improvements to Xviewer, a new AIFF thumbnailer, editable WebApp descriptions, more advanced file renaming options, and an iOS version of Warpinator. The Software Manager and MATE menu search have both been improved.
As this is a beta there are some quirks to be aware of. Shutdown timeout is now just 10 seconds. VirtualBox users need specific display settings to avoid black screens. Certain multimedia packages can cause crashes in virtual machines without 3D acceleration.
A slimmer Ubuntu font is now the default, but you can revert to the older version if you prefer. Mint has moved to Pipewire for audio but provides instructions to switch back to PulseAudio if needed. Snap Store is disabled by default.
Other additions include touchpad driver options, Wine installation tips, mouse pointer theme changes for root and Flatpak apps, a kernel 6.8 regression affecting NTFS volumes, and the removal of ZFS from the installer.
The Linux Mint 22.2 beta is based on Ubuntu 24.04 and uses kernel 6.14. This preview is intended for testing so if you want to help shape the final release and do not mind a few hiccups this is the time to try it out.
You can download an ISO using the links below.👇🏻
