Linux Mint 22.2 “Zara” has finally arrived! This long term support release will be backed until 2029. The popular Ubuntu-based Linux distribution continues to refine the desktop experience, mixing practical updates with fresh features across its core applications and theming.
Sticky Notes, now simply called Sticky, has been updated with rounded corners and Wayland compatibility. A new d-bus method lets users reload notes easily, and there’s even a companion app for Android called StyncyNotes, available on F-Droid, which allows syncing notes between Linux and Android devices.
The login screen gets a facelift with support for user avatars and a blur effect across the panel and dialog box. Hypnotix, Mint’s IPTV player, now includes Theater Mode and Borderless Mode. The former hides controls for a clean viewing experience, while the latter removes window borders and the titlebar, making it better suited for tiled setups. Hypnotix also sees performance gains and now remembers sound volume when switching channels.
A brand-new XApp called Fingwit makes its debut, offering fingerprint authentication for screensaver unlocks, sudo commands, and administrative apps. While most users with encrypted home directories will still need passwords at login, Fingwit can handle logins too if no encryption is used.
Mint continues to bridge the gap between libAdwaita and traditional theming. LibAdwaita was patched for theme support, with Mint-Y and Mint-X updated accordingly. Apps like gnome-calendar, simple-scan, and baobab have been upgraded to their libAdwaita versions.
Accent colors are now supported through the XDG Desktop Portal, making Flatpak apps blend in with chosen GTK themes. To future-proof development, Mint has forked libAdwaita into a new XApp library called libAdapta, which keeps full theme support while maintaining compatibility.
Other XApp tweaks include configurable color correction in Xviewer, an AIFF audio thumbnailer, editable descriptions in the WebApp Manager, and more flexible batch file renaming with leading zeros and custom enumeration options. Warpinator, Mint’s file-sharing app, now even has an iOS version.
On the aesthetic front, Mint-Y gets subtle changes with a hint of blue added to its greys. The light theme shifts from #e8e8e8 to #ebebed, while the dark theme darkens to #222226. These minor adjustments bring a softer, more modern look while improving consistency with libAdwaita-based Flatpak apps.
Elsewhere, the Software Manager has an improved welcome screen and now explains the difference between Flatpak and system packages. The Update Manager shows a reboot button when required, and the MATE application menu delivers more accurate search results.
Linux Mint 22.2 is powered by Linux kernel 6.14 and once again uses Ubuntu as its base. The Mint team plans to stick with this base until 2026, focusing solely on refinements instead of shifting foundations. Security updates will continue until 2029, giving users a dependable desktop for many years to come.
