Linux Mint users have been waiting a very long time for this. You see, the popular Linux distribution has spent years sticking with the traditional X11 display server while other major desktop environments moved toward Wayland. Now, that is finally starting to change.
Today, in its June 2026 monthly update (weirdly released in July), the Linux Mint team said the next version of Cinnamon will no longer consider Wayland support experimental. Both X11 and Wayland sessions will be fully supported when the next release arrives around Christmas.
For Linux desktop users, this is a big milestone. Wayland has become the future of Linux graphics, but Linux Mint’s Cinnamon desktop needed more time to reach the level of reliability that its users expect. Mint has always focused on stability and familiarity, so moving away from X11 was never going to happen just because other distributions made the switch.
The team says it has made major improvements across Cinnamon, Muffin, and related components. These changes include better window sizing and positioning, improved focus handling, fixes for Wayland crashes, better multi-monitor support, and improved compatibility with KVM switches.
The upcoming Cinnamon release will also include hardware acceleration improvements across the desktop session and applications running through both Wayland and Xwayland. NVIDIA users should also benefit from improved support through GBM and EGL.
Another important improvement is HiDPI support. Linux users with high-resolution displays have often dealt with inconsistent scaling, blurry applications, and desktop elements that did not look quite right. Mint says the new Wayland support addresses issues with icons, mouse cursors, and Chromium-based applications such as Slack and Visual Studio Code.
The developers also added support for systemd’s graphical-session functionality, which should improve compatibility with newer Linux desktop technologies. Other changes include improvements to fingerprint authentication in Slick Greeter and better SSH keyring support.
Linux Mint is not abandoning X11. The project says both display systems will remain supported in Cinnamon. That approach will likely appeal to users who value choice and stability, especially since some hardware and workflows still work better under X11.
The timing is interesting. Wayland has been the default direction for desktops like GNOME and KDE Plasma for years, but Linux Mint’s slower approach reflects the distribution’s priorities. Instead of rushing users into a transition, the team appears focused on making sure the experience is ready before making it the recommended option.
The update also includes a reminder about a security issue affecting mintupdate. The vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2026-59159, was patched for supported and end-of-life Linux Mint and Linux Mint Debian Edition releases. Users should make sure their systems are updated.
For many Linux Mint users, the arrival of a mature Wayland experience in Cinnamon will be one of the most important changes in years. The distribution is not changing its identity, but it is finally adopting the technology that will define the next era of Linux desktops.
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