Category: Linux

kernel upgrade in linux mint 21.3

whbeebe1 Comment

A new kernel upgrade dropped onto my Linux Mint installation yesterday. The Linux Mint kernel was upgrade from version 6.5 to version 6.8. It came via Ubuntu’s HWE (hardware enablement) feature that allows you to keep up with the latest stable kernels while using the LTS (long term support) distribution. Linux Mint 21 is based on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, which means we Linux Mint users also benefit from this Ubuntu feature. This is also the same version used in Linux Mint 22/Ubuntu 24.04 LTS. Kernel versions are the most critical part of any distribution. The fact that Linux Mint is “keeping up” with the HWE releases is a great feature. Which raises another question about upgrades and/or replacements: why upgrade or replace at all?

I’ve spent time and effort tuning and tweaking my daily driver to be what I want it to be in order to have a system that’s efficient and enjoyable to use. The key tools I want and need to use under Linux are installed already. A drastic change such as a replacement would require me to go out and tune and tweak it all again.

pop!_os and the cosmic desktop environment

whbeebe
Pop!_OS and the Cosmic Desktop Environment

System 76 just announced the alpha release of their Linux distribution, Pop!_OS and their Cosmic desktop environment. Pop!_OS is still based on Ubuntu, in this case version 24.04. Cosmic desktop is a completely written-from-scratch environment in the Rust language. Because it’s an alpha release, anything that works I consider a victory. Anything that doesn’t is probably something that has yet to be implemented, or at the very least, needs to be completed. So far it looks good. The fact I can install an instance in a VM I attribute in part to being based on Ubuntu.

As for the desktop environment, it looks to be in pretty good shape, especially for an alpha. It took very little to get it into a reasonable shape I prefer, such as moving the dock to the left edge of the screen. I can even live with the alpha wallpaper.

I’m looking forward to see how this version of Pop!_OS continues to develop and evolve.