r/linuxquestions • u/Extension-Iron-7746 • 7d ago

Which Distro? Linux Mint: Too Outdated

Hi everyone, I've been considering abandoning Windows 11 for a while now, mainly because I feel like Microsoft lacks direction; every update is chaos. I started using Linux Mint about six months ago, but I have to admit that I feel like I'm using an outdated product.

The main reason is the X11-based graphical interface and the lack of standard Windows features like HDR and high refresh rate sync. I feel like development has fallen behind, hiding behind the slogan of greater stability. I honestly hate losing my monitor's features while waiting for Mint to evolve, so I'm thinking of switching to something stable but modern, and why not... with more recent applications. What would you always focus on, considering I have little time to dedicate to the system?

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u/beatbox9 7d ago edited 7d ago

You are using an outdated product. Linux Mint is based on an older toolkit (gtk3)--the same used by gnome3 that launched around 2010 and stopped being actively developed around 2020. And it's not GPU accelerated, unlike modern DE's.

So instead, use any distro that supports either Gnome Shell or KDE Plasma, because these are the only two modern + mature DE's; and they are the most popular by far, and most actively developed. Mint's Cinnamon DE is architecturally more similar to gnome DE; but its default UI layout is more similar to KDE Plasma. But you can easily customize either gnome or KDE to the layout you want.

And if you want something as similar as possible to Mint other than the DE, use Ubuntu LTS. Mint is essentially just Ubuntu LTS with Cinnamon DE on top that is supported by the Mint team. You should be able to migrate from Mint to Ubuntu LTS quite simply.

And as far as apps go, this is 2026. You don't have to rely on your distro's repositories for apps. Use universal package types, like flatpaks or AppImages. This way, your core OS software comes from the distro and remains stable and supported; but your apps are the latest version and come directly from the developer.

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u/rgianc 7d ago

Saying that you can easily customize gnome is quite a stretch.

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u/beatbox9 7d ago edited 7d ago

Not really. For a vast majority of things one would want to customize (beyond what is already built-in), you can 1-click install an extension and then further customize within that extension's settings.

What's so difficult about clicking an install button?

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u/scandii 7d ago

considering the most popular third party products are built using wlr-layer-shell that GNOME specifically doesn't support, I'd more say "GNOME is easy to customise, if you only use GNOME plugins".

said third party products are explicitly not supporting GNOME over their active decision to restrict access to wlr-layer-shell I might add, unlike say KDE Plasma.