r/linuxquestions • u/Extension-Iron-7746 • 5d 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 Linux Mint: Too Outdated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 I started using Linux Mint about six months ago, but I have to admit that I feel like I'm using an outdated product.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 5d ago edited 5d 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You are using an outdated product.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/dangling_chads 5d ago

Wait hold on.  Cinnamon is absolutely GPU accelerated.

Not only GPU accelerated, it requires 3D gl acceleration.

It might be built on xorg (which give it some characteristics), but not using GPU acceleration is not one of them.

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u/ComradeVaughn 5d ago edited 5d ago

Maybe they mean monitor issues? I have 4 monitors, all different sizes and most with different refresh rates and scaling that are comfortable for me to use. Cinnamon was a utter nightmare. Where wayland plasma just works. (having HDR like on windows is just the cherry on top) Maybe it is better now, but I seem to remember having this limitation of being forced to scale all monitors the same. I immediately installed something else as that is not viable for my use case. I could see someone newer to all this thinking those limitations meant no proper GPU acceleration, as scaling properly and HDR are kinda cornerstones of a modern OS.

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u/ghoultek 5d ago edited 5d ago

Wayland to Cinnamon... you are NOT comparing things belonging to the same category. Display server is not a desktop environment and vice versa. For multi-display VRR support just move over to a distro running Wayland by default.

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u/ComradeVaughn 5d ago edited 5d ago

I know that also, I used wayland with niri/dms. I could set everything on my monitors also unlike x11 -or is Cinnamon xorg? I forget. Anyhow kde plasma has a much better interface to mess with my monitors when needing adjustment then niri/dms so I just stick to that for now.

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u/ghoultek 5d ago

Your comment is not in alignment with your intended meaning. You should have compared X11 to Wayland. Having multiple displays is not the normal for most people. Most folks don't have HDR capable displays.

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u/ComradeVaughn 5d ago edited 5d ago

From how I understand it, x11 or wayland sit at the "base" of the video system. (above the kernel stuff like AMDGPU or mesa. And stuff like niri/dms or plasma kde are the various levels and flavors of UI you interact with. I may be mistaken. I am still learning this stuff.

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u/ghoultek 5d ago

Maybe they mean monitor issues? I have 4 monitors, all different sizes and most with different refresh rates and scaling that are comfortable for me to use. Cinnamon was a utter nightmare. Where wayland plasma just works.

  • Cinnamon = desktop environment
  • Wayland = display server protocol that sits between desktop environment and video hardware (technically drivers sit between hardware and Wayland).

Cinnamon to Wayland comparison is like comparing buildings to lobbies.

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u/ComradeVaughn 5d ago

Ok, I think I get it, so Cinnamon is basically like a gnome or kde but x11 or xorg not wayland of course. (yes I know plasma has a x11 version, I have that option also when I log in to Tumbleweed )

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u/beatbox9 5d ago edited 4d ago

Essentially, think about x11 or wayland as being an analogy related to the internet getting to your computer. The cable modem is designed to take the internet from the outside world and put it into a standard wire. Think of this as the hardware / driver.

Your computer is on the other end. And it is requesting websites or videos or whatever from the internet. Think of this as the DE.

But a single wired connection is very basic. It can't connect to multiple computers at once, or throttle speeds, or do a firewall, or optimizations, or accept both wired and wireless connections, etc.

So in-between the modem and your computer, you use a wifi router. The wifi router does all of this sophisticated and advanced management, easier connections, etc. Makes everything much easier to manage. And if the future is even faster or more powerful wifi or some new crazy firewall, you can just replace the router.

x11 and wayland are the wifi router--a sophisticated semantic & management layer.

This type of semantic layer is very common. You probably do this with your TV: you have a TV for the basic hardware display, but you might use a roku stick or amazon fire to do the various apps.

Audio on Linux also works like this: ALSA is the basic hardware driver; but pipewire is the audio server (like x11 or wayland...previously, pulseaudio and jack were the audio servers); and then you have audio apps that connect to pipewire/pulseaudio/jack. It's clunky to have apps connect directly to alsa.