Linux Mint 20 Beta should be out soon for testing

[buster]

https://www.neowin.net/news/linux-mint-20-beta-images-undergoing-last-minute-tests/

[Jason]

Are you going to give the beta a try (when it's released) or wait for the stable version?

[fox]

I'm going to try it for sure.

[buster]

The testing for the beta is done and approved. Cannot find it posted yet for download.

https://community.linuxmint.com/iso

[Jason]

Well, it was only 22 hours ago.

[BrianP]

Found this  page and link is down the page a little

https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2020/03/linux-mint-20-release-features

[Jason]

Geez, that was fast. I don't just mean the ISO release, that OMG!Ubuntu! had the link up so fast. Linux Mint must be letting them know right away.

[buster]

And I have a copy. Maybe I'll ignore it for a few days - til I finish all my housework.

[fox]

Downloaded and tried it on the infamous 2015 iMac. Real bust. Took over 4 minutes to boot. Much quicker in safe graphics mode (about 1 minute 15 seconds), but then no monitor adjustments work - no hidpi, no scaling, no change of resolution. I'm pretty sure this is the kernel problem, but the only way to find out is install it and add back the 4.15 kernel. I'll try that at some point.

[Jason]

I'm pretty sure this is the kernel problem, but the only way to find out is install it and add back the 4.15 kernel. I'll try that at some point.

I think it's great that Linux Mint makes it easy to add other kernels. Not sure how it works with GRUB but I presume it adds each kernel to the bootup menu. I hope it helps with your situation. Four minutes to boot; reminds me of the WIndow 98 days. ;-)

LM has quite a few great features that I don't see in other distros or at least didn't a couple of years ago. I remember that I did several presentations on new versions of LM. I wouldn't have known about Timeshift if they hadn't included it. It's a program that I've made use of several times. And if I remember correctly (and I often don't), they created the Cinnamon desktop environment.

And I'd probably still be using Linux Mint if they hadn't dropped the Plasma version.

[fox]

.... And if I remember correctly (and I often don't), they created the Cinnamon desktop environment.
....

They did.

[fox]

I installed Mint 20 beta, and I'm happy to report that I was able to install the 4.15 kernel. I had to get it from Ubuntu. Seems to work OK. The only problem I'm having so far is with the addition of applets to the Cinnamon panel. Some of them (keyboard for example) don't install. However, the Cinnamon panel is more aesthetically pleasing without having to tamper with it - the icons are better spaced. There seem to be more scaling options as well (vs Mint 19), but there doesn't seem to be font magnification. One other thing I noticed is with Thunderbird, which natively imported my Trent settings without having to do a manual configuration. But perhaps that isn't unique to Mint, as I haven't had to configure T'bird in awhile.

[Jason]

I see in the OMGUbuntu article that they've taken a hard stance against snaps. It's a real contrast with the other distro we've been looking at - Endless OS. While it doesn't use snaps, it uses flatpaks which is the same concept.

The added colour themes look good as does the ability to stretch the wallpaper across two screens although I'm not sure if the article is just saying that's for the greeter screen or also once you're logged in. I'm also curious if the panel will go across two screens, too. In Kubuntu, I do that kind of thing by having two separate panels. But they're not synced to each other. So my favourites aren't the same on both sides unless I set it up that way. Same with the panel launch icons. But the menus are since it's really just one applications file.

Regarding the font size, maybe this helps?

[fox]

Thanks, Jason. I hadn't thought to look for the font scaling factor in the font selection panel. It looks.

Incidentally, Mint 20 seems very responsive. My installation is on the HD of my iMac, but it feels as fast as one installed on an SSD.

[Jason]

Incidentally, Mint 20 seems very responsive. My installation is on the HD of my iMac, but it feels as fast as one installed on an SSD.

Sweet. I wonder how they managed to do that. Was LM 19 as responsive?