Linux Mint 10 gains new theme, menu system
Nov 12, 2010 — by Eric Brown — from the LinuxDevices Archive — 2 viewsThe Linux Mint team released the final Linux Mint 10 (“Julia”), based on Ubuntu 10.10. the popular desktop Linux distribution adds one-click upgrades to the DVD edition, as well as a new Mint-X theme, performance improvements, improved software and update managers, GTK support, and revised menus that highlight new apps.
Linux Mint 10 arrives less than three months after Linux Mint 9, based on Ubuntu 10.04. This "Isadora" release featured a new software manager with 30,000 packages, a new backup tool, and menu and interface improvements.
Linux Mint 10
The first thing Mint users will notice is that the green "Shiki" theme has been replaced with a new Mint-X theme (see image above). Mint-X is said to harken back to earlier designs, but adds a metallic looking sheen to the backgrounds. New backgrounds are available, and Mint-X modifications have been made to various menus and widgets (see below).
Mint-X theme
"No matter what media you're installing Linux Mint from, the Welcome Screen will now give you the opportunity to install the missing multimedia codecs and to upgrade to the DVD edition," says the Mint team.
Linux Mint's new menu system now highlights newly installed applications, making them easier to locate (see image below). The menu system is aware of software available in one's repositories, so users can search for packages and install them without opening the software manager, says the Mint team.
The menu system has also been revamped to integrate a universal search function, and it now supports GTK bookmarks and GTK themes, says the team.
Menus now highlight newly installed applications
Mint's more developer-focused upload manager has also been improved. It now offers more user-friendly dialog boxes, and the ability to test connections, among other enhancements, says the team.
Mint 10's software manager, featuring new icons
Availability
Linux Mint 10 is now available for free download, says the Mint team. The Linux Mint blog announcement, with links to downloads, may be found here, and new features are further detailed here.
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