Linux Mint's Cinnamon edition is the project's flagship and the reason many people meet Mint at all. Cinnamon is a desktop environment that Mint itself leads: a traditional layout with a panel, menu, and system tray, built on modern GNOME technology but arranged the way longtime desktop users expect. The distribution sits on Ubuntu's long-term-support base, adds its own X-Apps so core accessories look consistent across editions, and ships practical tools of its own, including the Update Manager and Timeshift snapshot integration for undoing bad changes. Mint declines to enable Ubuntu's Snap system by default, preferring deb packages and Flatpak. Releases follow the LTS rhythm, so the ground moves rarely and support windows are long. It is a steady recommendation for Windows switchers and for anyone who wants a desktop that behaves predictably. OpenFactory lets you drive Cinnamon in a browser VM before installing anything.
Select a version of Linux Mint Cinnamon to try online:
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Compare Linux Mint editions before you install
Cinnamon is Mint's full flagship desktop, MATE keeps a classic and lighter GNOME 2-style workflow, and Xfce is the leanest official edition. Launch the editions side by side to compare menus, panels, bundled tools, and responsiveness without repartitioning your computer.
Need Linux Mint Cinnamon for more than a quick browser preview?
The buttons above launch an ephemeral browser VM, perfect for kicking the tires. Paid plans unlock the things you'd actually use it for:
- ✓Persistent VMs you can SSH into and customize
- ✓Snapshots, your own packages, a downloadable ISO
- ✓Fleet deployment to your own machines (on-prem or cloud)