Linux Mint 27 is expected next month and will use the newly released Cinnamon 2.8 as its default desktop, restoring system hibernation, a feature Ubuntu has had disabled as standard since 12.04. The release also brings non-experimental Wayland support and a batch of new applications.
Linux Mint has been based on Ubuntu's long-term support releases since 2014, and with Ubuntu 26.04 'Resolute Raccoon' having arrived in late April, the corresponding Mint edition is in development. Its codename is 'Adrien', the first male codename since Mint 1.0 'Ada' in 2006; the project has run through the whole alphabet since then, apart from 'Y'. Earlier this year, Mint's Clément Lefebvre announced a new, slower annual release schedule.
The new version comes with a collection of fresh applications: an alarm clock, a preview pane for the Nemo file manager, a system resource monitor called 'Superlight', an archive manager called 'Unfold' and a theme-able terminal emulator called 'Velocitty'. The project also has a new community website, using GitHub for logins and dropping the old site's reliance on PHP.
Probably the most significant new feature is the restoration of system hibernation. Ubuntu supported hibernation in its early releases but has disabled it as standard since 12.04 'Precise Pangolin', and the topic keeps resurfacing, for instance in 2020. It is a complicated subject and much can go wrong, but Lefebvre evidently believes he can sort it out, with support included in the new Cinnamon.
Cinnamon 2.8's Wayland support is no longer experimental, although the X11 session is still there so users won't be forced onto the new system. The Network Manager applet has better, simpler VPN support and Wi-Fi encryption handling, and the desktop sees improvements to sound device handling, keyboard layouts, touchpads and gestures, HiDPI displays and search in Settings. The window list control has been upgraded, more work happens in the background for faster desktop starts, and authentication and credential handling is improved, including the Rust-based 'oo7' secret store. Screensaver handling is also mentioned, a particularly problematic area under Wayland that XScreensaver maintainer Jamie Zawinski has covered with some feeling.
Cinnamon is not the only desktop environment embracing Wayland while keeping X11 support. LXQt, led by Jen-Lee 'PCMan' Hong, released version 2.5.0 almost simultaneously with Cinnamon 2.8, about two years after LXQt 2.1 brought preliminary Wayland support. The new release removes its last dependency on an LXDE component, the old menu-cache, and is built on Qt 6.10, drawing on components from KDE Plasma such as libkscreen, which manages Plasma's screens. Libkscreen 6.8 drops X11 support, as does Plasma 6.8, and that broke LXQt's Monitor Settings applet; the team is looking for a workaround and plans to fix it in a minor point release. Most of the other improvements are in the QTerminal terminal emulator, while the panel gains better sizing, icon handling and auto-hide.
New LXQt versions usually appear twice a year, around April and November, so this release will likely turn up in Lubuntu 27.04 in about five months, and in many other distributions.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- Linux Mint is a popular, beginner-friendly desktop distribution, and restoring hibernation, which its Ubuntu base has shipped without by default since 12.04, changes an everyday feature laptop users have had to work around.
- Cinnamon's Wayland support leaving the experimental stage is another step in the gradual migration of Linux desktops to the newer display protocol, while X11 remains available as a fallback.
- LXQt shedding its last LXDE dependency shows how smaller desktops now share plumbing with KDE Plasma, for better and worse: an upstream change in libkscreen broke a feature, and the fix has to wait for a point release.
Background
Linux Mint is an Ubuntu-based distribution known for being approachable for newcomers, and Cinnamon is its in-house desktop environment. Wayland is the display protocol that has progressively replaced the decades-old X11 system across Linux desktops. LXQt is a desktop project built on Qt, born from the older LXDE, and is used by distributions such as Lubuntu.
Key Perspectives
- Clément Lefebvre, Linux Mint lead: feels he can sort out the complications around system hibernation, with support included in Cinnamon 2.8.
- LXQt team: is looking for a workaround for the Monitor Settings break caused by libkscreen 6.8 dropping X11, with a fix planned for a minor point release.
- Jamie Zawinski, XScreensaver maintainer: has covered the particular problems screensaver handling poses under Wayland.
What to Watch
- Whether Mint 27 ships next month as expected, and whether the restored hibernation works in practice given how much can go wrong.
- The LXQt minor point release that should fix the Monitor Settings applet after libkscreen 6.8 dropped X11 support.
- Whether LXQt 2.5.0 reaches Lubuntu 27.04 in about five months, following the project's usual April and November cadence.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 12 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedLinux Mint 27 will restore system hibernation.www.theregister.com - Articles: “Probably the most significant new feature, though, is that Mint 27 will restore system hibernation.”
- SupportedCinnamon 2.8 will be the default desktop in Linux Mint 27.www.theregister.com - Articles: “The team behind the popular, beginner-friendly Linux just released Cinnamon 2.8, which will be the default desktop in Mint 27.”
- SupportedLinux Mint 27 is expected next month.www.theregister.com - Articles: “Linux Mint 27 is expected next month, and it's starting to take shape.”
- SupportedCinnamon 2.8's Wayland support is no longer experimental.www.theregister.com - Articles: “Its Wayland support is no longer experimental, although the X11 session is still there so users won't be forced to use the new system.”
- SupportedLinux Mint 27 will include new applications.www.theregister.com - Articles: “The Nemo file manager will gain a preview pane, there will be a new and much more capable system resource-monitor program called "Superlight", a new simple manager for compressed archive files (Zip and so on) called "Unfold," and a new, theme-able terminal emulator called "Velocitty."”
- SupportedUbuntu has had hibernation disabled as standard since version 12.04.www.theregister.com - Articles: “Ubuntu supported hibernation in its early releases, but it has been disabled as standard since 12.04 "Precise Pangolin."”
- SupportedLXQt 2.5.0 appeared almost simultaneously with Cinnamon 2.8.www.theregister.com - Articles: “version 2.5.0 just appeared, almost simultaneously with Cinnamon 2.8.”
- SupportedLinux Mint 27's codename is Adrien, the first male codename since Mint 1.0 Ada in 2006.www.theregister.com - Articles: “The Mint project blog post last month revealed the codename: "Adrien." This is the first male codename since Mint 1.0 "Ada" in 2006”
- SupportedLinux Mint has based its versions on Ubuntu LTS releases since 2014.www.theregister.com - Articles: “Since 2014, Linux Mint versions have been based on the LTS releases of Ubuntu.”
- SupportedClément Lefebvre announced a slower annual release schedule earlier in 2026.www.theregister.com - Articles: “The Mint blog mentioned this at the start of 2026, when Lefebvre announced the new, slower, annual release schedule.”
- SupportedLinux Mint's new community website uses GitHub for logins and removes the old website's PHP dependency.www.theregister.com - Articles: “Mint also has a new Community Website, which uses GitHub to manage logins and eliminates the old website's dependency on PHP.”
- SupportedLXQt 2.5.0 removes its last dependency on an LXDE component, menu-cache.www.theregister.com - Articles: “This release of LXQt removes its last dependency on an LXDE component – until now, it still used the old menu-cache.”
