Linux Mint 20.3 beta arrives for people to test before the final release

Just as we predicted last Wednesday, the Linux Mint team has released the beta builds of Linux Mint 20.3 so that the general public can help to test them before their final release in a couple of weeks. As always, Linux Mint 20.3 is available in three flavours; Cinnamon, MATE, and Xfce. Cinnamon is the flagship environment, MATE is a little more solid, and Xfce is optimised for low-end hardware.

The release notes for each of the Mint editions are almost identical, here are some highlights.

• The IPTV player, Hypnotix, looks better with Dark Mode support, country flags, and a search function to find TV channels, movies, and series.
• A new Xapp called Thingy gives you quick access to your favourite and recently opened documents and helps you keep track of your reading progress.

• The Sticky Notes app now includes a search feature, embedded titles, and the option to adjust the text size.
• Theme changes mean there are larger title bar buttons and rounded corners making windows easier to use and improves their appearance. Accent colours have also been toned down to reduce distractions.
• Dark Mode can now be enabled for more applications independent of the system’s theme, some programs that have this feature are GNOME Terminal and multimedia programs such as Celluloid, Hypnotix, Xviewer, and Pix.
• Xapps have received some improvements, for example, Xreader properly handles manga now.

Of all of the editions, the only one to receive a significant update to the desktop environment was the Cinnamon edition which now ships with Cinnamon 5.2. The main new feature in Cinnamon 5.2 is the calendar applet which can be opened by pressing the clock in the bottom corner. The applet also allows you to see all of your events which should save you time as you won’t have to open your calendar app. To sync the calendar with your online accounts, just head to the Online Accounts section in system settings and link any accounts you have.

You can download each of the new editions below:

Linux Mint 20.3 Cinnamon Beta (Torrent)

Linux Mint 20.3 MATE Beta (Torrent)

Linux Mint 20.3 Xfce Beta (Torrent)