Linux Mint 22.2 "Zara" has reached beta status and can now be tested by the general public. This latest iteration of the popular distribution includes several changes that come together to make a rather intriguing release.

First, there's the new Cinnamon desktop theme, which is more modern than what we've seen on Mint to date (a welcome change in my opinion). One very nice touch is the blurred background in the login screen. On top of that, the login prompt now includes avatar support. As far as the new default theme, it adds a touch of blue and gray to give it a more polished look. Zara also has better GTK4/libadwaita support, thanks to a patched stylesheet.

Linux Mint now also offers fingerprint support. If you use a laptop with a fingerprint scanner (or have one connected to your desktop), Linux Mint can now use it, thanks to the new XApp, which can enroll, manage, and configure fingerprints to be used for logins and sudo authentication.

You also get an improved Notes application that includes rounded corners (only at the top of notes) as well as Wayland support.

There also is a new companion Android app that allows you to sync notes with any device using Syncthing. As well, the Hypnotix TV app now includes two new modes: Theater (hides controls and menus, but keeps borders and titlebars), and Borderless, which hides everything.

You can read the complete details of what's new in Linux Mint 22.2 on the official "what's new" page. If you want to test the beta, you can download the ISO from one of the download links listed on this Linux Mint blog page.