Linux Mint Debian Edition 3 Released
It’s Linux Mint without any Ubuntu base packages.
The Linux Mint project has announced the release of Linux Mint Debian Edition (LMDE) 3. What’s the need for LMDE, when there is already Ubuntu-based Linux Mint? Isn’t it a waste of resources? Not really. LMDE has been created as a backup for Ubuntu-based Linux Mint in the event that Ubuntu ceases to exist.
“Its main goal is for the Linux Mint team to see how viable our distribution would be and how much work would be necessary if Ubuntu was ever to disappear,” according to the project.
Since the Linux Mint community controls the UI of Linux Mint (Cinnamon), LMDE creates an experience almost similar to Linux Mint, minus the Ubuntu base. LMDE 3 (Cindy) is based on Debian 9 (Stretch).
In fact, LMDE could be the best distribution to use stock Debian with some fine-tuning. Since Debian is supported for a long time and there are no time-based releases, LMDE follows the same cadence. According to the project, there are no point releases in LMDE.
Those users who are running LMDE 2 can easily upgrade to LMDE 3. LMDE 3 comes in two versions – 32 bit and 64 bit. You can download LMDE 3 from the official page: https://linuxmint.com/release.php?id=33