Linux Mint 18 is here, but Linux Mint 17.3 users can't upgrade just yet

As usual, two editions of Linux Mint are available: one with the more modern Cinnamon desktop and one with the more traditional MATE desktop.

This release is a big one, being the first major new version of Linux Mint in more than two years, and a release that bumps the underlying code from Ubuntu 14.04 to Ubuntu 16.04. That means lots of polish and new features for Linux Mint users.

 At the moment, you can only get Linux Mint 18 by installing it from scratch. The Linux Mint project is working on an easy upgrade path from Linux Mint 17.3, the previous release and final version of the Linux Mint 17 series. Linux Mint 17.3 users should get a notification in Linux Mint’s Update Manager when it’s ready.

Also in July, the Linux Mint project will be working on versions of Linux Mint 18 with the KDE Plasma and Xfce desktops. If you prefer one of those desktops, stay tuned to Linux Mint’s website for more details.

Linux Mint 18.1 is already being planned

The project is already planning Linux Mint 18.1, the next release of Linux Mint. The official roadmap offers a preview of what the developers will be working on, including lots of polish and tweaks to the Cinnamon desktop, bumping the MATE desktop to version 3.0 of the GTK graphical toolkit, and improving Linux Mint 18’s new cross-desktop “X apps.”