Linux Mint based on Debian Testing has been released yesterday. Besides being based on Debian and not Ubuntu, there's something else very special about the new Linux Mint Debian: it's a rolling release distribution.
Rolling release means you won't have to upgrade / do a clean install each time a new Linux Mint Debian version is released to be able to use the latest software versions. As an example: Ubuntu 10.04 shipped with VLC 1.0.x and you cannot and will not be able to install VLC 1.1.x in Ubuntu 10.04 from the official repositories. The only way to install VLC 1.1.x in Ubuntu 10.04 is to use a PPA or upgrade to Ubuntu 10.10. That will not be the case with Linux Mint Debian - you will get updates for all your applications without having to install the latest Linux Mint Debian version.
The new Linux distribution is still a bit rough and of course not as stable as the Ubuntu-based Linux mint, but it sounds very interesting already!
Linux Mint Debian Edition (LMDE) comes with a Debian base, which we transformed into a live media and on top of which we added a new installer. It’s rougher and in some aspects not as user-friendly as our other editions, it’s very young but it will improve continuously and rapidly, and it brings us one step closer to a situation where we’re fully in control of the system without being impacted by upstream decisions.
As expected, Linux Mint Debian comes with all the cool "toys" found in the Ubuntu-based Linux Mint such as the Mint Menu:
Or the Mint Backup tool:
For now, Linux Mint Debian comes as a 32-bit live DVD with a Gnome desktop and it's not sure if a 64-bit or KDE version will be available in the future.
Read the full announcement | Download Linux Mint Debian
