A significant desktop update has arrived with Cinnamon 6.4, promising a refined and modernized user experience.
This release focuses on delivering both aesthetic enhancements and practical improvements, designed to make your desktop more visually appealing and efficient.
Here’s a summary of the key features in this release.
Key Features of Cinnamon 6.4
Cinnamon 6.4 introduces a range of new features and improvements, focusing on visual enhancements and workflow improvements.
The most effective way to experience Cinnamon 6.4 is by installing it directly on a compatible Linux distribution, such as Arch Linux.
First impressions matter, and Cinnamon 6.4 showcases a striking visual redesign. A sophisticated new theme features darker tones, sharper contrasts, and elegantly rounded interface elements.
The new rounded interface blends elements of the GNOME 2 look with modern GNOME Shell aesthetics, bringing rounded corners to most interface components.
Increased spacing between applets and the panel creates a cleaner, less cluttered workspace, enhancing readability and reducing visual fatigue. This results in a minimalist desktop makeover that maximizes both style and usability.
The visual enhancements extend beyond the overall theme. The calendar applet has been updated with a stylish design, and dialog boxes have been redesigned with colored buttons for improved visual appeal and intuitive navigation. Key pop-up dialogs now utilize the Clutter library, ensuring smooth and responsive performance. Even the “application not responding” dialog has been refreshed.
Beyond aesthetics, Cinnamon 6.4 includes practical improvements that enhance daily workflow. The on-screen display (OSD) indicators for volume and virtual desktop switching have been modernized to be both informative and unobtrusive.
For users working late into the night, the integrated “Night Light” mode is beneficial. It reduces blue light exposure by adjusting the screen’s color temperature based on the time of day, thereby lessening eye strain and promoting better sleep.
Notification management has also been improved. Redesigned notification dialogs feature reduced horizontal button spacing, and notifications can now be displayed even in full-screen mode.
The Alt-Tab task switcher has been refined, allowing users to display only windows on the current monitor, streamlining multitasking across multiple displays. Handling of minimized windows has also been improved.
The main menu receives meticulous attention with updated styling, increased indents for enhanced readability, and numeric keypad navigation support for improved accessibility. Simplified menu animations contribute to a smoother experience, and improved JPEG-XL image previews have been added.
Cinnamon 6.4 also includes a new status bar applet for enhanced system monitoring, a new password entry widget for improved security and user experience, and power consumption profiles managed via a new DBus interface. The option to install Wayland session files expands compatibility.
Availability
This version will be included in the next Linux Mint 22 point release in 2025. The source code is available on GitHub. You can also try this in Arch Linux.
Cinnamon 6.4 balances modern design trends with a focus on performance, offering a visually appealing and highly functional desktop environment.