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Linux Mint 20.3 Cinnamon (Edge) Edition now available for download
When using a Linux-based operating system, you should always use the most recent kernel,
right?
Actually, no.
While new kernels do add fixes and support for new hardware, they can also be less stable
and cause bugs.
Unfortunately, if you have extremely new hardware, sometimes you must use a newer kernel in order
to boot, as older kernels do not yet support some of your devices.
For instance, Linux Mint 20.3 "Una" was released recently and it comes with Linux kernel 5.4.
If that older kernel does not support your computer, it may not boot.
Thankfully, all is not lost.
Today, the Linux Mint developers release an "Edge" version of the operating system.
No, it doesn't come with Microsoft's Edge browser.
The "Edge" moniker simply means it comes with a more modern kernel for those with very new
hardware.
You see, Linux Mint 20.3 Cinnamon (Edge) Edition comes with the much-newer kernel 5.13.
While you might be tempted to download and install Linux Mint 20.3 Cinnamon (Edge) Edition
regardless of your hardware, you probably shouldn't.
Instead, you should only try it if the regular version of Linux Mint 20.3 doesn't boot or
has other issues with your hardware.
In fact, the developers warn, "The Edge ISO image is not as stable as the other ISOs and
may not support as many proprietary drivers."
If you have some cutting-edge hardware and you cannot boot the regular Linux Mint ISO,
you can download the Edge variant here now.
Unfortunately, the Edge version is only offered with the Cinnamon desktop environment -- Mate
and Xfce ISOs are not available.
:: More ::
Linux Mint’s Brand New Edge ISO is Available to Download!
Linux Mint 20.3 now offers a separate Edge ISO for the Cinnamon Edition to help users
with latest-gen hardware!
Linux Mint 20.3 release brings in several improvements.
However, it is powered by Linux Kernel 5.4 LTS.
So, users with newer hardware may find it troublesome to boot or run into other incompatibility
issues with an older Linux Kernel.
Fortunately, Linux Mint 20.3 now has an Edge ISO featuring Linux Kernel 5.13.0-25.
Linux Kernel 5.13 With Linux Mint 20.3 Linux Kernel 5.13 introduced support for AMD
GPU FreeSync via HDMI along with many other hardware improvements.
So, for instance, if you have an AMD GPU and have issues with Linux Mint 20.3, the Edge
ISO can come in handy.
Yes, if you have newer hardware having trouble with Linux Mint 20.3, you can try the Edge
ISO.
However, Linux Kernel 5.13 did not fully support all the modern hardware like Intel Alder Lake
processors.
Considering that Intel’s 12th Gen lineup is already available for consumers, a more
recent Linux Kernel could have been a better choice, but it’s better than nothing.
So, it is essential to note that using the Edge ISO would not magically resolve issues
with the latest-gen hardware.
You will have to go through the detailed changes/support with Linux Kernel 5.13 and then proceed to
try it out.
Download Linux Mint 20.3 Edge ISO You can choose to download the separate Edge
ISO or update the Linux Kernel from the update manager.
Head to the “Update Manager” and then navigate to the Linux Kernels option from
the View menu.
As you can notice, you can install other available Linux Kernels (as per your requirements) and
remove the older ones, if needed.
It is recommended not to remove an older kernel unless you’re sure that the newer version
works as expected.
Before proceeding with a kernel upgrade, you might want to back up your important files,
just in case.
The Edge ISO is limited to the Cinnamon edition.
So, you will need to head to Linux Mint 20.3 Cinnamon page to download the ISO.
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