Ubuntu’s original philosophy was to create an easy-to-use Linux desktop with reliable new releases every six months. The system is based on the belief that every computer user should have the freedom to download, run, copy, distribute, study, share and improve their software without paying licensing fees, should be able to use their software in whichever language they choose, and should be able to use all software regardless of disability.
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Mint has a similar philosophy but prioritizes elegance and ease of use. So it is also based on the belief that software with propriety licenses should not be boycotted. It is open source and community-driven, and believes in a system that needs very little maintenance. Their About page outlines their philosophy thus:
The purpose of Linux Mint is to produce a modern, elegant and comfortable operating system which is both powerful and easy to use.
Origins
The Debian distribution of Linux was released in 1993. It focused on security and stability. Ubuntu was released as a Debian fork in 2004. Mint was first released in 2006, although this first version never had a stable release. The 2.0 release, “Barbara,” received more attention, and using feedback from the community, many more versions were released between 2006 and 2008. There are new releases every six months for both Ubuntu and Linux Mint.
Compatibility
All Linux Mint releases are now based entirely on the latest Ubuntu release, guaranteeing full compatibility between the two. All Ubuntu-compatible computers are listed on Ubuntu.com. Mint also offers a variation called LMDE that guarantees full compatibility with Debian instead of Ubuntu. In general, Ubuntu and Debian packages are compatible but sometimes they are not, and require re-compilation from source.
Performance and Speed
Linux Mint is lighter and faster than Ubuntu, although Ubuntu has improved its speed since 12.04. Mint is arguably a better choice than Ubuntu for older or under-powered hardware.[1]
Pre-installed Software
Both Mint and Ubuntu use mostly free and open source software. Linux Mint (other than the OEM version) is pre-installed with some proprietary software that most users tend to need, such as Flash, Java and audio/video codecs for playing proprietary formats like WMV files. Recent releases of Ubuntu have taken a leaf from the Mint book and while Ubuntu distributions do not pre-install such software, Ubuntu now allows the user to download them with one click during the installation process.
Mint and Ubuntu both come installed with LibreOffice (suite of productivity apps like word processor and spreadsheet), Firefox browser, Thunderbird (email client), and Transmission (BitTorrent client). Mint also comes installed with Pidgin, VLC and GIMP. Ubuntu also has several basic games such as Sudoku and chess.
Interface differences
The first difference that casual users would notice between Mint and Ubuntu is the user interface and desktop environment.
Mint users can choose between MATE and Cinnamon for their desktop environment. The Cinnamon menu is fairly similar to a traditional application menu, giving an overview of all installed applications, places and recent files. There is also a simple dock at the bottom of the screen. Cinnamon also has a hot corner in the top left, which can give a workspace overview.
Ubuntu’s default desktop is Unity, which is available in 2D and 3D. It uses a standard GNOME based interface. It allows users to pin web applications to the Launcher on the desktop and conduct an online search in the dash. When Unity was first released, it received a lot of criticism but with recent releases and as people have become comfortable with it, Unity also some praise. The most recent controversy with the Unity desktop is Canonical's decision to show search results from retailers like Amazon in its universal search by default.
User interface is a matter of personal preference and the Linux user base is divided in their loyatly to desktop environments. That is why Ubuntu also supports interfaces other than Unity, such as KDE, Xfce and classic GNOME. Linux Mint is also available with KDE Plasma Desktop and Xfce. Other desktop environments can be installed via APT in both distributions. Since all the popular desktop environments are supported in both Ubuntu and Linux Mint, it may not be a good idea to use the desktop environment as the basis for choosing one over the other despite the fact that this is the first difference that users notice.
Popularity of Ubuntu vs Mint
According to DistroWatch, Linux Mint is the most popular distribution (as of April 2013).
According to other online surveys, including with PC World, and ZDNet, Ubuntu is the most popular Linux distribution. Mint is now the 4th most popular operating system, behind Windows, OSX and Ubuntu. As of January 2013, the latest version of Ubuntu was downloaded 81,063 from CNET, and Mint had been downloaded 2,075 times.
According to a recent Linux.com article, Mint was declared the best distro for desktop use and Ubuntu for laptop and multimedia use.
Releases
As of February 2016, the latest release of Ubuntu is 15.10 'Wily Werewolf' and the latest release of Linux Mint is version 17.3 'Rosa', which is based on an older Ubuntu release — 14.04 LTS (Trusty Tahr). A new version of Ubuntu is released every six months (see Ubuntu release history). The new version of Linux Mint based on Ubuntu typically followed one month after Ubuntu's release but as the project has slowed down, this is no longer the case (see Linux Mint releases).
Linux Mint Hack
In February 2016, it was revealed that hackers had compromised the Linux Mint website and distributed a version of the OS that had a backdoor. Hackers had served a compromised version of the operating system software, which was downloaded and installed by some users. The same hacker(s) also stole copies of the Linux Mint forum and database, which includes personally identifiable information like names, email addresses and hashed passwords.
Installation Process
Downloading
Ubuntu may offer a worse download experience depending upon which part of the world you are in. This is because Ubuntu's website automatically chooses a mirror to use based on geolocation of the user's IP address. The idea works in most cases but in India, this could default to an extremely slow mirror from one of India's universities. Linux Mint download pages allow the user to choose the mirror they want to use.
Installing
Ubuntu has more (and arguably easier) installation options compared with Mint. For Windows users, the Wubi installer makes installing Ubuntu extremely easy. The installer automatically partitions the hard drive and installs Ubuntu as a program in Windows so that it can be removed easily if the user wishes to uninstall. Ubuntu is not launched as a program within Windows, however. Instead, at boot time the user is allowed to choose which OS to start in.
Upgrading
Linux Mint discourages upgrading every six months (see upgrade instructions). Mint recommends a fresh re-installation for each release; it is necessary to back up all data and applications. Ubuntu also recommends backing up before upgrading but has an easier upgrade flow with its Update Manager software that is pre-installed.
References
While many arguments can be made for using Linux Mint and not Ubuntu, there are counter-arguments for the opposite installation. Here are five reasons why you would use Ubuntu and not Linux Mint.
Unity Is Easier to Navigate than Cinnamon and Mate
One argument for Mint over Unity is that Windows users would find Linux Mint more familiar because the Cinnamon desktop is much like the Windows desktop that has been used for the past 20 years.
However, time has moved on, and whether people like to admit it or not, Unity is a dream to navigate and use.
The launch bar down the left gives instant access to all of your favorite applications and any other application can be access from the Dash.
Unity is probably what Microsoft was aiming for when they came up with Windows 8. Unity does everything right that Windows 8 got so wrong.
There is nothing wrong with Cinnamon, and if you like the traditional desktop, it is perfect.
Ubuntu is breaking new ground and daring to try out new things and for those people who are yet to try Unity because they have heard bad things, give it one month and you will change your mind.
Keyboard Shortcuts
One great thing about Unity is the keyboard shortcuts, and how easy it is to pull up a window showing what the keyboard shortcuts are.
Windows has loads of keyboard shortcuts and when you have learned them you will realize that it actually becomes quite usable. The trouble is that they aren't clearly documented.
With Unity, you can hold down the super key (Windows key) on your keyboard and a list of shortcuts appear.
This is a feature that every desktop environment should consider adding.
Desktop Integration
Another thing that Ubuntu does really well is to integrate audio, video, social media, photos, the internet, and social media into the desktop.
When you use Linux Mint each program is a stand-alone application.
Thanks to the way Unity works though it is possible to play music, watch videos, look at photos and view social media messages straight from the Dash.
This makes using Ubuntu a seamless experience and is another example of improvements being made to modern desktops.
One of the reasons to use Linux Mint over Ubuntu is that Ubuntu included shopping results as part of the search results.
The flip side to that argument, of course, is that some people probably like the shopping results. For instance, if you are searching for a song to listen to and you see an option to buy another track by the same artist, that is a good thing.
Scopes and Lenses
Lenses provide a way to integrate different types of data such as documents, music, videos, and photos onto the desktop.
A number of lenses are provided as part of the default Unity setup but there are a number of custom lenses made by third-party developers which add to the Ubuntu experience.
Scopes make it possible to integrate the best of the web into your desktops such as Gmail and Reddit.
People probably spend as much time using online services as they do offline applications nowadays, so it makes sense to integrate online and offline results when searching for things on the desktop.
Upgrades
Ubuntu is the base for Linux Mint and therefore it is always one step ahead and the fact that Linux Mint has aligned itself with the LTS release of Ubuntu means that Ubuntu and Linux Mint are going to be very different by the time we get to the next LTS release.
Upgrading from one Ubuntu release to the next is fairly straightforward and has been that way for a number of years. Linux Mint however only lets you upgrade minor releases.
The best way to find out which of these Linux distributions to use is obviously to try them both out.