so what is the future of mint?

[LinuxLover1]

What is the future of Linux Mint? Xfce? MATE? Cinnamon? Gnome?

[xenopeek]

Well, not so uncertain as that. Linux Mint main edition (based on Ubuntu) will come with MATE, Cinnamon, KDE and Xfce. And LMDE will come with MATE, Cinnamon and Xfce. Of course, you can easily install any other desktop environment (like Gnome Shell or LXDE).

To keep up to date with news from the developers about the direct Linux Mint is taking, you can subscribe to the blog: http://blog.linuxmint.com/

[bimsebasse]

Yes, Mint is not a 1 DE distro. Gnome will likely continue to be the main DE either with both Cinnamon and MATE or with one of them.



I think Ubuntu's Unity and Mint's MATE/Cinnamon are just the first steps in a process that will ultimately lead to a breakup with Gnome. When few years from now Gnome deprecating handy desktop features because they don't work with a touch interface have left traditionalist distros little choice but to either fork or leave Gnome, at that point I hope Ubuntu, Mint (and Pinguy and the whole Ubuntu branch) will come together and maintain a Gnome fork. They can't continue to patch over Gnome's touch pipe dreams, especially not Mint.