Linux Mint gets snappier file explorer, native screenshot tool, and network improvements

Linux Mint’s development team has announced feature upgrades and improvements targeting the upcoming version, expected to launch around Christmas. File management in Nemo will benefit from faster response times and navigation performance. Alongside these backend improvements, interactive search in Nemo now uses a visible, persistent search bar that filters results without forcing users to jump between items.

Building on the desktop user experience, Cinnamon introduces a native screenshot tool capable of capturing windows, with or without shadows, and entire screens, with the option to select specific monitors or crop before saving. Under-the-hood adjustments address compatibility across different window decoration systems. Cinnamon dialogs also gain flexibility with new draggable clutter dialogs that remain on top, but can be freely moved and no longer lock the screen.

Following these interface updates, Mint-Y and its sibling themes now feature improved colors, increased contrast in dark mode, and rounded frames for consistency with buttons and combo boxes. They also utilize XSI icons in GTK dialogs. Networking sees a security boost as Cinnamon adds support for WPA3 and Opportunistic Wireless Encryption (OWE), modernizing Wi-Fi protection.

A major security update fixes CVE-2026-46529 in Xreader, which previously allowed malicious code to execute via PDF links if a user clicked inside a PDF.