One of the most popular Linux distributions of all time, Linux Mint has announced the codename and release date for its upcoming version.

The current version is Linux Mint 17.3. The upcoming Linux Mint 18 has been codenamed Sarah. It will be based on Ubuntu 16.04 and will be released in May/June 2016, around two months after Ubuntu 16.04 release. Since Ubuntu 16.04 is a long term release, Linux Mint 18 will be supported till 2021.

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The logic behind Linux Mint codename

Linux Mint notes in its blog about the codename:

Frequently, the name refers to Sarah, the wife of Abraham in the Hebrew Bible, the Christian Old Testament, and the Islamic Quran. In Arabic, Hebrew, and Persian, it means woman of high rank, often simply translated as “Princess”. In Modern Hebrew, “sarah” (שרה) is the word for “woman minister”.

As for the codename is concerned, it should not surprise you if you have followed Linux Mint for some time. All Linux Mint release are in incremental alphabetical order. And all the names are based on female names, mostly from the literature of Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam).

This is the reason Linux 16 was named Petra, Linux Mint 17.1 Rebecca, 17.2 Rafaela and 17.3 was codenamed Rosa. Only the major release see the alphabet change. Minor releases keep the same starting alphabets (all Linux Mint 17.x release starts with R). Another interesting thing is that the ending letter in these codenames are always ‘A’. So,

Another interesting thing is that the ending letter in these codenames are always ‘A’. So, we have Ada, Barbara, Celena, Gloria etc.

Linux Mint 18 will have a new look and feel

The official announcement has also hinted for a new look and feel for Linux Mint 18.

One of the goals set for Linux Mint going forward is to feature a new look and feel (so it’s likely “Princess Sarah” will be the one getting that new dress).

If I have to guess, I say they are talking about Cinnamon 3.0 which will be released with Linux Mint 18 and rumored to have plenty of eye candy. Excited about Linux Mint 18?