The Linux Mint developers vowed to release a new version of their operating system before Christmas, and today, they fulfill that promise. Yes, Linux Mint 19.3 Tricia is finally here, a full week before the big Christmas holiday -- a very welcome early gift.

Linux Mint 19.3 Tricia can be had with your choice of three excellent desktop environments -- Cinnamon (4.4), MATE (1.22), and Xfce (4.14). I highly recommend users with modern computers try Cinnamon first -- it is the prettiest of the trio, while the other two DEs are designed for more meager PCs. With that said, even those with high-end machines sometimes opt for Xfce and Mate because they simply prefer them.

As always, Linux Mint is based on one of the best Linux distributions -- Ubuntu. More specifically, Tricia is based on Ubuntu 18.04. The Linux kernel sits at 5.0. Celluloid is the new default multimedia program (replacing VLC and Xplayer), while the note-taking app Tomboy is replaced by the more modern Gnote.

Sadly, GIMP has been removed as a default app, because the developers feel it is hard for Linux users to learn. Yes, really -- make of that what you will. The developers explain, "Gimp is an excellent application but it has a very steep learning curve and its user interface is quite intimidating for novice users." Sigh. Instead, they are replacing it with an easier-to-use program called "Drawing."

If you want to download Linux Mint 19.3 Tricia, you can do so here. And yes, there are still 32-bit variants for those clutching to their outdated computers. If you are upset by the removal of GIMP and VLC -- two essential tools -- please know you can still install them afterwards if you want.

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