Linux Mint Debian version 7 will not support 32-bit computers. it is not surprising.
Last week, I reported that Mozilla was ending support for Firefox on 32-bit Linux in 2026. In that article, I briefly mentioned how 32-bit distros are becoming rare these days.
So why is Linux Mint abandoning Debian Edition 32-bit? Well, it’s very simple. LMDE is based on Debian. And Debian 13 dropped support for i386, aka 32-bit. It is now amd64, which is 64-bit architecture. Naturally, since it is based on Debian’s source code, LMDE has no choice but to follow it, so it has become a 64-bit distro. You can still run 32-bit apps, but the distribution will not contain a 32-bit build ISO. Debian 12 Bookworm Long Term Support (LTS) ends on June 30, 2028. So it is likely that LMDE 6 will be supported until then. So, there is no need to panic right now.
LMDE 7, codenamed Gigi, will be based on Debian 13 Trixie. official announcement Says that the upcoming iteration will include improvements that were introduced in Linux Mint 22.2. Furthermore, LMDE 7 Will support OEM installationWhich will allow manufacturers to pre-install the distro on their computers. The first beta of LMDE 7 will be released in September.
In case you missed it, Linux Mint 22.2 was released earlier this month. Linux Mint 22 was released in July 2024, followed by 22.1 in January 2025 and 22.2 in September this year. However, the next release is very close. Linux Mint 22.3 is targeting a December 2025 release. It will focus on a new version of Cinnamon, and bring a new menu.
Right now it looks like this (except for the custom menu icon I use).
Here’s a preview of the new menu. So the layout is changing, the bottom buttons are being moved to the right panel. I don’t know why, but it reminds me of macOS’s system settings.
The icon names in the sidebar are expanded, while the right panel contains descriptions for each app. This may be useful for those who are moving to LMDE 7, as a certain OS is reaching end of life support soon.
Mint 22.3 will also have a status applet and Wayland-compliant handling of keyboard layouts and input methods. On the topic of Linux, you should check out KDE Linux. Even in the initial stages, this is absolutely real.
