According to the Linux Mint website, testing of Linux Mint 21.1 beta ISO images has begun. The listing shows that versions of Cinnamon, MATE, and Xfce were tested at the time of writing and will either be approved for beta or rejected. If they fail the tests and are rejected, new images will need to be tested instead, which will delay the beta for another day or two.

In September, Clem Lefebvre, head of the Linux Mint project, said that Linux Mint 21.1, codenamed Vera, will be released around Christmas. The project usually has a two-week period before that and asks the community to test the beta version so last-minute issues can be fixed before the final release.

When the next version of Linux Mint arrives around Christmas, Linux Mint 21 users will be able to easily update their system using the update manager, but this is not necessary if you are happy with Linux Mint 21. Get three-point releases ported to Linux Mint 21.3 for the lifetime of Linux Mint 21. Each of these releases will be supported until the first half of 2027, and Linux Mint 23 will be available by this time, so you’ll likely be upgrading by then.

At the time of this writing, the Linux Mint project has not announced the beta release on its blog, but the announcement is expected soon after the ISO images have been tested. For most people, the beta isn’t worth it unless you’re desperate to try it. It should reflect what will be available in the final release, but there may be bugs.

Linux Mint is one of the first Linux distributions that new users try. Graphically, it’s more similar to Windows 10, so it’s easier for new users to master. Linux Mint 21 and later versions are based on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS.