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Peppermint OS’s February 2, 2022 release marked a clear break with its earlier hybrid desktop approach: a contemporary review says it removed LXDE components in favor of Xfce 4.16 and made Nemo the default file manager in place of Thunar. The release also expanded the project’s Debian- and Devuan-based installation images and updated its installer and maintenance tools. These are historical details; Peppermint’s current homepage describes its mainline desktop as Xfce with Thunar by default.
What changed in Peppermint OS 2022-02-02?
The defining change was the desktop. Arindam’s review describes the release as dropping LXDE components and adopting Xfce 4.16, a shift away from the mixed LXDE/Xfce identity associated with earlier Peppermint releases. The same review says Nemo replaced Thunar as the default file manager in this release. Read the 2022 release review.
The release notes, published by Team Peppermint on February 2, 2022, announced updated 32-bit and 64-bit images based on both Debian and Devuan. The review identifies Debian Bullseye 11.2 as the base for the release it examined. That version and the Nemo default describe the 2022 release, not Peppermint’s present-day defaults. Peppermint’s February 2, 2022 release notes.
What did the installer and system tools add?
The official notes list Calamares installer updates and a package-selection section during installation. They also describe an update manager added to PepHub, a command-line update tool, xDaily maintenance tooling, and work addressing LUKS encryption issues. These updates made the release more than a desktop-environment change: the installation and system-maintenance experience received attention as well.
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The review author reports successfully booting the live medium and installing the system in both a triple-boot setup and a virtual machine. That is the reviewer’s account, not a guarantee of compatibility with every machine or configuration.
What was the default software experience?
According to the review, no web browser was installed by default; the Welcome application offered a way to choose one. The review also describes Welcome to Peppermint and Peppermint Hub as entry points for installing software and accessing system-management actions. These are observations about the release reviewed in 2022, not confirmation of the current application lineup.
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The file-manager detail has since changed: Peppermint’s current homepage describes the mainline desktop as Xfce with Thunar set as the default. So Nemo is relevant when discussing the 2022-02-02 release, but should not be treated as the current default.
How lightweight was it in the review?
While running multiple Firefox tabs, YouTube playback, and other applications, the reviewer reported memory use of about 1.5 GB and average CPU use of 4% to 5%. Those are observations from one reviewer’s workload, not minimum hardware requirements, a controlled benchmark, or a prediction of resource use on other systems. The reviewer’s view was that Xfce felt somewhat heavier than LXDE or LXQt, but the review did not provide a controlled side-by-side performance test.
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How should you compare this release with older Peppermint?
For a useful comparison, focus on what changed rather than assuming one desktop is universally faster:
- Desktop and components: the review describes the 2022 release as replacing LXDE components with Xfce 4.16.
- Base and images: the official announcement offered Debian- and Devuan-based 32-bit and 64-bit images; the review identifies Debian Bullseye 11.2 for its tested release.
- Installation: the release notes highlight Calamares updates and package selection during setup.
- Default applications: Nemo replaced Thunar in the release reviewed, while the current homepage names Thunar as the mainline default.
- Performance evidence: the published figures are a single reviewer’s reported workload, not comparative benchmark results.
Does the 2022 release answer whether Peppermint is still active?
No. A Reddit question asking whether Peppermint OS was dead or whether “Peppermint OS 11” would arrive captures the concern, but it does not establish the project’s status now. The February 2022 announcement documents that release only. See the original Reddit question. For present-day status, check the project’s own site rather than inferring continuity or inactivity from the 2022 release.
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