ArchMint

As its name suggests, ArchMint is an open source distribution of Linux that combines elements from the well-known Linux Mint and Arch Linux operating systems. It has been designed with the Turkish Linux user in mind and uses the MATE desktop environment, a fork of GNOME 2.

Available for download as 32-bit/64-bit Live DVDs

The distribution is available for download via Softoware or directly from its official website, see link above, as Live DVD ISO images of approximately 1GB in size each, suitable for installation on 32-bit and 64-bit computers.

The boot options are borrowed from Linux Mint

The boot options are borrowed from Linux Mint, which means that the user will be able to start the live system with default drivers or in compatibility mode, perform a memory test, boot an existing OS from the local drive, or start the installer directly immediately after he or she booted the DVD/USB media from the BIOS of a PC.

Classic graphical desktop environment powered by MATE

As mentioned, MATE is in charge of the graphical session inside ArchMint. It comprises of two panels, a top one that allows you to navigate the main menu and open applications, and a bottom one that helps users to interact with running programs better.

Default applications

Default applications include the LibreOffice office suite, VLC Media Player, Pidgin multi-protocol instant messenger, Mozilla Firefox web browser, as well as MATE-specific apps and various Linux Mint tools. Keep in mind though, that the OS uses Arch Linux’s package management, powered by Pacman, for installing, updating and removing packages from the system.

Bottom line

Summing up, ArchMint is an interesting distribution of Linux that mixes elements from the powerful and lightweight Arch Linux and the popular Linux Mint operating systems. It is suitable for low-end, mid-range and high-end computers, as a desktop-oriented OS.