Linux Mint 18.3 is Getting a Revamped Software Manager

The upcoming version of Linux Mint 18.3 is in active development. A new post on the official blog reveals a number of nice improvements which are coming to the OS. These include a refined user interface for the Software Manager app along with enhancements to various system components.

The key features revealed in the official announcement are as follows.

First of all, Cinnamon, the flagship desktop environment of Linux Mint, gained support for Hybrid sleep.

The login screen is more configurable than earlier. Options were added for automatic login as well as the ability to hide the user list and enter user names manually (this is useful for LDAP users). Panel indicators can be enabled/disabled and now show tooltips. And last but not the least, the Slick Greeter package now works with the numlockx app.

The built-in Software Manager GUI app is getting a refined user interface. As of this writing, it looks as follows in Linux Mint 18.3.

Development is still in progress. The official announcement highlights the following.

• The user interface looks more modern and its layout is inspired by Gnome Software. Its simpler, more consistent than before and it makes the application look much cleaner.
• The software manager no longer uses Webkit. The only toolkit used is GTK and the entire application was ported to GTK3, to bring support for HiDPI.
• The software manager launches 3 times faster than before. Browsing categories and apps is almost immediate.
• The backend was ported to AptDaemon and the Software Manager now runs in user mode. Consequently you do not need to enter any passwords to browse applications, and if you enter a password to install or remove an app, the authentication is remembered for a little while so you can install or remove other apps without having to enter that password again.

Source: Linux Mint