Linux Mint is a user friendly distribution based on Ubuntu Linux. If you are thinking about installing Linux Mint, you should check first that your computer can run the operating system well enough. Mint’s default Cinnamon desktop is not a resource hog, so most users will find that they can run Linux Mint perfectly fine.
In this tutorial, we have compiled a list of the Linux Mint minimum and recommended system requirements. Check below to see if your PC has the specs needed. These same recommendations can also be followed when configuring Linux Mint to run inside of a virtual machine.
In this tutorial you will learn:
- Linux Mint minimum and recommended system requirements
| Category | Requirements, Conventions or Software Version Used |
|---|---|
| System | Linux Mint |
| Software | N/A |
| Other | Privileged access to your Linux system as root or via the sudo command. |
| Conventions |
# – requires given linux commands to be executed with root privileges either directly as a root user or by use of sudo command$ – requires given linux commands to be executed as a regular non-privileged user |
Linux Mint System Requirements
Linux Mint developers don’t give us much official information about recommended system specifications. Using the limited information they give us, and filling in the rest of the gaps ourselves, the following is a list of recommended system requirements for running Mint with the default Cinnamon desktop environment and all of the default installed applications.
- 4 GB of RAM
- 100 GB of hard drive space
- 64 bit CPU (single core) with 2 GHz speed or better
- 1440 x 900 resolution or higher
- High definition graphics card and monitor
- High speed internet connection
The first two requirements in the list above are what Mint recommends (source here). The rest of the specs are compiled from personal experience and based on the requirements of other Linux distros.
Having these specs will ensure that you can use all of Mint’s features and have an operating system that feels reasonably responsive, along with being capable of running a few parallel tasks. None of the default applications on Mint should use a ton of CPU power, but you’ll naturally get better results when using more powerful components.
In case your system does not meet the requirements above, don’t despair just yet. You can run Mint with considerably less, but you may not have as lovely of an experience. Again, the Mint developers don’t give us much official information, but they do list the following as minimum system requirements.
- 2 GB of RAM
- 20 GB of hard drive space
- 1024 x 768 resolution
In case windows do not fit on your screen at such a small resolution, you can hold the ALT key and drag windows with your mouse. Because Lint always comes with a desktop environment, you would still need to use a 64 bit CPU (single core) with 2 GHz speed or better.
If your system or VM specs meets these requirements, you can head over to the Linux Mint website to get started downloading and installing the operating system.
Closing Thoughts
Like most other Linux distros, you don’t need a stellar PC to run Linux Mint. That’s probably why the developers have not bothered to list much information about recommended system requirements. Fortunately, we were able to test the system and use our own judgment to fill in the gaps, allowing us to bring you a list of system requirements. Although Mint can run on a pretty barebones PC, you’ll need a system with the recommended requirements listed above in order to get the most out of Linux Mint.
