Cinnamon (desktop environment)

Cinnamon is a free and open-source desktop environment for Linux and other Unix-like operating systems. It was originally based on GNOME 3, but follows traditional desktop metaphor conventions. The development of Cinnamon began by the Linux Mint team following the April 2011 release of GNOME 3, in which the conventional desktop metaphor of GNOME 2 was replaced in favor of GNOME Shell. Following several attempts to extend GNOME 3 so that it would suit the Linux Mint design goals through "Mint GNOME Shell Extensions", the Linux Mint team eventually forked several components of GNOME 3 to build an independent desktop environment. This separation from GNOME was completed with the release of Cinnamon 2.0.0 on 9 October 2013. Applets, extensions, actions, and desklets made explicitly for Cinnamon are no longer compatible with GNOME Shell. As the most common desktop environment for Linux Mint, Cinnamon has generally received favorable coverage by the press, in particular for its ease of use and gentle learning curve. In regard to its conservative design model, Cinnamon is similar to the Xfce, MATE, GNOME 2, and GNOME Flashback desktop environments.