Actually, I'm just gonna ask - are you using the main edition - Linux Mint 21 - or are you using LMDE? You know Mint has two editions right, the main one based on Ubuntu and another Debian-based one?

Because if you're using the main edition, and only that would make sense since you're asking about upgrading to 22, this post isn't about you. It's about users of the Debian edition also getting some nice updates today. Anyways, there will be official upgrade instructions posted for you in the coming days on Mint's website.

If you are using the Debian edition (in which case why are you asking about 22?), then this post is about you, and yes, a simple sudo apt update followed by sudo apt dist-upgrade is all that's required. It's not a whole new version (LMDE 7 won't be out for at least another year and some change).

We're talking about Linux Mint Debian Edition users also getting an upgrade to the Cinnamon desktop, just like users of Linux Mint 22. Assuming you're currently running Linux Mint 21.3, the update probably won't be enabled for you quite yet. You could do a clean install to get it, but IMO that would be kinda silly. Just be patient.

Linux Mint is one of the most widely-used desktop distros and it defaults to X11 (and Wayland on Cinnamon is still experimental). LM is known for not changing things until the solution is good and ready.

LMDE 6 has only been out for less than a year. It's based on Debian 12. Debian 13 will likely be out around this time next year, and the future LMDE 7 will be based on that.

I actually switched from OSX Snow Leopard after college. But several years prior, the last version of Windows I used, on the family computer, was XP.

It's a Motorola and you know what I meant. In either case, I haven't used my mobile in months, it's been sat dead in a drawer collecting dust, and I prefer life without being connected all the time, so honestly I don't really have a whole lot of interest in whatever argument you're trying to get into.

With a de-googled custom rom like LineageOS, I'm not forced to choose between 2 mega corps.

Celluloid, pix, hexchat, hypnotix, rhythmbox, LibreOffice all uninstall just fine without any issues. The only one of those I personally keep is Libreoffice.