Linux Mint 17.1 is a long term support release which will be supported until 2019. It comes with updated software and brings refinements and many new features to make your desktop even more comfortable to use.

New features at a glance:

Out of the box support for Compiz
Update Manager
Language Settings
Login Screen
System Improvements
Artwork Improvements
Other Improvements
Main Components
LTS Strategy

For a complete overview and to see screenshots of the new features, visit: “What’s new in Linux Mint 17.1 MATE“.

Important info:

There is some important info in the Release Notes:

Issues with Skype
DVD Playback with VLC
Bluetooth
Compiz in Virtualbox
EFI Support
Misconfigured swap with home directory encryption
Solving freezes with some NVIDIA GeForce GPUs
Issues with KDE apps
Booting with non-PAE CPUs
Other issues

Make sure to read them to be aware of known issues and known solutions related to this release.

System requirements:

x86 processor (Linux Mint 64-bit requires a 64-bit processor. Linux Mint 32-bit works on both 32-bit and 64-bit processors).
512MB RAM (1GB recommended for a comfortable usage).
9GB of disk space (20GB recommended).
Graphics card capable of 800×600 resolution (1024×768 recommended).
DVD drive or USB port

Upgrade instructions:

If you want to upgrade from Linux Mint 17.1 RC, simply launch the Update Manager and install any Level 1 update available.
If you want to upgrade from Linux Mint 17, please wait for a few days while we release a new version of the Update Manager to you. In the meantime, you do not need to download or to reinstall anything. We’ll make announcements next week when this is ready.