Two new apps are coming to Linux Mint later this year: a new calendar and eBook reader.
Plus, the Ubuntu-based Linux distribution has redesigned its (overlooked) document hub, Library, to make it easier to find and manage documents scattered across you device from one place.
Both new apps join the XApp Project, Linux Mint’s collection of home-grown, cross-desktop GTK apps (which now has a new website wearing the popular Claude design aesthetic).
Clockenstien is Mint’s new Calendar app
Clockenstein is Linux Mint’s new calendar app but, lest anyone scream in horror at the terrible name, the user-facing label is just Calendar. It replaces GNOME Calendar in Linux Mint’s default software lineup (about time – it was an older, pre GTK4/libadwaita build).
Now a calendar is a calendar. It needs to let you see and browse dates, add events, create calendars for different tasks – things that Linux Mint’s clockenstein can do from the off.
But integration with online services is important since most of us move between devices during the day. So calendars can be entirely offline and kept local, or sync to/from online providers like Google Calendar or through CalDAV via cloud services like Nextcloud.
Clem says the goal was make sure it was always obvious when remote calendars aren’t working and in-sync, so users can tell if something is up. Failing silently isn’t helpful if there’s an important event you assume you’ll get a reminder about, but never do.
“Down in the laboratory, there’s a little more going on”, says Lefebvre.
A background daemon is used to keep remote calendars in sync and check for any upcoming events that have reminders enabled. If there’s an issue, events stay visible but become read-only – you can’t edit or add – until connect is back online.
Reminders are handled via a notification agent. They get shown on the desktop at the appropriate time so you can action or snooze or be reminded later. Backend interfaces allow other desktop environments to interact or replace the notification agent.
Book Reader ePub viewer
The new Book Reader (xepub) app is designed (surprise) for opening ePub files. It looks to offer a clean reading experience, that Linux Mint’s Clement Lefebvre says is ‘similar’ to a Kindle or a Kobo. It also keeps track of where you are in a book so when you re-open it, you can resume reading.
Features wise, it will offer what you’d expect: chapter and page navigation, full-text search and bookmarks, as well as adjustable page zoom and font options. An annotations feature lets you highlight selections of text, with a colour, and add notes.
Finally, an internal look-up system lets you select a word and ferry it to a search engine (wikipedia, dictionary, etc) to find out more about it. Library gets a dust off Linux Mint’s Library app showing document filtersThingy – a personal document hub
Linux Mint has also redesigned its Library document manager, which you may know by the package name thingy.
Documents are now grouped by file type, rather than the app that opens them. So, for instance, you can see just your PDF files in one view, rather than finding them scattered amongst all files the the default document viewer XReader handles.
Common file types are listed in the Library sidebar, but you choose what’s shown and in one order. And, more usefully, you can create your own custom groups that contain a mix of different file types, and even specify them from specific folders.
When can I get the new apps?
Linux Mint’s new Book Reader and Calendar apps will make their official debut in Linux Mint 23, expected to arrive towards the end of the year. That release will also ship with the new and improved Library app too.
Plus, other changes the team has revealed and teased to date (and, no doubt, a few still to come).
If you don’t want to wait, the source code is up on GitHub (each linked in their respective paragraphs above). You can check them out (pun klaxon) to test, and file any issues you find or glaring feature requests you may have.
Exciting stuff!
Good to see Mint filling in the gaps themselves. I ran a stock install for a while and ended up adding a separate calendar before long. A calendar that arrives with the desktop saves you that bit of housekeeping. Same with an epub reader living in the same place as everything else. Nice to see the collection get its own site too.
what a great news. hopefully Mint also makes alternatives to other GNOME applications.
Interesting. I hope they have a “month” view in the calendar. Gnome Calendar removed theirs (“it’s a feature, not a bug”) and it’s been a massive pain in the arse to use ever since.
I’m confused I don’t see anything about removing the month view, and I use it it’s exclusively from the month view.
It was removed about version 44 or 45 or somewhere about then. Maybe a couple of years ago.
Unless they’ve fixed it in a very recent version, it now has a “next five weeks” view instead - starting from the middle of one month and ending part way through another, and showing you a mixed up “Aug/Sep/Nov” sort of thing - which might be sort of useful for knowing what you’re doing socially next week, but if you’re trying to do accounts, timesheets, budgeting and other admin stuff it’s a massive pain in the arse.
[Edit] I had a look to see when it was done - there’s a blog post talking about removing month view here: feaneron.com - 2023, extending the month to infinity
though I think that version didn’t appear in Linux Mint for another few years though.
Linux Mint’s collection of home-grown, cross-desktop GTK apps (which now has a new website wearing the popular Claude design aesthetic).
🤦♂️
When are you gonna get with the times and become SocialistVibeCoding02
Oh, I had almost forgotten about this already, but Mint being so behind on certain projects like the calendar, that was a bit of a minor headache for the developers, right?
Gnome burned many bridges, now it’s trying to look candid, like it didn’t close the door for pitching from downstream without much discussion.
Can’t say I need another ePub reader but an alternative calendar would be nice.
Yes, there aren’t many calendars, and most don’t do much.
The built-in ePub reader in xreader had several regressing bugs through the years. Mint really needed one new lightweight option nicely integrated to Cinnamon.
I use calibre web
Hosting your own ebook webserver isn’t something most desktop users will do.
If you wanted one, just install it, it’s Linux
Sad. All this energy to make the 273rd flavor of something nobody needs
Mint does actually listen to their community. Maybe they found out these apps were lacking some functionality. I can understand they would want xapps for calendar and reading. I currently use Qt apps, other than GNOME calendar, can’t remember a decent app for calendar and eBook reading outside Qt.
I never met a person in my life that needs a calendar app. But happy for the mint community. Mint will clearly be sky rocketing after this calendar app comes out. It was barely usable without it.
That is an… interesting take. Hi, another person very much using a calendar app (synced to my phone). Should be standard on every device, just like is on every phone.
Okay hi I need calendar apps, I have a very tight and busy schedule and it’s very handy to consolidate multiple different calendars when needed but also to be able to focus on just one or two when needed.
People who develop things for free are going to work on things they want or are interested in.
And it makes me sad that people find devlopment of a calendar “interesting”. But well, as you said, their choice.
They are developing an operating system, they need a calendar. And while there are existing solutions, they aren’t very good. The current bundled gnome calendar is rubbish as most gnome apps (I hope they replace their system monitor next)
Lol. Yeah, without a calendar, no operating system. Of course.
