One of the new features is the new apt binary:
Some of you might be aware that Linux Mint already includes the convenient script also named apt that has the same goal: to provide simple access to various apt-related commands.The big news for this version is that we included a new “apt” binary that combines the most commonly used commands from apt-get and apt-cache. The commands are the same as their apt-get/apt-cache counterparts but with slightly different configuration options.
Currently the apt binary supports the following commands:
- list: which is similar to dpkg list and can be used with flags like
--installed or --upgradable.- search: works just like apt-cache search but sorted alphabetically.
- show: works like apt-cache show but hide some details that people are less likely to care about (like the hashes). The full record is still available via apt-cache show of course.
- update: just like the regular apt-get update with color output enabled.
- install,remove: adds progress output during the dpkg run.
- upgrade: the same as apt-get dist-upgrade –with-new-pkgs.
- full-upgrade: a more meaningful name for dist-upgrade.
- edit-sources: edit sources.list using $EDITOR.
The difference is:
- Mint's script resides in /usr/local/bin while Debian's apt binary is in /usr/bin. Since /usr/local/bin usually comes first in the $PATH, when you simply run "apt" in the terminal, Mint's script will be executed.
- Mint's script has more options.
- Mint's script uses not only apt-* tools (apt-cache, apt-get) but also aptitude.
News article at Phoronix
The official release announcement at the mailing list
The announcement at Michael Vogt's blog