Linux Mint primarily uses free and open-source software. Up to and including version 17.3, the installation process included some proprietary software, such as plug-ins and codecs that provide Adobe Flash, MP3, and DVD playback, by default. The installer for version 18 no longer included any proprietary software. Since version 18.1, the installer has provided an option to include third-party and proprietary software (graphics and Wi-Fi drivers, Flash, MP3 and other codecs).^[8]

Linux Mint comes with a wide range of software installed, including LibreOffice, Firefox, Thunderbird, HexChat, Pidgin, Transmission, and VLC media player. Additional software that is not installed by default can be downloaded using the package manager, adding a PPA, or adding a source to the sources file in the etc directory. Linux Mint allows networking ports to be closed using its firewall, with customized port selection available. The default Linux Mint desktop environments, Cinnamon and MATE, support many languages. Linux Mint can also run many programs designed for Microsoft Windows (such as Microsoft Office), using the Wine Windows compatibility layer software for Linux, or virtualization software, including VMware Workstation and VirtualBox, or KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine, built into the Linux kernel) hypervisor using Virtual Machine Manager.