Do you use Linux Mint but feel like you’re not getting the most out of it? Or maybe you think Mint is too basic for serious work. Whether you’re a student or a working professional, these three Cinnamon applets can help you become more productive on Linux Mint.
Applets are small utilities available in the Linux Mint Cinnamon desktop that extend your panel’s functionality. You can find them by going to System Settings > Applets. Adding an applet places a widget on your panel, giving you quick access to things like weather information, timers, or custom tools. While there are dozens of great applets to choose from, here are the three most useful productivity-focused applets to help optimize your workflow.
Cheaty: Quick access to coding cheatsheets
Cheaty adds a simple panel icon with a “C” symbol that gives you instant access to various cheat sheets. Click the icon, and you’ll see a drop-down menu containing cheat sheets for different tools and syntaxes. By default, you get Regex, Markdown, Docker, SQL, Shell, Ansible, Git, Vim, Bootstrap, Tmux, and HTTP status codes. The cheat sheets are organized into nested categories—you can click to expand each one and drill down to find the exact syntax, definition, or command you need. It’s essentially a quick reference library built right into your panel.
You can right-click the applet to access its settings and uncheck the cheat sheets you don’t need. You can also add more cheat sheets by navigating to the cheat sheet folder. By default, it’s located at:
~/.local/share/cinnamon/applets/cheaty@centurix/refdocs
To add a new cheat sheet, simply create a new folder, add an SVG file for the logo, and a JSON file that defines the nested structure of the cheat sheet. If you already know JSON, this isn’t too difficult—and you can use the existing cheat sheets as references for how to structure your own JSON file.
I’ve personally found this applet extremely useful while learning Vim, since I can quickly look up commands without breaking my flow or opening a browser. That said, if you’re creating your own cheat sheets, I recommend not filling them with every possible command or syntax—instead, focus on the ones you frequently forget and need to reference often.
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Workspace Switcher: Manage your virtual desktops from the panel
Virtual desktops are one of the most powerful productivity features you can use—especially on smaller devices like laptops, where screen real estate is limited. When you’re working with dozens of open windows, you can organize all your open windows into multiple virtual desktops instead of cramming everything onto a single cluttered desktop. I personally keep four workspaces active: one for research, one for writing, one for communication apps, and one blank workspace for dumping miscellaneous tasks or extra research.
By default, Linux Mint already has a solid virtual desktop implementation. You can switch between desktops using Ctrl+Alt+Left/Right Arrow, and view all active desktops with Ctrl+Alt+Up Arrow. It works well, but if you want something more visual and prefer managing your workspaces with a mouse, you should enable the Workspace Switcher applet.
The applet is included by default and lets you see all your active virtual desktops directly from the panel. You can scroll your mouse wheel while hovering over the applet to switch between desktops, or simply click a specific workspace to jump to it. You can even configure it to show which apps are running on each virtual desktop. This makes it much easier to see where you’ve moved each app and quickly switch back to the one you need.
Pomodoro Timer: Remember to work, remember to rest
Pomodoro Timer is one of the best implementations of its kind I’ve seen on any desktop environment—and I’ve used both GNOME and KDE Plasma extensively. It’s thoughtfully designed and places sensible limits on how long you can configure each session, which makes it more effective in practice. You get hard caps on timing options: Pomodoro sessions max out at 60 minutes, short breaks at 15 minutes, and long breaks at 60 minutes. You can also configure up to 10 work sessions before a long break is triggered.
Ideally, a Pomodoro work session lasts about 25 minutes, followed by a five-minute break. However, some people stretch sessions much longer, which can be counterproductive and eventually leave you exhausted. These built-in constraints help ensure you’re actually using the Pomodoro technique correctly. You can’t set excessively long breaks that kill your momentum, and you can’t work for unhealthy stretches without proper rest.
That said, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Its real strength is the ability to trigger custom Bash scripts when your breaks begin. For example, you can configure the applet so that when a work session ends and a short break starts, your system automatically plays a short exercise video in VLC and reminds you to stretch and move around. Alternatively, it can display an image reminding you to drink water or look away from the screen to rest your eyes. You can also trigger a script at the start of a long break—for example, launching Steam in Big Picture Mode so you can reward yourself with a quick gaming session.
You need to write these scripts yourself—they’re not included by default. If you’re not familiar with Bash scripting, I’ve found ChatGPT and Gemini helpful for generating them. Just don’t use their output blindly—double-check the syntax and ask the AI to explain how each script works before running it.
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These three applets have genuinely transformed how I work on Linux Mint. Cheaty puts useful references at arm’s reach, Workspace Switcher keeps my projects organized, and Pomodoro Timer helps enforce healthy work habits. Give them a try, and I’m confident at least one will become essential to your workflow.
