New to Linux Mint, but have a question. Just installed 0 A.D. and the gui for clamav, but they appear to be quite old versions, years old in the case of 0 A.D., even though software manager and update manager says everything's up to date.
Am I missing something, or doing something wrong? or does it just take a LONG time before updates get in there?
Someone recommended Linux Mint for its ease of use, so this has me confused.

Linux Mint and many other distros may not have the very latest versions of software. Some distros try to be bleeding edge; some very much value stability over newness (Slackware and Debian are two examples of that. Most distros--Mint is one--tend to be somewhere is the middle--having more recent versions but not necessarily the most recent version.

In most cases, this has no practical bearing on functionality. It is rare that a version increment in Linux introduces radical new functionality. More commonly, version upgrades of *nix software are a matter of small refinements and bug fixes.

Unlike the outfits that created programs for Windows and Mac, Linux package maintainers don't have any reason to change around a bunch of stuff just to convince users that they are getting something new (think of the MSOffice "ribbon," for example--it was new chrome on an old bumper).

I note that 0 A. D. is a game. In the case of a game, I can see that a newer version may contain significant changes. Direct downloads of the latest version are available from their website.

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ok, thanks. so the more conservative ones like Mint, eventually they do update when someone deems appropriate, and worst case I can manually update most things through alternate measures from either a website or adding a new repo or something? Just struck me as odd that even after years like in the instance of that game, that they wouldn't have thrown them a bone and updated it in their software manager.

Well, I wouldn't say that Mint is more conservative. "Moderate" might be a better term. Fedora and Arch are generally held up as the examples of bleeding edge and Slackware/Debian as examples of conservative, at least as regards version control.

Mint also recently changed its approach to be based on Ubuntu LTS (long-term support) releases and to stop chasing Ubuntu's every-six-month model.

But, yeah, pretty much you got it.

This also depends upon which version of Mint you are using. If you're using one released in 2013 then the software is going to be of older versions than one released in 2015 unless you are using LMDE which is a rolling release so should be up to date.