The MATE desktop used by Linux Mint and a lot of Linux distributions is an excellent alternative to the bloated and confusing Gnome Shell desktop environment. MATE is a fork of the GNOME 2 desktop environment, which was widely used in the early 2000s. The development of MATE began in 2011 when the GNOME project announced that it would be moving to a new desktop interface called GNOME 3. This new interface was a departure from the traditional desktop model, and many users were unhappy with the changes. In response, a group of developers began work on MATE as a continuation of the GNOME 2 interface. MATE is based on the GTK+ widget toolkit and uses the Mutter window manager. It includes a number of core applications, such as a file manager, a text editor, and a terminal emulator. One of the key features of MATE is its traditional desktop interface. It includes a panel at the bottom of the screen with a menu, a system tray, and a workspace switcher. The panel also includes a number of applets that can be added to provide additional functionality, such as a weather applet or a calendar.
The interface is highly customizable, allowing users to move and resize the panel and applets, as well as change the appearance of the desktop with different themes and backgrounds. In addition to its traditional desktop interface, MATE also includes a number of modern features. It includes support for high-resolution displays and automatic screen scaling, making it a good choice for users with high-resolution laptops or monitors. MATE does not support gestures for ease of use on a tablet, but installing touchegg can help with setting this up on a tablet or laptop. MATE is also known for its stability and performance. It is a lightweight desktop environment that is designed to be efficient and fast, even on older or low-powered hardware. This makes it a good choice for users who want a reliable and responsive desktop experience, without the need for powerful hardware. Overall, the Linux MATE desktop environment is a great option for users who want a traditional desktop experience on their Linux system. It is simple, customizable, and stable, making it a good choice for a wide range of users. Whether you are a new user looking for a user-friendly interface, or an experienced user looking for a more traditional desktop environment, MATE is worth considering.
To install MATE on OpenSUSE, use this command.
sudo zypper -n in patterns-mate-mate |
If you are using Manjaro Linux, use this command to install a basic installation of the MATE desktop environment.
sudo pacman -S mate network-manager-applet |
To install more themes and features for MATE on Manjaro Linux, as well as the Manjaro theming and configuration for MATE.
sudo pacman -S mate-extra dconf-editor manjaro-mate-settings arc-maia-icon-theme papirus-maia-icon-theme manjaro-settings-manager manjaro-settings-manager-notifier |
Install the LightDM desktop manager for the MATE desktop on Manjaro.
sudo pacman -S lightdm lightdm-slick-greeter lightdm-settings systemctl enable lightdm.service --force |
Using GNU Nano, edit the /etc/lightdm/lightdm.conf file, under [Seat:*] replace the greeter-session setting with greeter-session=lightdm-slick-greeter
This will set you up with a very nice and usable Linux desktop. Far better than Gnome Shell.