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Getting Started

Getting Started

This guide will help you get started with the MATE Desktop Environment.

Overview

MATE Desktop is a continuation of GNOME 2, providing a traditional desktop experience. It’s designed to be intuitive for users coming from older desktop environments while still being modern and efficient.

Desktop Components

Panel (MATE Panel)

The MATE Panel sits at the top and/or bottom of your screen. It contains:

  • Application Menu - Access to all installed applications
  • Places Menu - Quick access to folders and drives
  • Window List - Shows open windows
  • System Tray - Displays notifications and status icons
  • Clock - Shows current time and date

File Manager (Caja)

Caja is the default file manager. It provides:

  • Spatial and browser navigation modes
  • Easy file and folder management
  • Network location access
  • Extensible with plugins

Window Manager (Marco)

Marco is the default window manager for MATE. It is responsible for:

  • Drawing window decorations (title bars, borders, buttons)
  • Handling window placement, resizing, and movement
  • Managing virtual workspaces and window stacking
  • Providing compositing effects (optional)
  • Supporting keyboard shortcuts for window operations

Marco is a fork of Metacity (GNOME 2’s window manager) and is designed to be lightweight and stable. It can be replaced with a third-party compositing window manager if desired.

Next Steps

Last updated on • mbkma
Installation