MATE (software)

MATE (software)
Name	MATE
Developer	MATE Project
Programming language	C, GTK+
Operating system	Linux, BSD, Solaris
Released	2011
License	GPL, LGPL

MATE (software) is a desktop environment forked from a legacy GNOME 2 codebase intended to preserve traditional desktop metaphms and workflows. It targets users seeking a classic panel-and-menu experience on distributions such as Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, Arch Linux and operating systems like FreeBSD and OpenBSD. The project positions itself alongside environments such as KDE Plasma, XFCE, LXDE and Cinnamon while interoperating with toolkits and standards from projects like GTK+, D-Bus, systemd and X.Org Server.

Overview

MATE provides a cohesive collection of desktop components including panels, window managers, session management and configuration tools. It implements compatibility layers for applications originally written for GNOME 2 and supports themes and extensions from ecosystems surrounding GTK+ 2, GTK+ 3 and the Freedesktop.org specifications. Targeted releases aim to balance stability preferred by distributions such as CentOS and Ubuntu LTS with feature updates embraced by community-driven projects like Manjaro and Solus.

History and development

The fork emerged in 2011 as developers from projects associated with GNOME reacted to the transition toward GNOME 3 and its GNOME Shell interface led by contributors such as Miguel de Icaza and organizations like the GNOME Foundation. Initial maintainers were contributors familiar with code from distributions including Ubuntu and Linux Mint, motivated by user demand visible on forums hosted by Launchpad and GitHub. Over time, stewardship evolved through collaborative workflows involving continuous integration services provided by Travis CI and code hosting on platforms like GitLab and GitHub Enterprise while adhering to licensing frameworks articulated by entities such as the Free Software Foundation.

Design and features

MATE emphasizes a two-panel layout, classic application menus and modular applets. The environment interoperates with theming systems from GTK+, supports compositing either via integrated options or external compositors like Compton and Mutter alternatives, and integrates with display servers including X.Org Server and protocol work on Wayland advocated by organizations such as Wayland project contributors. Accessibility and localization are supported through collaborations with projects associated with gettext and LibreOffice translators. Power and session management components interface with utilities developed in distributions such as Red Hat Enterprise Linux and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server.

Components and applications

Core components include a panel, file manager, text editor, window manager and control center. The file manager traces lineage to projects involving developers from Nautilus and distinct forks maintained by contributors active in Linux Mint repositories. Included utilities are comparable to editors like gedit, terminal emulators used in GNOME Terminal sessions, and configuration utilities inspired by older tools from GNOME 2 maintainers. Bundled applications are packaged by maintainers within distribution ecosystems such as OpenSUSE Build Service, Debian Packaging teams, and Arch User Repository maintainers.

Distribution and adoption

MATE is available in archives and repositories of major distributions including Debian Stable, Ubuntu MATE, Fedora Workstation spins, Arch Linux community packages, and derivatives like Linux Mint MATE. Commercial vendors offering enterprise support such as those behind Red Hat-based distributions and community projects like Manjaro Linux and MX Linux include MATE in their official or community editions. Ports exist for BSD systems maintained by contributors in the FreeBSD Ports Collection and packaged for flavors such as OpenIndiana and Trisquel.

Development community and governance

The project is coordinated by volunteer contributors using tools and workflows common to free software projects: issue tracking on platforms like GitLab and GitHub, code review practices influenced by contributors from GNOME and CI pipelines integrated with services such as Jenkins and Travis CI. Governance is informal, with release management carried out by maintainers and packaging teams distributed across organizations such as Debian Project and Ubuntu Community. Translation and documentation efforts involve communities linked to Wikipedia editors, creative commons volunteers, and localization platforms used by Mozilla contributors.

Reception and criticism

MATE has been praised by commentators from outlets such as Linux Journal, Slashdot, LWN.net and reviewers from distributions like Linux Mint for preserving a traditional desktop model. Critics and analysts from technology publications including Phoronix and ZDNet note challenges: ongoing porting from GTK+ 2 to GTK+ 3, limited investment compared to larger projects like KDE or GNOME and fragmentation concerns raised in discussions on mailing lists hosted by lists.freedesktop.org. Usability researchers and accessibility advocates from organizations such as GNOME Foundation and Free Software Foundation Europe have debated trade-offs in modernization versus backward compatibility.

Category:Desktop environments