[Discuss] MATE

[gaf at blu.org (Jerry Feldman)]

I installed Mint for a client at the last installfest and Mate was the
default desktop only in that it comes first on the download list,
followed by Cinnamon, KDE, and XFCE. I may install Mint on my netbook. 
(maybe Cinnamon or possibly KDE).  Mostly out of curiosity and to be
prepared for future installfests.


On 01/18/2013 10:14 PM, Tom Metro wrote:
> John Abreau wrote:
>> Mate looked promising; it would have been my preferred choice...
> I've written about MATE here before, and briefly evaluated it.
>
> I don't quite get why someone would prefer it. Both MATE and Cinnamon
> have the same objective - provide a GNOME 2-like environment. The big
> difference is that MATE is built on a GNOME 2 fork, and Cinnamon uses
> GNOME 3 code.
>
> Initially, MATE made more sense, as it required less work to get
> something into a usable state. But Cinnamon has since caught up, to some
> extent. It still feels unfinished, but it is usable. I think most power
> users are better off making the jump to Cinnamon and providing developer
> feedback for it, rather than further perpetuating the GNOME 2 code base.
>
> But this opinion is largely based on the assumption that newer is
> better. That GNOME 3, despite what stupidity might be happing with the
> core developers at the UI layer, underlying architecture is improved.
> That could certainly be a bad assumption, and I'd welcome references to
> material that supports or refutes it.
>
> The other argument in favor of MATE would be concern that Cinnamon won't
> attract enough developers to keep progressing forward a GNOME 3 fork,
> given the way the upstream developers clearly doesn't want to be
> cooperative. My guess is that MATE can be sustained with fewer
> resources, although it'll likely remain fairly static.
>
> What is Mint using as their default desktop these days? If it is still
> MATE, will it be Cinnamon in the next release? Their choice should be a
> good indicator of their opinion of how ready they think Cinnamon is, and
> which they see as the future direction.
>
>  -Tom
>


-- 
Jerry Feldman <gaf at blu.org>
Boston Linux and Unix
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