[Discuss] The next Linux desktop: MATE and Cinnamon

[Tom Metro]

On the BLU LinkedIn group David Schneider posted a link to:

Is Desktop Linux Becoming Fractured as Open Source Matures?
http://www.thevarguy.com/2012/02/06/is-desktop-linux-becoming-fractured-as-open-source-matures/

which asks whether it is harmful that the Linux desktop market is
transitioning from having GNOME and KDE as two common dominant desktops
to GNOME2, GNOME3, forks of each, plus Ubuntu's Unity and Wayland
server. (Announced probably since that article was written, Ubuntu is
dropping support of KDE.)

(Go to:
http://www.linkedin.com/groupItem?view=&gid=41383&type=member&item=93406995&qid=f310ae35-2186-498c-a03c-419a35800c3a&trk=group_most_recent_rich-0-b-cmr&goback=.gmr_41383

if you want to comment on the question raised in the article on the BLU
LinkedIn group.)

The question itself is less interesting to me than the information about
the GNOME forks, both of which are being utilized by Linux Mint,
specifically MATE and Cinnamon:


MATE
http://mate-desktop.org/about/

  MATE is a fork of Gnome 2.
  It provides an intuitive and attractive desktop to Linux users using
  traditional metaphors.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MAT%C3%89_%28desktop_environment%29

  MATE (Spanish pronunciation: ['mate]) is a desktop environment forked
  from the now-unmaintained code base of GNOME 2. ... The release of
  GNOME 3, replacing the classic desktop metaphor with new interface,
  built on top of GNOME Shell led to significant amount of critical
  comments. Many users refused to use the new GNOME, calling someone to
  continue development of GNOME 2.[2] The MATE project was started by an
  Arch Linux user[3] in order to fulfill this mission.


Cinnamon
http://cinnamon.linuxmint.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinnamon_%28user_interface%29

  Cinnamon is a fork of GNOME Shell, initially developed by Linux Mint.
  It attempts to provide a more traditional user environment based on
  the desktop metaphor, like GNOME 2. Cinnamon uses Muffin, a fork of
  the GNOME 3 window manager Mutter, as its window manager from Cinnamon
  1.2 onwards.

http://blog.linuxmint.com/?p=1910

  We used MATE and MGSE to provide an easier transition away from Gnome
  2, but without being able to truly offer an alternative that was
  better than Gnome 2. Both MATE and Gnome Shell are promising projects
  but MATE's ultimate goal is to replicate Gnome 2 using GTK+ and Gnome
  Shell doesn't provide what we need in a desktop and is going in a
  direction we do not want to follow. So for these reasons we're
  designing a new desktop called Cinnamon, which leverages new
  technology and implements our vision.
  ...
  Under the hood Cinnamon is forked from Gnome Shell and based on Mutter
  and Gnome 3. It's already available for Linux Mint 12, Ubuntu 11.10,
  Fedora 16, OpenSUSE 12.1 and Arch Linux and will soon make its way
  (along with MGSE and MATE) to LMDE when Gnome 3.2 enters Debian
  Testing.
  ...
  It will likely replace Gnome Shell / MGSE as the main desktop in Linux
  Mint, and we will continue to support MATE (which goal and technology
  are different but which is also getting better and better by the day).


Quoting from the first paragraph above:
> ...MATE's ultimate goal is to replicate Gnome 2 using GTK+ and Gnome 
> Shell doesn't provide what we need in a desktop and is going in a 
> direction we do not want to follow...

Anyone care to unravel that?

MATE is described as being a fork of GNOME 2. So what does that have to
do with GNOME Shell?

The Wikipedia page on MATE said there was some developers wanting to
port it to GTK+ 3, while others want to stick with 2. Even if they do
port to GTK+ 3, that doesn't necessarily mean using GNOME Shell, which
is just the UI layer on top of GNOME 3. The MATE site itself makes
mention of any of this, but maybe the author of that blog post knows
more about MATE's direction than the Wikipedia article.

And how does this direction differ from the way Cinnamon similarly
provides an old school UI on top of GNOME 3? Without further
explanation, both projects sound like they are aiming at the same style
UI, just that Cinnamon is further along at implementing it on top of
newer technology.


MATE, I gather is easy to evaluate, as it is the default desktop used on
the current (12) Linux Mint Live DVD. The above blog post says you can
install Cinnamon as a package on 12, but not clear if you can pull that
off while using the RAM disk that the Live DVD likely sets up, or if you
have to do a full install.

Some people on this list have said they are running Mint, so presumably
they're using or at least tried MATE. Thoughts? How about Cinnamon?

The mention of Ubuntu packages for Cinnamon raises another question: if
your only reason for using Mint is for the alternate desktop, are you
more likely to find better overall community support for your overall OS
 by using Ubuntu with Cinnamon, or does such a franken-OS leave you in
an even smaller minority than just using Mint?

 -Tom

-- 
Tom Metro
Venture Logic, Newton, MA, USA
"Enterprise solutions through open source."
Professional Profile: http://tmetro.venturelogic.com/