Linux mint with cinnamon or mate

​Выбор наиболее подходящего окружения: KDE, Cinnamon, Xfce или Mate

Дистрибутив Linux Mint имеет две основные версии с окружениями рабочего стола, это Cinnamon и Mate, а также две дополнительные версии с окружением KDE и Xfce. Это значит, что, по сути, операционная система одна, но при установке четырех ее модификаций, можно обнаружить, что их интерфейс отличается друг от друга.

1. KDE является полнофункциональной рабочей средой, она будет интересна для опытных пользователей, которым важно иметь множество приложений и конфигурации для повседневных нужд. Новых пользователей может озадачить большое количество этих параметров.
2. Mate является лучшим продолжением дистрибутива Ubuntu, а точнее окружения рабочего стола GNOME 2. Mate более стабильное, надежное, простое и удобное в использовании. Избалованному пользователю Mate вероятно покажется плохо проработанным и допотопным, но это оттого, что создатели предприняли попытку сохранить классику окружения GNOME 2, но при этом ведется процесс по переходу на современную кодовую базу, что в дальнейшем дает хорошие перспективы в использовании новых разработок.
3. Xfce – легкая редакция окружения рабочего стола, ввиду этого она прекрасно подходит для старой техники, в связи с тем, что не требовательна к ресурсам и требует мало оперативной памяти. Существенным приоритетом является соблюдение стандартов, что дает рабочей среде без проблем взаимодействовать с программами которые разработаны для других рабочих столов.
4. Cinnamon – это самое современное и совершенное окружение рабочего стола софта Linux Mint, является мощным, технологичным и простым в работе. Это окружение рабочего стола основано на технологиях окружения GNOME 3, в связи с тем, что его технологии совершенствуются непрерывно вот уже несколько лет, оно стабильно и надежно. При активации большого количества зрительных эффектов, потребляет относительно много системных ресурсов.

Системные требования

• KDE идеально подходит для мощных машин, на которых не придется считать загрузку процессора и оперативной памяти. За красоту всегда приходится платить и, в данном случае, мы расплачиваемся своими ресурсами.
• Рабочее окружение MATE подходит практически для всех компьютеров и пользователей, поэтому знакомство с Linux Mint стоит начать именно с этого рабочего окружения.
• Окружение XFCE отлично подходит для старого железа, отличается меньшей прожорливостью по сравнению с остальными вариантами.
• Cinnamon потребляет больше ресурсов, чем MATE, поэтому для установки этого окружения, на вашем компьютере должна стоять оперативная память более 2 Гб.

В Linux Mint официальные системные требования слишком занижены. Поэтому, для комфортной работы все системные требования лучше увеличить вдвое.

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Linux Mint Cinnamon vs MATE

Desktop environments

Cinnamon

As mentioned previously, Cinnamon is an original Linux Mint project. It’s a free and open-source project for X Window System. Interestingly, it’s a fork of GNOME 3. However, it prefers the traditional desktop metaphor conventions.

GNOME has always been one of the leading powerhouses in the desktop environment. However, not all are satisfied with it. GNOME 2 was a major success that followed the traditional desktop. However, the shift to GNOME 3 wasn’t smooth. In fact, it created a major controversy in the community. GNOME 3 targets a more modern and stylish look with a lot of tweaks and changes over the previous one.

For addressing the situation, the Mint devs forked GNOME and some of its core features and tweaked it heavily to meet the traditional metaphors. From 2012, Cinnamon desktop started its journey. Over the course, it’s now a full-fledged GNOME-based desktop environment that doesn’t require GNOME itself to be installed.

Like Cinnamon, MATE is also the result of the GNOME’s controversial step-up from GNOME 2 to GNOME 3. MATE desktop is free, open-source and available for a wider range of Linux distros. More than 20 distros officially support MATE.

MATE desktop is the official continuation of GNOME 2. When GNOME shifted to the modern GNOME Shell, it received a negative reception. This led to the creation of the MATE desktop, just like Cinnamon.

MATE desktop started its journey by an Argentine user of Arch Linux by forking GNOME 2. It’s under active development. The goal is to maintain the GNOME 2 code base, frameworks, and core apps to offer the traditional metaphors to the Linux lovers. It fully incorporates the GTK+ 3 framework.

Linux Mint is also an official adopter of MATE desktop. Since Linux Mint 12, MATE has always been a part of the family.

Difference between Cinnamon and MATE

There are some core features that all desktop environments try to fulfill while offering additional features. In the case of Cinnamon and MATE, both are the result of the controversial GNOME revamp. As both of them are heavily inspired by GNOME 2, you can find a lot of similarities.

However, over the course of time, both have their own software collections and adoptions. The following comparisons will showcase the difference between MATE and Cinnamon desktop on Linux Mint. Linux Mint adds a few tweaks here and there, so the MATE desktop won’t have the exact default vibe and feel.

Look and feel

For any desktop environment, this is the most important part. The way it looks, the way it behaves, the way things are arranged – every single factor is guaranteed to impact your experience.

Let’s take a look at the default desktop of Cinnamon.

Here’s the default screen of MATE desktop.

When compared side by side, there’s very little difference between these 2 environments.

Let’s have a look at the apps menu.

That’s different, right?

How ‘bout each environment with a bunch of windows open?

There is a certain difference in terms of the vibe.

Software collection

Both environments come up with their default software.

File manager

File managers are one of the most important software of all desktop systems in the world. Linux Mint Cinnamon features Nemo file manager. It’s a lightweight file manager that’s simple yet powerful enough to handle nefarious file management tasks. It’s a fork of the Nautilus file manager.

On the other hand, Linux Mint MATE features Caja as the file manager with various advanced options. It’s another fork of Nautilus file manager.

Terminal

Linux Mint Cinnamon grabs the GNOME Terminal as the default terminal emulator.

On the other hand, Linux Mint Cinnamon uses the MATE Terminal as the terminal emulator.

Image viewer

Both Linux Mint Cinnamon and MATE features Xviewer as the default image viewer. It’s a great software that’s based on Eye of GNOME.

Media player

The default media player of Linux Mint is the Xplayer. It’s a lightweight media player that’s based on GNOME Videos.

Text editor

Linux Mint features the same text editor across all the flavors. It’s Xed – a lightweight text editor.

Lock screen

Here’s the lock screen of Cinnamon variation.

This is the lock screen of MATE.

Which one to choose?

Short answer: Completely up to you.

Long answer: There are different variables you have to keep in mind. For new Linux users, my personal recommendation would be the Cinnamon desktop. It’s extremely comfortable for Windows users. You can also try out MATE desktop if you want to.

Linux Mint allows having multiple desktop environments at your system. You can easily try out by yourself and choose which one to stick with.

Final thoughts

Both of these desktop environments are really cool and enjoyable for anyone. There are tons of ways to enhance your experience with both the desktop environments.

A great way is theming. As both of them use GTK+, you can implement all the popular GTK+ themes out there. Cinnamon has its own collection of themes and extensions. Check out Cinnamon Spices. Interested in all the finest GTK themes? Check out the best GTK+ themes for Linux Mint.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better Linux Mint Cinnamon or MATE?

In terms of what is better out of Linux Mint Cinnamon or Mate, it will depend on your experience of using Linux already and what you plan to use it for.

Linux Mint Cinnamon is the flagship Linux Mint product. What we mean by this is that this is the most modern looking Linux Mint OS desktop environment compared to other OS such as the Mate. It has a lot more tools than the Mate. The Mate is much more of a stable desktop environment and it is based on a simplistic and traditional desktop environment.

If you are used to the likes of Windows 7, then Linux Mint MATE is your best option. However, with the Linux Mint Cinnamon, the desktop environment is more similar to Windows 10 and so it is a little more sleek and modern.

It just depends on your preferences, particularly from an aesthetic standpoint because in terms of function they are both quite similar. In terms of software, there is not much difference. The main difference is the visuals, and even this is subtle.

Is Mate lighter than cinnamon?

Yes! We can confirm that the Linux Mint Mate is lighter when compared to the Linux Mint Cinnamon. Out of the two, it is the less resource-hungry desktop environment and so it is a lot lighter, with far fewer libraries.

Compared to the Linux Mint Cinnamon desktop, it is a lot more stable and so it is much quicker. The reason for this is because the Mate is based on older frameworks and libraries which are more stable due to having years of use, upgrades, and experience.

In comparison, the Cinnamon version has a lot fewer libraries and is still in its infancy (at least in comparison to Mate). This means that bugs are still possible.

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Linux Cinnamon vs. Linux MATE

Choose the Linux desktop that’s right for you

Linux Mint supports several well-designed desktop environments, including Cinnamon and MATE. We looked at both to help you choose the best Linux desktop for your needs.

A desktop environment is the graphical look and layout of a system, plus a default set of utilities, applications, and settings options. The Linux ecosystem supports more than a dozen commonly used DEs.

Overall Findings

Developed by the Linux Mint team.

Derived from the GNOME desktop standard.

Works with most Linux distributions.

Clean design aesthetic.

Coordinated design aesthetic limits UI tweaks.

Themes apply out of the box.

Originally managed by a developer from Argentina.

Derived from the GNOME desktop standard.

Compatible with most Linux distributions.

Look and feel isn’t as polished.

Leaner and less hardware-intensive.

Simple utilities never fail.

MATE is a continuation of the discontinued version 2.x of the GNOME desktop. It retains the conventional desktop schema of a bottom panel with a simple application menu and list of running apps, as well as a home screen where files may be stored. MATE is incredibly customizable.

Cinnamon is an alternate-track fork of the Gnome 3.x project and has a standard desktop appearance. It incorporates advanced menu options, a cleaner minimal interface, and a curated selection of extensions for the status bar and other home screen elements. It aims to provide Linux users a modern desktop that strikes a balance between functionality and elegance.

Aesthetics: Cinnamon Wins With Consistency

Clean design aesthetic.

Simple widget and themes administration.

Extensible content store.

Adherence to 2.x GNOME means individual items are fragmented.

Design templates don’t overlay perfectly because of inconsistent design requirements.

Cinnamon is all about looking sleek and consistent while allowing users to choose the thematic inflection they want. Themes, along with other graphical elements such as desklet widgets and applet widgets for the status bar, install from the Cinnamon Themes menu. An online extension store customizes Cinnamon while keeping the panel from getting out of control and cluttered.

Speed: MATE Stays Lean

As with KDE, the resource overhead for the glossy sheen isn’t trivial.

A component-level plug-and-play design approach limits global resource overhead.

Overall, MATE is leaner and less hardware-intensive than Cinnamon, which makes it generally faster. The less-flashy look of MATE means it doesn’t have to devote as much memory and processing to visual effects, making everything run smoothly. The default utility set for MATE also swaps out a few Cinnamon utilities for smaller, simpler alternatives that cut down on loading lag time for app startup.

Customization: MATE Supports Different Engines

Coordinated design aesthetic limits the full range of UI tweaks.

Customizations, being hooked into the window manager, operate globally.

Choose from several window managers/compositors and customize outside the constraints of a global environment.

Customize things however you like.

While Cinnamon places the customization menus front and center, it presents a restrictive array of choices. MATE lets you make whatever tweaks you can imagine. MATE lets you switch things up more piecemeal. Instead of applying a single theme to all UI elements the way Cinnamon encourages users to do, MATE lets you go in different directions for the look of menus, window bars, and icons. For example, it’s straightforward to configure the MATE panel differently from the rest of the menu UI, whereas Cinnamon discourages this.

You can also customize the window manager, the program at the heart of a desktop environment that dictates how windows are drawn and positioned, in MATE more than in Cinnamon. Cinnamon only provides one option, while MATE supports several window managers and more than one compositor. One combined window manager-compositor that stands out is Compiz, which lets you delve deep into the graphical effects for moving windows, switching workspaces, and related features.

Stability: MATE Is Built on a Solid Foundation

Some bells-and-whistles haven’t been fine-tuned. You’ll see more glitches and inconsistencies the more you stray from standard off-the-shelf systems.

Based on robust, if old, frameworks, promoting stability.

With simple applications, a no-frills interface, and tried-and-true GTK+ 2 libraries, MATE is rock-solid. By not trying to do too much, and doing everything well, MATE rarely crashes. Things work, and if you want them to look nicer and still work, you can do that too.

Usability: Cinnamon Is Locked and Loaded

Themes apply out-of-the-box and adjust with a few clicks.

Takes time to configure everything.

The unified look and full-featured utilities of Cinnamon make it ideal for a modern computing experience. Every customization portal has a consistent app-store-like interface, whether it’s an app store or a theming menu, that is common on modern desktop and laptop computers. Every utility, such as the image or document viewer, is rich, full-featured, and doesn’t cut down on menu options for the sake of efficient processing, as MATE sometimes does.

Utilities: Depends on How Fancy You Want Apps

Tends to offer tools that have remained current with Gnome 3.x pathways.

Great for older utilities that update slowly, or haven’t left the Gnome 2.x universe.

Utilities access and manipulate files of all types, administer the system, and make the desktop useful. If you’re looking for simple utilities that never fail, MATE is the best bet. If you want a modern, unabridged set of features and a sleek finish, check out Cinnamon.

Final Verdict

Cinnamon has a modern design that doesn’t require much component-level tweaking. It has higher resource overheads but a snazzier visual appeal. MATE is robust, but not as polished. Fine-tuning requires some time and knowledge of how things work under-the-hood, but it is highly customizable.

MATE offers a well-tested, highly configurable interface that’s still rocking the Windows XP motifs. Cinnamon aims to be modern, and in so doing, it delivers more polish with less efficiency and customization.

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