Mate Desktop Environment - GNOME2 fork

[z06gal]

zero, I am getting "external display not detected." How do I resolve that?

[zerozero]

Robin,
i suppose it's an external monitor? was it detected before installing mate?

[z06gal]

Robin,
i suppose it's an external monitor? was it detected before installing mate?

Yes. I could not get it resolved in mate so I came back to Cinnamon. Everything looks perfect here but it says the same thing for some reason. Mate is still so buggy for me that I think I'll stay with Cinnamon

[zerozero]

Robin,
multi-monitor support was something well supported in gnome2 afaik, so i would assume that it is also in mate (i prefer to have 2 different computers with one OS each, it's easier for me )
let's hope someone with more experience running that setup with mate comes in with a solution

[z06gal]

Thanks zero. I'm staying right here in Cinnamon

[äxl]

Just to confirm that this is common?

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sudo apt-get -s dist-upgrade
The following packages will be REMOVED:
  atril mate-core mate-desktop-environment
The following packages have been kept back:
  libatril
The following packages will be upgraded:
  atril-common mate-system-tools
2 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 3 to remove and 1 not upgraded.

Why libatril is kept back:

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sudo apt-get -s install libatril
The following packages have unmet dependencies:
 libatril : Depends: libglib2.0-0 (>= 2.31.8) but 2.30.2-6 is to be installed
            Depends: libkpathsea6 but it is not installable

Debian Wheezy repositories activated:

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sudo apt-get -s install atril-common mate-system-tools libglib2.0-0=2.32.0-4
The following extra packages will be installed:
  atril libatril libkpathsea6
Suggested packages:
  mate-file-manager
The following packages will be REMOVED:
  debian-system-adjustments eog gdm3 libglib2.0-bin packagekit
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  libkpathsea6
The following packages will be upgraded:
  atril atril-common libatril libglib2.0-0 mate-system-tools
5 upgraded, 1 newly installed, 5 to remove and 0 not upgraded.

I thought I needed at least debian-system-adjustments?

[zerozero]

äxl,
exactly what repos you have in sources.list

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inxi -r

will tell you the active ones

[äxl]

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Repos:     Active apt sources in file: /etc/apt/sources.list
           deb http://packages.linuxmint.com/ debian main upstream import
           deb http://debian.linuxmint.com/latest testing main contrib non-free
           deb http://debian.linuxmint.com/latest/security testing/updates main contrib non-free
           deb http://debian.linuxmint.com/latest/multimedia testing main non-free
           deb http://www.debian-multimedia.org/ testing main non-free
           deb http://packages.mate-desktop.org/repo/debian wheezy main
           deb http://tridex.net/repo/debian/ wheezy main #MATE

And for libglib2.0-0=2.31.8 and libkpathsea6 I activated:

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           deb http://ftp2.de.debian.org/debian wheezy main contrib non-free

Apt-Pinning

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Package: *
Pin: origin *.linuxmint.com
Pin-Priority: 700

Package: *
Pin: origin packages.mate-desktop.org
Pin-Priority: 700

Package: *
Pin: origin tridex.net
Pin-Priority: 700

Package: *
Pin: origin *.debian.org
Pin-Priority: 99

[zerozero]

how did you end up with a sources.list file that messed up?
- packages.mate-desktop and tridex.net are the same thing;
- debian.linuxmint latest/multimedia is superseded by http://www.debian-multimedia (ok you have the apt-pinning)

overall i think the problem is this > tracking tridex and latest is an explosive combination

[äxl]

how did you end up with a sources.list file that messed up?

I've seen worse ...

- packages.mate-desktop and tridex.net are the same thing;

Oops, that wasn't clear: viewtopic.php?f=198&t=67502&p=566802#p566543 So it's only a redirection.

- debian.linuxmint latest/multimedia is superseded by http://www.debian-multimedia (ok you have the apt-pinning)

http://blog.linuxmint.com/?p=1949

Replace debian-multimedia.org with debian.linuxmint.com/latest/multimedia

But maybe having both is superfluous ...

overall i think the problem is this > tracking tridex and latest is an explosive combination

I don't see anything "explosive" in the post and following. But what else should I do to help testing MATE?

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sudo apt-get -s install -t wheezy atril-common
The following extra packages will be installed:
  atril libatril libkpathsea6
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  libkpathsea6
The following packages will be upgraded:
  atril atril-common eog libatril libglib2.0-0 libglib2.0-bin
6 upgraded, 1 newly installed, 0 to remove and 685 not upgraded.

Debian Wheezy again ...

[zerozero]

Debian Wheezy again ...

ok i won't go thought the other points atm just trying to explain you why the way you are running that setup is problematic:

My Linux history: Ubuntu 10.04 - 10.10 - LMDE 201109 - UP4 (Testing+MATE)

it's like you install 10.04 and want to run 10.10's DE on top of it keeping the underlying 10.04 base system;
it may work for awhile (let's imagine that ubuntu really gets updates) but with time DE's updates are looking for lib. versions that you don't have (10.04 is old) and you get these "funny " surprises.

i'm not saying that it won't work (maybe yes, maybe not, as long as you keep fishing the required lib in wheezy) and with the new UP you are again in square 1 (ready for another mismatch)

wheezy is coming to the deep-freeze (june), until fev/march next year there's nothing going on apart from preparing debian7, you have more than the necessary skills to deal will testing, why keep a frankenstein system? (it's just my opinion)

[äxl]

ok i won't go thought the other points atm

Just explain the multimedia thing, please.

why keep a frankenstein system?

You're saying it's less frankenstein to have repositories from LMDE and MATE plus Debian than just some packages from Debian? I don't feel that that's the Mint way ...?
From Ubuntu I know almost nothing of dependency problems because updates mostly come in big bunches. So I want to try my setup. It's even more challenging.
I just find it sad that Mint isn't offering the needed packages for the latest MATE because I thought it was such a big part of the Debian Edition.
That said I rather stay with Mint and an "old" MATE than "go to Debian".

[zerozero]

Just explain the multimedia thing, please.

ok
- when the UP were introduced http://blog.linuxmint.com/?p=1781 (july/2011) multimedia and security weren't mirrored in debian.linuxmint
- that caused all sort of issues for the users using latest
viewtopic.php?f=198&t=67502&p=466498&hilit=multimedia#p466350
viewtopic.php?f=141&t=79910&start=0
viewtopic.php?f=141&t=79803&start=0
(i could eventually find more but those will give you a general idea)
- that's why with UP3 those repos start being mirrored as well http://blog.linuxmint.com/?p=1818 and you had to change repos (from debian multimedia to debian.linuxmint latest multimedia)

- basically the question there was: while packages.linuxmint and debian main were kept frozen (within the UP policy) debian multimedia was updating app and lib leading to errors and incompatibilities.


regarding the other subject (mate):
- mint already provides in lmde within UP4) the most stable updated v. of the DE (1.2)
- using tridex (to have access to the latest and gratest) has its requirements, one being that you need to stay synced with testing;
- the way you are doing it is not wrong basically you're applying small home-made UP every time your system is out of sync.
- but it's neither lmde latest nor lmde testing and you have to realize that sometimes troubleshoot an issue in there becomes more tricky.

[äxl]

ok

So debian-multimedia only works with debian.org? Or can I just replace latest/multimedia and still keep the rest of latest?

- mint already provides in lmde within UP4) the most stable updated v. of the DE (1.2)

I just thought I could be a bug hunter.

- but it's neither lmde latest nor lmde testing and you have to realize that sometimes troubleshoot an issue in there becomes more tricky.

I don't know if MATE will freeze with Wheezy but if they rely on Sid then I'm not sure I will go with that. It's for than to decide I guess ...

[zerozero]

So debian-multimedia only works with debian.org? Or can I just replace latest/multimedia and still keep the rest of latest?

you saw the examples, the pkg mismatches, take your chances (better not )

I don't know if MATE will freeze with Wheezy but if they rely on Sid

afaik the code is based on testing, so no worries there.

[äxl]

you saw the examples, the pkg mismatches, take your chances (better not )

Oh, now I get it.

afaik the code is based on testing, so no worries there.

I just hope they won't stop working on the code.

[Joe_Linux]

I would like to know how to add the "glipper" to the Maté desktop.

[Emerson Prado]

Hi all,
First, thanks a whole lot, perberos! You saved my home and work computers!
Now, a question: I installed Mate in two computers - home and work, as said - and, at home, I got the Gnome 2 desktop back, with everything. But, at work, Mate works good, except is looks like Gnome 3 Fallback mode, with the two panels and such. I wanted it to be just like I had in Gnome 2. Did I do anything wrong?
At work, I installed mate-core and took care of some conflicts with Gnome later (I didn't remove Gnome). At home, I selected mate-core and removed conflicts (like gnome-screensaver) before continuing. I'm using Synaptic. Ah, no Metacity nor Compiz in my work PC, but I would have to double check the one at home.
Still at work, ps -ef | grep gnome gives me:

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root      1400  1382  0 09:36 ?        00:00:00 /usr/lib/gdm3/gdm-simple-slave --display-id /org/gnome/DisplayManager/Display1
me    2298  2201  0 09:40 ?        00:00:04 /usr/bin/gnome-terminal
me    2365  2298  0 09:40 ?        00:00:00 gnome-pty-helper
me   16018     1  0 10:22 ?        00:00:00 /usr/lib/gnome-settings-daemon/gnome-settings-daemon


Is it too much Gnome still running? gnome-settings-daemon got me concerned.
Best regards,
Emerson

[THEREALSYANiDE]

[quote=Now, if only I could somehow make Compiz use my window borders.

+1 Is there a way yet?

Btw, this baby kicks ass! =][/quote]

The ONLY way I found to get Compiz to use your window borders, was by installing Emerald theme manager, and at that, you're restricted to Emerald themes. I use Oxygen.

You autostart at boot Compiz Icon,

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fusion-icon --force-compiz

In CCMP, set Window Decorations/Command

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emerald --replace

And to fix the cpu maxxed out issue, set a keyboard shortcut to

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killall -9 marco

(this is because after starting compiz, you no longer need marco.) Unfortunately, I haven't figured out a way to autostart Compiz at boot using emerald window manager -and- autorun "killall -9 marco". It will only let me do one or the other, hence why a keyboard shortcut is needed. If I had my way, startup into MATE would go straight to Compiz, but I haven't figured out how to do that yet. Unfortunately, I still to this day have to hit that keyboard shortcut at startup to get cpu to behave, and I haven't figured out a way to both autostart compiz using emerald window decorator, and kill marco automatically.

Other crafts that were handy in this venture:
Emerald Theme Manager


It's been a while since I finally got it all set up, but when I did, I made this post about it on my Google+:
https://plus.google.com/105233450454540251905/posts/Whf6nXsH4PW
Maybe that could be of some use to you.

In emerald-theme-manager, you are able to select window decorator and adjust such features as the size of window borders, etc. Hope this helps!

[Johnny75_]

Why in mdm (Mate Desktop Manager), a part of MDE, is not present a guest session? It's very good when i want give my pc to any friends, and i don't want they see my home, bookmarks, etc... Above all, it deletes everything when i close guest session and i open another one....
Thanks