Mate applets usable in XFCE desktop?

[goetzkluge]

MateCharSelectApplet.png

This is reletated to http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.p ... 0&t=134607 , but about Mate applets in XFCE.

???

According to (http://www.linuxmint.com/rel_maya_xfce_whatsnew.php), "Linux Mint 13 XFCE" actually comes with XFCE 4.10. Heck, I should know... I use it!! (still, it's good to have a page that backs up my claim).

Also according to that page:

mintMenu and MATE applets

In the past, the xfapplet plugin made it possible for Xfce users to run Gnome applets within the Xfce panel. After talking to the MATE and Xfce developers, we updated this plugin and it now supports MATE applets.

Among the many MATE applets that can now run in Xfce, mintMenu is probably the most popular. Improvements were made to mintMenu so that it could support Thunar, the Xfce Settings Manager and other aspects of the Xfce desktop.

So, that ought to allow you some more variety/choice for applets... though I never bothered to try it myself.

After using Mate, I installed Mint 16 XFCE on a memory stick, as it stresses memory less than Mate. I really like XFCE. The only thing I am missing is a Mate applet which alows me to select special characters quickly from a panel.

I installed mate-desktop, but the Mate applets are not offered in the selection for the XFCE panel. (I didn't expect that anyway.) Where do I find the folder for the applets? Would installing symlinks to the respective Mate applet folder (if there is any) in the XFCE folder solve the problem? Or do I have to edit a config file?

Happy new year!
Goetz

[wyrdoak]

In Xfce, right chick on the panel bar, scroll down to panel, left click, scroll to add new items,left click, scroll to launcher,left click, left click add button, left click close button, in the panel bar go to the new launcher,right click and scroll to move, move it on the panel were you want it,left click on properties, right click, in the general tab lift click , chick the "+" button, scroll down to character map, left click,left click on the add button,left click on the close button, now you should have a launcher on your desktop for you character map.


Sorry for the detail, I'm used to typing instructions to my 72yr. old aunt.

[Monsta]

There were some big changes in MATE 1.6 "under the hood" compared to 1.4. Unfortunately, xfapplet wasn't updated, so it doesn't work in MATE 1.6. (That's why the people who recently enabled backports in Mint 13 Xfce found out that mintMenu does not work anymore.)

[goetzkluge]

@wyrdoak, thanks for the 72yrs old aunt compatible howto. This also is the way which I use to describe steps to my 88yrs old mother . In XFCE, however, this only is a shortcut to get to the Character Map App. In Mate you can pick special characters directly from (a second) pannel. (See screenshot in my question.)

@Monsta, thanks for the info. Let's see, what XFCE will have to offer in in mint 17.

As all that is free, I won't complain. Once I used Arch (and GNOME2 applets in the XFCE panel), but now I have no time to play with an OS. I just need it as a tool only. Mint does that job very well. All in all I really like Mint with Mate as well as with XFCE.

Happy new year to both of you
Goetz