[Solved] XFCE & Mate together question

[groze]

Here is what I did for those that didn't read my other post. Pardon my grammar.

I have Linux Mint XFCE 18.x installed. I added mate desktop using this terminal command

Code: Select all

sudo apt-get install mint-meta-mate

I know its not really recommended. So far no issues.

My question. By adding mate using sudo apt-get install mint-meta-mate to XFCE 18.x, will the mate part still get updates or will Linux Mint just update the XFCE desktop?

[bartszu]

Will get update too.

[groze]

Will get update too.

Thank you for the answer. However, I did forget something. When its time to upgrade to Linux mint 19.x or later version, will I need to do sudo apt-get purge mint-meta-mate before upgrading to xfce to 19.x or a later version provided my computer last that long.?

[bartszu]

Mate look this is Software Manager underlying of it is apt.

Selection_001.jpg

When you update, apt checks your collections of packages first.
Then look thru repos if there are updates, then update once which got updates.

To make it simpler lets use numbers.

Lets say you have package1, package2, package333, package4589, package5555.
Lets say package333, package4589 have newer versions in repos then ones on your PC.
So apt will download them and fetch them for you.

Apt is a robot, it is not concerned if you need, use or what you do with your packages.
So you can have entire KDE desktop installed which you don’t use and never open.
If KDE packages will get updates, apt will update them too.
You don’t need to uninstall anything just update.

[bartszu]

What is your environment now XFCE or Mate ?
Never mind which ever you use atm, if you don’t experience any troubles, leave it that way, don’t bother to uninstall anything.
Just use your Linux.

[groze]

What is your environment now XFCE or Mate ?
Never mind which ever you use atm, if you don’t experience any troubles, leave it that way, don’t bother to uninstall anything.
Just use your Linux.

Thank you again for your help. I had an issue after all. I restored from backup. So, now I am only using Linux mint XFCE. I will have to think awhile if I want to add Mate by itself to another partition.

This is for reference only & why I went back to using XFCE only.
caja file manager, thunar file manager and firefox conflicted. It caused Firefox & the desktop itself to crash, when selecting open containing folder in the download library. Its not just Linux mate. I confirmed this by also installing on another partition Ubuntu Mate & adding XFCE desktop it had the same issue.

[bartszu]

I had XFCE once and did not liked it at all.
I like Mate very much Clem, Stefano and team did excellent tool out of it.
Although for Clem it is like secondary project as I guess his beloved kid is Cinnamon
If you are not happy with XFCE just drop it and go for Mate.
You can have two UI installed, I had it like that years ago.
If you don’t play to much with libs and don’t create too much confusion with your graphics shells it is likely to last.
Although if you decided on environment there is no point to keep second one.
Linux is collection of software, there is no point in mixing sets.
I think command for installing full mate desktop will be.
sudo apt-get install mate-desktop
But google it and maybe ask around, if you are not prepared for troubles and full reinstall.

[bartszu]

I mean some advanced users mix sets.
For example you could download i3 composing manager and use it instead of Marco in Mate.
And have very pleasant results.
But this is game for Linux old timers, who don’t fear of loosing graphics shell all together.
And KDE you probably need to exclude from this conclusion, as it actually have separate everything and its logic as experimental environment embedded into it from a very start.
I think Mate and XFCE DEs together should not be a problem, but read about it.