It's been over a year, I don't have any idea what threads to look for. Just search for mate panel and I'm sure you'll stumble across the right one ... if it hasn't been deleted.
Wow, I can't believe that you actually wrote ...
I think the MATE panels are pretty good actually - better than XFCE's in many ways
... because that's a statement that you should back up with examples. Only someone who didn't understand
everything that XFCE panels are able to do, could possibly say something like that. I've mentioned it before, but here we go again ... If you use numerous Mate panels with dozens of symbols, these will not remain in the order that you want them
permanently, even when they're locked down. After a reboot your symbols can and often will be jumbled up all over the panel that they're in. I'm talking about the use of dozens of symbols.
How is that a good thing? That never happens with XFCE panels. If you want your symbols locked down on a Mate panel, you have to take the steps for each and every symbol to accomplish such a (not guaranteed to work) symbol lockdown. With XFCE you create the panel to your liking, just like with Mate, but then with one single click of the mouse the whole darn thing is locked in place. In three years this has never failed me.
How is having to lock each individual symbol down on Mate panels better than that? Not only can you run more panels more reliably with XFCE, but ever since XFCE version 4.10 you can even have additional panels running side by side. Not exactly sure what that's productive for but
it's certainly one more thing that Mate panels can't do. Let's see now, there's the "above and beyond" add launcher control in XFCE which permits you to instantly add a shortcut to any compatible app on your Linux system (bin folder) simply by typing a few key letters into the edit/command box.
Far more versatile than the more restrictive Mate panel. The Date & Time settings can be configured far more on XFCE panels with the built-in Orage Calendar that's actually included with the XFCE panels.
Mate panels don't have that and configuring the date/time settings to your liking isn't anywhere nearly as simple. Have you read about some of the Mate panel issues on this forum? The ones where people are complaining about misbehaving workspace switchers? Well, XFCE panels have their own built in workspace switcher and that one works like a charm, zero bugginess that I could find so far. And last but not least of course, the transparency thing that the Mate developers disabled since Gnome2 panels could actually be made to be 100% transparent also. Who's bright idea was it to dummy down the Mate panels so they couldn't be customized as much as the original Gnome2 panels any more? I don't view that as a good thing.
Granted, I have no idea what the limitations with XFCE panels are for someone who's trying to use them alongside the Mate panels on their desktop? Certainly that might be able to lead to bugginess and it's not anything that I'd recommend doing. Either use one panel, or the other ... but not both together ...
The single, only thing that I like about Mate panels ... when Mate is installed on Mint ... is the access to the Mate/Mint Main Menu. But you know what? I can live without that just fine since the XFCE panel is able to import almost everything that's in the Mint Menu.
Now what I would be extremely interested in, would be for you to back up that quote of yours about Mate panels being better in many ways? Heck, I'll even go easy by just asking for 2 clear & concise descriptions of how Mate panels (which are much more difficult to install individually) are better than XFCE panels? And when you provide your answer, please remember that the Mate / Mint Menu on Mint13/14/15 is actually more of a Mint developement, and not part of the standard Mate desktop package.
Thank you.
.
. I was clearly stating my opinion:
