[SOLVED] Cinammon alongside MATE and removing default XFCE

[AngryDavid 808]

Hello, everyone! It's been a while!

So I've installed Linux Mint 19.2 XFCE 32-bit on my old PC. And I'd love to know the following:

1- Where to get the Cinammon desktop environment?
2- How to make the MATE Desktop environment the default one and get rid of the XFCE one?

And that is all, thank you! I'm awaiting answers.
Regards,
David

[smurphos]

Removing XFCE would require a bit of package management surgery, so I'd suggest starting with a fresh Mate or Cinnamon install and then adding the other DE. With LightDM/Slickgreeter in default settings and a multi DE install the default is always the last one logged into.

No matter how you start you can install the additional DE's via

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apt install mint-meta-cinnamon

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apt install mint-meta-mate

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apt install mint-meta-xfce

Beware that 32bit and 'old PC' suggests to me that Cinnamon might not be a great user experience. It's the most demanding DE on hardware. Don't even go there if your RAM is 2GB or less.

[AngryDavid 808]

Removing XFCE would require a bit of package management surgery, so I'd suggest starting with a fresh Mate or Cinnamon install and then adding the other DE. With LightDM/Slickgreeter in default settings and a multi DE install the default is always the last one logged into.

No matter how you start you can install the additional DE's via

Code: Select all

apt install mint-meta-cinnamon

Code: Select all

apt install mint-meta-mate

Code: Select all

apt install mint-meta-xfce

Beware that 32bit and 'old PC' suggests to me that Cinnamon might not be a great user experience. It's the most demanding DE on hardware. Don't even go there if your RAM is 2GB or less.

Well, the problem lies in the fact that I tried to actually install MATE because that's what I mainly wanted. But I couldn't get into the Live CD session, not even on compatibility mode. Both the regular option and the compatibility option give the same black screen with the Num Lock being on, but I can't turn it back off. So, does that mean I'm stuck with doing a package management surgery, which would require some experience that I don't have?

I look forward to seeing your reply. Thanks in advanve.
Regards,
David

[Flemur]

Well, the problem lies in the fact that I tried to actually install MATE because that's what I mainly wanted.

Is "the problem" that you installed MATE[sic] and it broke the system? (The meta package or something else?) The various desktop environments don't play nice with each other because the underlying OS design is poor.

But I couldn't get into the Live CD session, not even on compatibility mode.

??

[AngryDavid 808]

Well, the problem lies in the fact that I tried to actually install MATE because that's what I mainly wanted.

Is "the problem" that you installed MATE[sic] and it broke the system? (The meta package or something else?) The various desktop environments don't play nice with each other because the underlying OS design is poor.

But I couldn't get into the Live CD session, not even on compatibility mode.

??

Let me explain, sir. What I meant is, when I flashed Linux Mint 19.2 MATE on my flash drive and tried to install it on my PC, when I select "Start Linux Mint", it gives me a black screen with the MS-DOS-like Pointer and then, black screen. Nothing happens. Same happens when I choose "Start Linux Mint on Compatibility Mode", same result. So, what I meant is that I couldn't get into Linux Mint MATE's Live CD session to install Linux Mint MATE. The only way I got to install Linux Mint on the PC in question, is by flashing the XFCE version instead, and selecting "Start LM on Compatibility Mode" to get it installed. After installation, the system works just fine. With no need to boot into, umm, Safe Mode, or whatever this mode is called in Linux? Idk, but the thing that matters is, the new installation boots normally the way it would anywhere else.

Hope that helps.

[decrepit]

did you do the shasum check on the downloaded iso?

[smurphos]

I look forward to seeing your reply. Thanks in advanve.
Regards,
David

Well your first step would be to install MATE using the command I gave, log out, log back in to MATE and check if everything works OK. Make a Timeshift snapshot first so you can revert if it goes horribly wrong. I don't think it will, I've been running several Mint VM's for months with XFCE, MATE and Cinnamon all installed with no issues.

If all OK personally I would just leave XFCE installed but if you really want to get rid I'll see if I can work out what you need to do without breaking anything.

[AngryDavid 808]

Hello again!
About the timeshift part, I don't really think I need a snapshot. Since I have nothing really installed on Linux Mint.

So yeah, I am willing to push on regardless of the consequences, if you kindly could, of course.

I'm awaiting your response, and thank you for responding.

Regards,
David

[smurphos]

I'm not sure what you are waiting for then - fire up a terminal and run

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apt install mint-meta-mate

Log out, lock back into the MATE session, post back when you decide you are happy enough with MATE to attempt the XFCE removal.

[Beerislife]

When you boot from a Flash drive, before Linux boots, edit Grub and add:

nomodeset

after the "quiet splash" entries.

On the line starting with

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT=

Save and boot normally. That should cure the black screen on boot problem.

[AngryDavid 808]

I'm not sure what you are waiting for then - fire up a terminal and run

Code: Select all

apt install mint-meta-mate

Log out, lock back into the MATE session, post back when you decide you are happy enough with MATE to attempt the XFCE removal.

Well, I have been using MATE for a while now and it seems comfy to me. So yeah, guess my old PC is ready for the XFCE removal.

I'm ready at any time. Thank you.
Regards,
David

[smurphos]

First do take a timeshift snapshot just in case I haven't got this right...

Then whilst logged in to your MATE session - in a terminal

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apt purge --autoremove thunar thunar* xfce4* xfconf xfdesktop4 xfwm4 mugshot

Then

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sudo dpkg -r --force-depends mint-info-xfce

Then

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apt install mint-info-mate

[AngryDavid 808]

Hello again! Sorry for the long delay.

So, I did exactly as you told me, restarted my PC to make sure everything works, and sure enough, I got the wanted results!
Thank you for your assistance.
Regards,
David

[AngryDavid 808]

Oh BTW, I tried the Cinnamon DE on my PC as well, works perfectly with a little bit of delay, not lagging or anything, it's fine, things are just a tad slow. Not too bad though. So yeah, it works despite the fact that I have only 2 GB of RAM.

[smurphos]

Hello again! Sorry for the long delay.

Glad it worked out - I was slightly worried you'd borked your computer and couldn't get online.