how to copy all Mate config to a new machine

[pgf]

I'd like to take everything I've set up: menus, workspaces, panels, key bindings, mouse preferences, applet config and application config (for startup apps, at least), and put them on a new machine.

Is this even possible? It seems that it's no longer expected for system programs to document where their configuration lives.

[deepakdeshp]

If you clone your disk or Linux partition, it should work. I have used Clonezilla successfully for this. There is Foxclone whose developer is AndyMH present on this forum.

[pgf]

Oh, I have no doubt that cloning my installation would do it.
I wasn't specific enough -- my bad. I have a couple of other machines in the house that are currently running a different WM, and I'd like to switch to Mate on those, just as I have on my laptop. I don't want to reinstall them -- just want to run a fresh Mate, configured like my laptop.

[smurphos]

Is this even possible? It seems that it's no longer expected for system programs to document where their configuration lives.

Most of the mate desktop config is is dconf (along with the config for any gnome apps, and some third part apps that have adopted dconf for there config storage).

Install dconf-editor for a GUI interface to explore what's in there and decide what you want to backup, but I suspect this will do the job for the mate specific stuff...in a terminal

Code: Select all

dconf dump /org/mate/ > somefilename

& on the new install having moved the backup file (this is best done form a TTY without the desktop running)

Code: Select all

dconf load /org/mate/ < somefilename

Otherwise - you are looking at (I'd recommend selective) backup and restore of contents of ~/.config, ~/.linuxmint and ~/.local/share and possibly some of the . files or folders in the root of your ~/

[pgf]

Thank you! Those dconf dump/load commands will be great.
I'll muddle through the rest.

[rickNS]

Code: Select all

dconf load /org/mate/ < somefilename

Smorphos, I have to ask, because I am not smart. Did you read all the thread ? And note the part where the OP wants his MATE settings transferred to;

I have a couple of other machines in the house that are currently running a different WM, and I'd like to switch to Mate on those

I just didn't think this was possible, to dump MATE settings on to say Cinnamon. I well could be wrong, I have been before, and apologize if I am.

[pgf]

I think that once again that I wasn't clear enough in my initial request, so I'll start further back:
I've always used fvwm as my WM. For decades, in fact. I've decided (for reasons having nothing to do with FVWM -- it's great) to switch my several machines (all "daily drivers") to using Mate, instead.
I've switched on my laptop, and spent the last few weeks doing all the usual tweaking one does to get everything [as close as possible] to perfect.
Now I want to switch to Mate on those other machines as well. So I'll be doing a dconf dump of Mate settings on my laptop, and a dconf load of those settings on the other machines. Plus copying configs for some other non-Mate tools, of course.

[smurphos]

Smorphos, I have to ask, because I am not smart. Did you read all the thread ?

Yep... the question asked was how to transfer configs, not how to install MATE, which the OP already stated he has done on one machine.

[rickNS]

Yep... the question asked was how to transfer configs, not how to install MATE, which the OP already stated he has done on one machine.

I get that the OP has MATE on one machine, and the "others" are FVWM. If they all started out from the same ISO download (MATE), I also get, no problem.

My question is, and remains If those "other" machines started out as Mint Cinnamon, (which wasn't made clear, to me anyway) would the MATE config dump still work on them?

[smurphos]

It would work, and the settings would be recorded , the only issue would be noted in dconf-editor where the user would be asked if they wanted to delete any keys with no system default, or they would be deleted if the user ran a dconf reset

Installing MATE installs the packages that set the dconf defaults.

[smurphos]

Just for kicks

Code: Select all

steve@steve-Inspiron-5580:~$ dconf write /some/nonsense/smurphos true