The desktop
A two-panel MATE desktop: menus and clock at the top, your windows and workspaces at the bottom.
- Applications, Places and System menus. Programs, folders and settings, each in its own menu.
- Notification area, volume control and clock. At the right of the top panel.
- Desktop icons. Home, Computer and Trash on the desktop, over your wallpaper.
- Caja file manager. Windows have a title bar, a menu bar and a side pane.
- Window list. One button for each open window, in the bottom panel.
- Workspace switcher. Move between workspaces from the bottom panel.
Parts of the desktop
Panels
The top panel holds the Applications, Places and System menus, the notification area, the volume control and the clock. The bottom panel holds the window list and the workspace switcher.
Panels are yours to arrange. Right-click a panel and choose "Add to Panel" to add an applet, as MATE users expect.
Caja file manager
Caja is MATE's file manager. It manages your files and also draws the desktop itself, including the desktop icons and wallpaper.
MATE Control Center
Settings are gathered in the MATE Control Center, reached from the System menu.
Look
The default look is the Menta theme with the Noto Sans font and Yaru icons.
Built for Wayland
Some desktop jobs work differently on Wayland than on X11, so this desktop uses tools written for Wayland.
Displays
Multiple monitors are supported, each at its own resolution. Display configuration uses wdisplays, and kanshi applies your saved layout when monitors are connected.
Screen lock
The screen is locked with gtklock.
Screenshots
Screenshots are taken with grim.
Older applications
XWayland is included, so applications that are not yet Wayland-native still run.
More detail
For versions and the full list of components, see Under the hood.
In development. There is no public release yet. Release status