Tired of desktop environments (DEs) that keep “improving” things that already worked perfectly? Does your modern Linux desktop feel like it was designed for someone else’s workflow? Well, MATE preserves the old way of using a computer-and here’s why it’s the best DE for retro enthusiasts.
What makes MATE perfect for retro computing
when I talk about retro computing enthusiasts in the Linux world, I’m not necessarily talking about people running hardware from the ’90s or folks who want an 8-bit, pixelated display. I’m talking about a much deeper longing-people who miss the way desktop computing felt in the 2000s. A time when:
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Performance mattered more than animation.
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Interfaces were designed for keyboard and mouse input-not touchscreens.
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The desktop was a place to keep files and icons,not just a backdrop for a wallpaper.
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Menu items were front and center, not hidden behind hamburger icons for the sake of minimalism.
For these folks, MATE stands out as the ideal desktop environment-and here are three reasons why.
The GNOME 2 codebase made compatible for the modern era
When GNOME decided to radically reinvent the desktop paradigm with GNOME 3 in 2011, the Linux community split.Many people weren’t ready to abandon the menu-and-panel workflow they had mastered over years of use. MATE emerged from that moment as a direct continuation of the GNOME 2 codebase. If you used Ubuntu between 2004 and 2011, firing up MATE today triggers instant recognition-the panels, the menu structure, the applet system-everything works exactly as you remember.
That said, MATE isn’t just inspired by GNOME 2-it literally is GNOME 2, forked and actively maintained. The developers continue to update dependencies, patch security vulnerabilities, and ensure compatibility with modern Linux systems. There’s support for hidpi scaling on high-resolution displays. The file manager handles modern filesystems and network protocols without issue. Also, at the time of writing, Wayland support is in progress, ensuring MATE won’t be left behind as the Linux ecosystem gradually moves away from X11.
What makes this particularly compelling for retro computing enthusiasts is that you get the authentic GNOME 2 interface paired with a secure, modern foundation.You can genuinely daily drive this desktop on your main work computer. It’s nostalgia without compromise. You’re not running outdated software-you’re running an actively maintained desktop that preserves a beloved and functional workflow most mainstream operating systems have abandoned.
Can be customized to look like other retro operating systems
MATE might not be as customizable as KDE Plasma, but it still offers an extensive customization system that can fundamentally change how the desktop looks and behaves. It’s possible to recreate the aesthetic of classic operating systems and desktop environments like Windows XP, Mac OS X, Ubuntu
Desktop environments love to chase trends and spice things up from time to time. They redesign workflows, reimagine user interfaces, and fundamentally change how you interact with your computer-whether you want them to or not. MATE takes the opposite approach: don’t fix what isn’t broken.
GNOME 2’s take on the conventional desktop paradigm-customizable panels, explicit menus, and visible window controls-doesn’t need reimagining. It worked in 2004,it worked in 2011,and it still works today. For many folks, it remains one of the most efficient ways to get work done, and MATE respects that.
Even desktop environments that started with similar goals of preserving the traditional desktop tend to experiment over time. Cinnamon, for example, began as a GNOME 2-inspired fork but has consistently introduced interface changes and new features. The latest Cinnamon 6.6 release reorganized the submission menu, and many people are complaining that the changes broke their years of muscle memory.
MATE, by contrast, is deliberately conservative. Its development philosophy prioritizes stability and predictability over reinvention. That doesn’t mean it rejects progress outright-when a trend is objectively better, MATE adopts it. Wayland, as an example, offers clear security and efficiency advantages over X11, and MATE is moving in that direction.
But forcing people into new interaction model
However, if your first instinct after installing MATE is to switch to a Windows XP-layout, then Linux Mint MATE Edition is the better choice. It’s one of the most popular distros with an official MATE spin, and it comes preconfigured to deliver a distinctly retro, Windows-like experience.
