Why MATE is the best Linux desktop environment for retro computing enthusiasts
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 using hardware from the 90s or people who want an 8-bit pixelated display. I’m talking about a much deeper desire: people who miss what desktop computing felt like in the 2000s. A time when:
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The performance mattered more than the animation.
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The 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 burger icons for the sake of minimalism.
For these people, 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 was divided. Many people weren’t ready to let go of the menu- and panel-based workflow they had mastered over years of use. MATE emerged from that point on as a direct continuation of the GNOME 2 codebase. If you used Ubuntu between 2004 and 2011, launching MATE today triggers instant recognition: the panels, the menu structure, the applet system – everything works exactly as you remember it.
That said, MATE is not only inspired by GNOME 2 – literally East GNOME 2, forked and actively maintained. Developers continue to update dependencies, fix security vulnerabilities, and ensure compatibility with modern Linux systems. HiDPI scaling is supported on high-resolution displays. The file manager handles modern file systems and network protocols smoothly. Additionally, at the time of writing, support for Wayland is under development, ensuring that MATE won’t be left behind as the Linux ecosystem gradually moves away from X11.
What makes this particularly appealing to retro computing enthusiasts is that you get the authentic GNOME 2 interface combined with a secure, modern foundation. You can actually operate this desktop on your main work computer on a daily basis. It’s nostalgia without compromise. You’re not using outdated software: you’re using an actively maintained desktop that preserves a functional, beloved workflow that most traditional operating systems have abandoned.
Can be customized to look like other retro operating systems
MATE may not be as customizable as KDE Plasma, but it still offers an extensive customization system that can fundamentally change the way the desktop looks and behaves. It’s possible to recreate the aesthetics of classic operating systems and desktop environments like Windows XP, Mac OS X, Unity-era Ubuntu, and more.
Many of these layouts come preconfigured through the MATE Tweak app, but you can also create your own from scratch. MATE offers a remarkably flexible panel system that allows you to add, remove, and rearrange panel applets as you wish, similar to KDE Plasma. The desktop supports multiple panels at once and gives you granular control over background size, position, auto-hiding behavior, and transparency.
You also get excellent thematic support. Since MATE is based on GNOME, it is compatible with most GTK 2 and GTK 3 themes. This opens the door to hundreds of themes that capture the retro look of classic operating systems.
All this flexibility means that MATE isn’t just for users who want to preserve the GNOME 2 experience. It’s also suitable for anyone who wants to recreate the look and workflow of almost any classic desktop computer. In this sense, MATE is not just nostalgic: it is a versatile platform for retro computing in all its forms.
Actively resists unnecessary tendencies
Office environments love to follow trends and spice things up from time to time. They rethink workflows, reinvent user interfaces, and fundamentally change the way you interact with your computer, whether you like it or not. MATE takes the opposite approach: don’t fix what’s not broken.
GNOME 2’s version of the traditional desktop paradigm (customizable panels, self-explanatory menus, and visible window controls) doesn’t need to be reinvented. It worked in 2004, it worked in 2011, and it still works today. For many people, this remains one of the most effective ways to get their jobs done, and MATE delivers on that.
Even office environments that started with similar goals of preserving the traditional office tend to experiment over time. Cinnamon, for example, started as an inspired fork of GNOME 2, but has constantly introduced interface changes and new features. The latest version of Cinnamon 6.6 has revamped the apps menu, and many people are complaining that the changes have broken their years of muscle memory.
MATE, on the other hand, is deliberately conservative. Its development philosophy favors stability and predictability over reinvention. This doesn’t mean it rejects progress outright: when a trend is objectively better, MATE adopts it. Wayland, for example, offers clear security and efficiency advantages over X11, and MATE is moving in that direction.
But forcing people to adopt new interaction patterns, like prioritizing virtual desktops over app taskbars, isn’t an improvement. It’s a shift to a different paradigm. It’s change for change’s sake, and MATE doesn’t play that game. MATE in 2026 works almost the same as MATE in 2016.
There is an interesting side effect to this approach. While other desktop environments continue to modernize and evolve, MATE becomes more distinctly retro simply by standing still. Like a well-aged wine, it increases in value without needing to be modified. With each passing year, MATE becomes a more authentic time capsule of the classic Linux desktop experience.
What are the best distributions to discover MATE
MATE can be installed on virtually any Linux distribution, but some provide a better experience than others. My main recommendation is Ubuntu MATE, which is also maintained by members of the MATE development team. With it, you essentially experience MATE as it was intended by its developers, in all the glory of GNOME 2.
However, if your first instinct after installing MATE is to upgrade to a Windows XP setup, then Linux Mint MATE Edition is the better choice. It’s one of the most popular distributions with an official version of MATE, and it comes preconfigured to provide a decidedly retro, Windows-like experience.
