{"slug": "mate", "name": "MATE", "category": "os", "category_name": "Operating systems and desktop", "description": "", "recommenders": 3, "commenters": 5, "warners": 0, "score": 3.051, "rising": 0.35, "first": "2026-01-02", "latest": "2026-09-24", "why": "Gnome's \"we know better than you\" attitude is why I switched to Mate years ago.", "why_is_quote": true, "has_verdict": false, "sentiment": {"recommend": 3, "neutral": 1, "compare": 1, "warn": 0}, "spark": [0, 0, 2, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 0], "listed": true, "loved": [], "caveat": "", "short_quote": "Gnome's \"we know better than you\" attitude is why I switched to Mate years ago.", "icon": true, "domain": null, "github_repo": null, "official_url": "https://mate-desktop.org", "pricing": "", "aliases": ["MATE"], "verdict": null, "praise": [{"label": "", "summary": "", "quotes": [{"id": 797285920, "item_id": 49830370, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49830370", "by": "throw7", "date": "2026-09-24", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I've decided to be frozen in time with MATE (basically gnome 2).", "excerpt": "\"Focus follows mouse\" is what I use to keep the file manager from popping up when click-dragging files. The biggest problem with UX developers is they know better than you AND force you into their paradigm. They came on the scene and decided \"Choice is Bad\" coupled with \"Our way or the highway\". I've decided to be frozen in time with MATE (basically gnome 2). I have problems with it, but I've realized I don't want to", "context": "", "use_case": "desktop environment", "switched_from": "", "story": "Ideas on modernizing the open-source desktop"}, {"id": 745426289, "item_id": 46589143, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46589143", "by": "user3939382", "date": "2026-01-12", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "New Desktop is FreeBSD+MATE.", "excerpt": "I\u2019ve been an Apple user since before there was such thing as Mac, OS X or macOS has been my daily driver for over 20 years. The SIP bullshit, buried dark pattern allow buttons to download programs. The totally out of control background processes and snooping and remote online checks for every program execution nanny state bullshit. I\u2019m 100% done with iOS macOS all of it. New Desktop is FreeBSD+MATE. Config is a pain ", "context": "Apple user for over 20 years", "use_case": "desktop environment", "switched_from": "macOS", "story": "The struggle of resizing windows on macOS Tahoe"}, {"id": 744227968, "item_id": 46514248, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46514248", "by": "probably_wrong", "date": "2026-01-06", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Gnome's \"we know better than you\" attitude is why I switched to Mate years ago.", "excerpt": "I'm with the Mozilla commenter who suggests \"If the feature should be deprecated, the first place for such a change would be the platform toolkits\". I sometimes use apps where Ctrl-V doesn't paste, and they drive me crazy. I would also argue that they should leave middle click alone - \"some users are confused\" doesn't strike me as a good enough reason for removing a 30-years-old Linux feature (someone will always be ", "context": "Linux user", "use_case": "desktop environment", "switched_from": "GNOME", "story": "Gnome and Mozilla Discuss Proposal to Disable Middle Mouse Paste on Linux"}]}], "caveats": [], "who": [{"by": "user3939382", "context": "Apple user for over 20 years", "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46589143", "date": "2026-01-12"}, {"by": "probably_wrong", "context": "Linux user", "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46514248", "date": "2026-01-06"}], "tags": [], "use_cases": ["desktop environment", "desktop"], "compared": [{"slug": "gnome", "name": "GNOME", "co": 4, "switched_from": 2, "switched_to": 0}, {"slug": "cinnamon", "name": "Cinnamon", "co": 1, "switched_from": 1, "switched_to": 0}, {"slug": "macos", "name": "macOS", "co": 1, "switched_from": 1, "switched_to": 0}, {"slug": "xfce", "name": "Xfce", "co": 2, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 0}], "makers": [], "threads": [{"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49825642", "title": "Ideas on modernizing the open-source desktop", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46579864", "title": "The struggle of resizing windows on macOS Tahoe", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46584173", "title": "XFCE Is Great", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46513010", "title": "Gnome and Mozilla Discuss Proposal to Disable Middle Mouse Paste on Linux", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46471081", "title": "Microsoft kills official way to activate Windows 11/10 without internet", "mentions": 1}], "sentiment_by_month": {"2025-11": {}, "2025-12": {}, "2026-01": {"neutral": 1, "recommend": 2, "compare": 1}, "2026-02": {}, "2026-03": {}, "2026-04": {}, "2026-05": {}, "2026-06": {}, "2026-07": {}, "2026-08": {}, "2026-09": {"recommend": 1}, "2026-10": {}}, "quotes": [{"id": 797285920, "item_id": 49830370, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49830370", "by": "throw7", "date": "2026-09-24", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I've decided to be frozen in time with MATE (basically gnome 2).", "excerpt": "\"Focus follows mouse\" is what I use to keep the file manager from popping up when click-dragging files. The biggest problem with UX developers is they know better than you AND force you into their paradigm. They came on the scene and decided \"Choice is Bad\" coupled with \"Our way or the highway\". I've decided to be frozen in time with MATE (basically gnome 2). I have problems with it, but I've realized I don't want to", "context": "", "use_case": "desktop environment", "switched_from": "", "story": "Ideas on modernizing the open-source desktop"}, {"id": 745426289, "item_id": 46589143, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46589143", "by": "user3939382", "date": "2026-01-12", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "New Desktop is FreeBSD+MATE.", "excerpt": "I\u2019ve been an Apple user since before there was such thing as Mac, OS X or macOS has been my daily driver for over 20 years. The SIP bullshit, buried dark pattern allow buttons to download programs. The totally out of control background processes and snooping and remote online checks for every program execution nanny state bullshit. I\u2019m 100% done with iOS macOS all of it. New Desktop is FreeBSD+MATE. Config is a pain ", "context": "Apple user for over 20 years", "use_case": "desktop environment", "switched_from": "macOS", "story": "The struggle of resizing windows on macOS Tahoe"}, {"id": 745368336, "item_id": 46585521, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46585521", "by": "rich_sasha", "date": "2026-01-12", "stance": "compare", "quote": "I remember mate being ever so slightly unstable (not sure if it was HW compatibility issues).", "excerpt": "I used to be on Gnome when it was the old interface (windows XP style), then moved to MATE. Never used Xfce. How does it compare to MATE? I remember mate being ever so slightly unstable (not sure if it was HW compatibility issues).", "context": "", "use_case": "desktop environment", "switched_from": "GNOME", "story": "XFCE Is Great"}, {"id": 744227968, "item_id": 46514248, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46514248", "by": "probably_wrong", "date": "2026-01-06", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Gnome's \"we know better than you\" attitude is why I switched to Mate years ago.", "excerpt": "I'm with the Mozilla commenter who suggests \"If the feature should be deprecated, the first place for such a change would be the platform toolkits\". I sometimes use apps where Ctrl-V doesn't paste, and they drive me crazy. I would also argue that they should leave middle click alone - \"some users are confused\" doesn't strike me as a good enough reason for removing a 30-years-old Linux feature (someone will always be ", "context": "Linux user", "use_case": "desktop environment", "switched_from": "GNOME", "story": "Gnome and Mozilla Discuss Proposal to Disable Middle Mouse Paste on Linux"}, {"id": 743565106, "item_id": 46472819, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46472819", "by": "999900000999", "date": "2026-01-02", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "I had to switch to Mate and then spend another 20 minutes trying to get it look ok.", "excerpt": "This is the reason Windows is essentially free. I believe once( this is an urban legend) a manufacturer in a middle income country considered going with Linux to save money and Microsoft flew out a sales rep next day to put a stop to it. Microsoft likes it when you get a \"deal\" and buy a pro key for 10$. Whatever, you'll subscribe to half a dozen Microwave services ideally paying them 30$ to 40$ a month forever. The ", "context": "", "use_case": "desktop", "switched_from": "Cinnamon", "story": "Microsoft kills official way to activate Windows 11/10 without internet"}]}