Learn Ubuntu MATE
  • Home
    • Screen Tearing on Intel Graphics
    • Screen Tearing on AMD Graphics
    • How to install Realtek WiFi Driver >
      • How to install Realtek WiFi Driver (Pt 2)
    • Authentication is Required to Mount
    • Traditional Menu
    • Software >
      • App Grid
      • AppCenter
      • GNOME Software
      • Modern Apps
    • Welcome & Software Boutique
    • Remove Welcome & Software Boutique
    • TeamViewer
    • Simple How to Tips >
      • Change Wallpaper
      • Pin a Program
      • Change Date & Time
      • Enable Screensavers >
        • Cosmos Screensaver
      • Decrese Icon Padding
      • Enable Magnification
      • Fading Windows
      • Replace Clock Indicator
      • Remove Media Players
      • Fix ​​Error Mounting
      • Create a Submenu
      • Remove the Collection Menu
      • Preferred Applications
      • Upgrade LibreOffice
      • Install Fonts >
        • Install New Fonts
      • Play a DVD
      • Enable Livepatch
      • ESM-Apps
      • Update Software
      • Unresponsive Program
      • Install HWE >
        • Install HWE 20.04
      • Open HEIC Images
      • Open WebP Images
      • Packages Kept Back
      • USB Flash Drive
      • No Audio
      • Screen Flickering
      • Screen Blanking
      • Draining Battery
      • Reduce Shutdown Time
      • Create a Mount Point
      • Thunderbird Emoticons
      • Sound Preview
      • Failed To Download >
        • Failed to Download (#2)
      • Enter Password to Unlock
      • Two Wifi Icons
      • System Program Problem
      • CD Burner Issue
      • Firefox Homepage Fix
      • VLC Closes Fix
      • Desktop Error
      • Trash Bin
      • MATE Weather Applet
      • OpenGL: renderer: llvmpipe
      • PolicyKit vulnerability
    • Install Ubuntu MATE >
      • Burn an ISO to DVD
      • Create a Bootable USB
      • Upgrade Ubuntu MATE
  • Ubuntu MATE
    • How to Scan
    • How to Take a Screenshot
    • How to View a PDF File
    • Multiple Workspaces
    • Software Updater
    • Archive Manager
    • How to Burn CD/DVDs
    • Setup & Use Email >
      • Email Filter
      • Upgrade Thunderbird
    • Firefox Web Browser
    • Shotwell Photo Manager
    • Image Viewer
    • Caja File Manager
    • Trash
    • Play Videos
  • Additional Software
    • Antivirus >
      • BitDefender Antivirus
      • ClamTK Antivirus >
        • Clamscan Antivirus
        • ClamTK Caja Add-on
      • Comodo AntiVirus
    • Archive Managers >
      • Archive Manager
      • Ark
      • B1 Free Archiver
      • P7Zip-Desktop
      • PeaZip
      • Xarchiver
    • Browsers >
      • Brave
      • Chrome
      • Chromium
      • Falkon
      • Firefox
      • GNOME Web
      • Iridium Browser
      • LibreWolf
      • Microsoft Edge
      • Midori
      • Min Browser
      • NAVER Whale
      • Opera
      • Otter
      • Pale Moon
      • SeaMonkey
      • Sidekick
      • Slimjet Browser
      • SRWare Iron
      • Ungoogled Chromium
      • Vivaldi
      • Waterfox
      • Yandex Browser
    • Office Applications >
      • Couturier
      • PDF-Shuffler
      • PDF Studio Viewer
      • Xournal
      • Foxit Reader
      • Okular
      • gLabels >
        • Multiple Name Badges
        • CD & DVD Labels
        • Business Cards
        • Mailing Address Labels
        • Return Address Labels
      • Font Downloader
      • Calendar
      • Pcal
      • Spice-Up
      • Stickynotes
    • Educational Programs >
      • Galculator
      • GeoGebra Classic
      • GNOME Calculator
      • KCalc
      • NumWorks
      • Pebbles
      • Qalculate!
      • QT-Calculator
      • How To Install R >
        • Install R Commander
        • Install RStudio
      • SpeedCrunch
      • TI-83 Plus
      • TI-84 Plus CE
      • KWordQuiz
      • Granule
    • Graphics >
      • 4K Slideshow Maker
      • Imagination
      • Gnome Screenshot
      • Ksnip
      • Shutter >
        • Shutter 0.94.3
      • PhotoFlare
      • Pinta >
        • Tool Palette >
          • Tool Palette (Cont)
        • File Menu >
          • Screenshot Tool
        • View Menu
        • Edit Menu >
          • Palette
        • Image Menu >
          • Image Size
        • Layers Menu
        • Adjustments Menu >
          • Invert Colors
        • Effects Menu >
          • Red Eye Removal
          • Pixelate
        • Add-ins Menu
        • Window Menu
        • Help Menu
        • Restore Layout
        • Pinta 1.7
        • Pinta 2.0.1
      • Bing Wallpapers
      • Variety Wallpaper
      • Converseen
      • Curtail
      • Imagine
      • ​Annotator
      • Aliza MS
      • Brightness Controller
      • Gifcurry
      • Photoprint
      • Peek
    • Image Viewers >
      • Deepin Image Viewer
      • Eye of Gnome
      • Fotoxx
      • Geeqie
      • GPicView
      • gThumb
      • Gwenview
      • Mirage
      • nomacs
      • PhotoQt
      • Phototonic
      • Pix
      • Qimgv
      • qView
      • Ristretto
      • Viewnior 1.6 >
        • Viewnior 1.7
      • XnView MP
      • Xviewer
    • Music Players >
      • Amarok
      • Audacious
      • Clementine
      • DeaDBeeF
      • foobar2000
      • Guayadeque
      • Lollypop
      • Museeks
      • Noise Music Player
      • Pragha
      • Quod Libet
      • Rhythmbox
      • Sayonara
      • Strawberry
      • Violin
    • Networking >
      • Dukto
      • LAN-Share
      • Nitroshare
      • Warpinator
    • Utility Software >
      • BleachBit
      • Stacer
      • Ubuntu Cleaner
      • CPU-G
      • CPU-X
      • Hardinfo
      • I-Nex
      • Alarm Clock
      • Caffeine
      • Conky >
        • Widgets & Themes
        • Title Bars
      • deb-get
      • GNOME Split
      • GParted
      • GtkOrphan
      • Ice SSB >
        • MS Office Online
        • Pixlr Editor
        • Photopea
      • KRename
      • KShutdown
      • Magnus
      • Radeon Profile
      • Ubuntu Mainline Kernel Installer
      • Y PPA Manager
    • Sound & Video >
      • Avidemux >
        • Merge Videos
        • Cut Videos
        • Crop Videos
      • Selene
      • Radio Tray >
        • Radio Tray Lite
      • Pithos
      • Spotify
      • Asunder
      • EasyTag
      • SimpleScreenRecorder
      • OBS Studio
      • FF Multi Converter
      • FFmpeg
      • SoundConverter
      • MediaInfo
      • Bomi
      • Gnome MPV
      • MPlayer
      • SMPlayer
      • VLC Media Player
      • HandBrake >
        • Convert A Video
        • Boost Audio
    • Entertainment >
      • Hypnotix
      • IPTVnator
      • Airy TV
      • Crackle
      • Plex Live TV
      • Pluto TV
      • Popcornflix
      • Stirr TV
      • Tubi TV
      • Xumo TV
      • YouTube Movies
      • Plex Media Server
      • Emby Media Server
    • Themes & Colors >
      • Themes
      • Installing Themes
      • Customize Themes #1
      • Customize Themes #2
      • Change App Icons
    • USB Image Writer Tools >
      • Bootqt
      • Etcher
      • GNOME MultiWriter
      • MX Live-USB Maker
      • Popsicle
    • Diagnostics >
      • Hiren's BootCD PE
  • Reviews
    • YouTube Reviews >
      • Ubuntu MATE 16.10
      • Ubuntu Mate 17.04
      • Ubuntu MATE 17.10
      • Ubuntu MATE 18.04
      • Ubuntu MATE 20.04
      • Ubuntu MATE 22.04
  • Info
    • How Safe are Your Paasswords >
      • Cyber Security Leaks
      • Hotmail Leak
      • YaHoo Leak
      • Windstream Hacked
    • Windows 7
    • Wireless USB Adapters
  • About
    • In Memory of ...

Learning to Use Ubuntu Mate and its Default Applications


​Introduction to the Ubuntu Mate Desktop
This page will introduce you to the graphical desktop of Ubuntu MATE. MATE is derived from GNOME 2, a user-friendly interface for Linux.  I will illustrate and explain the initial desktop you can expect to see after installation. My goal is to help you learn how to use the MATE interface to start applications, and to explain many of the default applications that is included in the operating system. 

MATE has a menu-based user interface where users can look through installed applications listed in categories. (In all versions of 16.04-22.04) This makes installed applications relatively easy to find. Ubuntu MATE has one of the best Linux software managers. If you can't find an application, use the software manager to find it. It will tell you whether the application is installed or not. The appearance, location, size and status of each window in Ubuntu MATE is controlled by software called a window manager. It's the window manager that lets you use your mouse or keyboard shortcuts to open, close, resize and move window on your desktop. 

​​
Picture

​Elements of the MATE Desktop
Picture
  1.  Applications Menu - a drop-down style menu that contains point-and-click access to software or applications
       on the computer.
  2.  Places Menu - a drop-down style menu that contains point-and-click access to folders on the computer or network. 
​  3.  System Menu - a drop-down style menu that contains point-and-click access to system tools. 
​  4.  Shortcut Icon - shortcuts to applications can be placed on the panel or panel bar. 
  5.  System Tray - located in the top-right corner and it may contain wifi/network, volume, battery indicator (for laptops),
       weather, time, and power applets.    
  6.  Shut Down -  the power button in the System Tray that contains Suspend, Restart, Cancel, and Shut Down. 
  7.  Show Desktop - located on the bottom-left taskbar. Click it once to minimize everything to display the desktop and
       click it again to put the screen back the way it was.  
  8.  Workspaces- refer to the grouping of windows on your desktop. These virtual desktops increase the size of your
        working area. Workspaces are meant to reduce clutter and make the desktop easier to navigate.
  9.  Trash - contains files that have been deleted, unless the trash gets emptied. (To empty the trash, right-click the trash
        icon and select Empty Trash.)
10.  Desktop and Shortcuts Area - this contains your wallpaper and icons to applications, folders, and drives. Shortcuts
        can be turned off or hidden from the Desktop.  
The Panel or Panel Bar is made up of the Menu Bar and System Tray. 
​   * The Menu Bar is made up of the Applications Menu, Places Menu, and System Menu.
        The default menu has changed in Ubuntu Mate 18.04 and new versions.
        (How to restore the Traditional Menu in Ubuntu Mate.)
​   * The System Tray is made up of a variety applets such as wifi, volume, time and power applets. 

Menu Bar

Picture
  1.  The first menu on the Menu Bar is the Applications Menu. By default, the Applications Menu
        is made up of seven sub-menus (a menu within a menu). The sub-menus are: Accessories, Education,
        Graphics, Internet, Office, Sound & Video, System Tools, Universal Access. 
        Here is a list of programs that you'll find in each sub-menu:
        Accessories - Backups, Character Map, Disks, Engrampa Archive Manager, Galculator, MATE Search
        Tool, Passwords and Keys, Plank, Pluma Text Editor, Synapse, Take Screenshot 
Picture
         ​Education - LibreOffice Math 
Picture
         Graphics - Eye of MATE Image Viewer, LibreOffice Draw, MATE Color Selection, Shotwell, Simple Scan
Picture
         Internet - Firefox Web Browser, HexChat, Thunderbird Mail, Transmission
Picture
         Office - Atril Document Viewer, LibreOffice, LibreOffice Calc, LibreOffice Draw, LibreOffice Impress,
         LibreOffice Math, LibreOffice Writer, MATE Dictionary
Picture
         Sound & Video - Brasero, Cheese, Rythmbox, Sound, VLC media player
Picture
         System Tools - Caja, dconf Editor, GDebi Package Installer, Log File Viewer, MATE Disk Usage
         Analyzer, MATE System Monitor, MATE​ Terminal, Power Statistics
Picture
         Universal Access - Onboard, Screen Magnifier, Screen Reader
Picture
  2.  The second menu on the Menu Bar is the Places Menu. By default, the Places Menu is made
        up of at least seven locations: Home folder (Name will vary), Desktop, Computer, Network, Connect
        to Server..., MATE Search Tool, Recent Documents <The number of locations can vary depending
​        on the number of hard drives, if you have a floppy drive, and etc.>
Picture
  3.  The third menu on the Menu Bar is the System Menu. By default, the System Menu is made up
        of two sub-menus and seven system applications. Two sub-menus: Administration & Preferences;
        Seven system applications: Welcome, Control Center, Help, About MATE, Lock Screen, Log Out...,
​        Shut Down... 
Picture
       Here is a list of programs that you'll find in each sub-menu:
         Administration - LightDM GTK+ Greeter settings, Network, Printers, Software Boutique,
​         Software Updater, Software & Updates, Startup Disk Creator, Time and Date, Users and Groups, Welcome
Picture
         Preferences - made up of four sub-menus: Hardware, Internet and Network, Look and Feel, Personal 
Picture
              Hardware - made up of Additional Drivers, Bluetooth Adapters, Bluetooth Manager, Disks,
              Displays, Keyboard, Keyboard Shortcuts, Mouse, Power Management, Sound
Picture
              Internet and Network - made up of Firewall Configuration, Network Connections, Network Proxy 
Picture
              Look and Feel - made up of Appearance, Main Menu, MATE Tweak, Popup Notifications,
​              QT 4 Settings, Screensaver, Windows
Picture
              Personal - made up of About Me, Assistive Technologies, Backups, File Management, Language
              Support, Onboard Settings, Preferred​ Applications, Startup Applications
Picture

​Multiple Applications Running
​

In Ubuntu MATE, you can have several windows on your desktop, each running one or many applications, or instances of the same application. Only one window at a time is the selected window which can accept keyboard interaction. However processes in other windows will continue to run. Linux is a multi-tasking time-sharing operating system which can run many tasks at the same time.

​To select a window, click the left mouse button on the top bar of a window. The window manager highlights the top bar of the selected window and brings it to the front of the desktop.
Picture
I changed the active window from Pithos music player to TilEm TI-83 Plus calculator by clicking the left mouse button on the top bar of a calculator window. I was able to use the TI-83 Plus calculator and my Pithos music player still worked in the background. I listened to music as I did some simple math problems.  
Picture
The last two images contains applications that are not part of the default applications (TI-83 Plus calculator & Pithos music player). The theme and wallpaper were changed as well. This illustrates how you can change or customize Ubuntu MATE. 


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  • Home
    • Screen Tearing on Intel Graphics
    • Screen Tearing on AMD Graphics
    • How to install Realtek WiFi Driver >
      • How to install Realtek WiFi Driver (Pt 2)
    • Authentication is Required to Mount
    • Traditional Menu
    • Software >
      • App Grid
      • AppCenter
      • GNOME Software
      • Modern Apps
    • Welcome & Software Boutique
    • Remove Welcome & Software Boutique
    • TeamViewer
    • Simple How to Tips >
      • Change Wallpaper
      • Pin a Program
      • Change Date & Time
      • Enable Screensavers >
        • Cosmos Screensaver
      • Decrese Icon Padding
      • Enable Magnification
      • Fading Windows
      • Replace Clock Indicator
      • Remove Media Players
      • Fix ​​Error Mounting
      • Create a Submenu
      • Remove the Collection Menu
      • Preferred Applications
      • Upgrade LibreOffice
      • Install Fonts >
        • Install New Fonts
      • Play a DVD
      • Enable Livepatch
      • ESM-Apps
      • Update Software
      • Unresponsive Program
      • Install HWE >
        • Install HWE 20.04
      • Open HEIC Images
      • Open WebP Images
      • Packages Kept Back
      • USB Flash Drive
      • No Audio
      • Screen Flickering
      • Screen Blanking
      • Draining Battery
      • Reduce Shutdown Time
      • Create a Mount Point
      • Thunderbird Emoticons
      • Sound Preview
      • Failed To Download >
        • Failed to Download (#2)
      • Enter Password to Unlock
      • Two Wifi Icons
      • System Program Problem
      • CD Burner Issue
      • Firefox Homepage Fix
      • VLC Closes Fix
      • Desktop Error
      • Trash Bin
      • MATE Weather Applet
      • OpenGL: renderer: llvmpipe
      • PolicyKit vulnerability
    • Install Ubuntu MATE >
      • Burn an ISO to DVD
      • Create a Bootable USB
      • Upgrade Ubuntu MATE
  • Ubuntu MATE
    • How to Scan
    • How to Take a Screenshot
    • How to View a PDF File
    • Multiple Workspaces
    • Software Updater
    • Archive Manager
    • How to Burn CD/DVDs
    • Setup & Use Email >
      • Email Filter
      • Upgrade Thunderbird
    • Firefox Web Browser
    • Shotwell Photo Manager
    • Image Viewer
    • Caja File Manager
    • Trash
    • Play Videos
  • Additional Software
    • Antivirus >
      • BitDefender Antivirus
      • ClamTK Antivirus >
        • Clamscan Antivirus
        • ClamTK Caja Add-on
      • Comodo AntiVirus
    • Archive Managers >
      • Archive Manager
      • Ark
      • B1 Free Archiver
      • P7Zip-Desktop
      • PeaZip
      • Xarchiver
    • Browsers >
      • Brave
      • Chrome
      • Chromium
      • Falkon
      • Firefox
      • GNOME Web
      • Iridium Browser
      • LibreWolf
      • Microsoft Edge
      • Midori
      • Min Browser
      • NAVER Whale
      • Opera
      • Otter
      • Pale Moon
      • SeaMonkey
      • Sidekick
      • Slimjet Browser
      • SRWare Iron
      • Ungoogled Chromium
      • Vivaldi
      • Waterfox
      • Yandex Browser
    • Office Applications >
      • Couturier
      • PDF-Shuffler
      • PDF Studio Viewer
      • Xournal
      • Foxit Reader
      • Okular
      • gLabels >
        • Multiple Name Badges
        • CD & DVD Labels
        • Business Cards
        • Mailing Address Labels
        • Return Address Labels
      • Font Downloader
      • Calendar
      • Pcal
      • Spice-Up
      • Stickynotes
    • Educational Programs >
      • Galculator
      • GeoGebra Classic
      • GNOME Calculator
      • KCalc
      • NumWorks
      • Pebbles
      • Qalculate!
      • QT-Calculator
      • How To Install R >
        • Install R Commander
        • Install RStudio
      • SpeedCrunch
      • TI-83 Plus
      • TI-84 Plus CE
      • KWordQuiz
      • Granule
    • Graphics >
      • 4K Slideshow Maker
      • Imagination
      • Gnome Screenshot
      • Ksnip
      • Shutter >
        • Shutter 0.94.3
      • PhotoFlare
      • Pinta >
        • Tool Palette >
          • Tool Palette (Cont)
        • File Menu >
          • Screenshot Tool
        • View Menu
        • Edit Menu >
          • Palette
        • Image Menu >
          • Image Size
        • Layers Menu
        • Adjustments Menu >
          • Invert Colors
        • Effects Menu >
          • Red Eye Removal
          • Pixelate
        • Add-ins Menu
        • Window Menu
        • Help Menu
        • Restore Layout
        • Pinta 1.7
        • Pinta 2.0.1
      • Bing Wallpapers
      • Variety Wallpaper
      • Converseen
      • Curtail
      • Imagine
      • ​Annotator
      • Aliza MS
      • Brightness Controller
      • Gifcurry
      • Photoprint
      • Peek
    • Image Viewers >
      • Deepin Image Viewer
      • Eye of Gnome
      • Fotoxx
      • Geeqie
      • GPicView
      • gThumb
      • Gwenview
      • Mirage
      • nomacs
      • PhotoQt
      • Phototonic
      • Pix
      • Qimgv
      • qView
      • Ristretto
      • Viewnior 1.6 >
        • Viewnior 1.7
      • XnView MP
      • Xviewer
    • Music Players >
      • Amarok
      • Audacious
      • Clementine
      • DeaDBeeF
      • foobar2000
      • Guayadeque
      • Lollypop
      • Museeks
      • Noise Music Player
      • Pragha
      • Quod Libet
      • Rhythmbox
      • Sayonara
      • Strawberry
      • Violin
    • Networking >
      • Dukto
      • LAN-Share
      • Nitroshare
      • Warpinator
    • Utility Software >
      • BleachBit
      • Stacer
      • Ubuntu Cleaner
      • CPU-G
      • CPU-X
      • Hardinfo
      • I-Nex
      • Alarm Clock
      • Caffeine
      • Conky >
        • Widgets & Themes
        • Title Bars
      • deb-get
      • GNOME Split
      • GParted
      • GtkOrphan
      • Ice SSB >
        • MS Office Online
        • Pixlr Editor
        • Photopea
      • KRename
      • KShutdown
      • Magnus
      • Radeon Profile
      • Ubuntu Mainline Kernel Installer
      • Y PPA Manager
    • Sound & Video >
      • Avidemux >
        • Merge Videos
        • Cut Videos
        • Crop Videos
      • Selene
      • Radio Tray >
        • Radio Tray Lite
      • Pithos
      • Spotify
      • Asunder
      • EasyTag
      • SimpleScreenRecorder
      • OBS Studio
      • FF Multi Converter
      • FFmpeg
      • SoundConverter
      • MediaInfo
      • Bomi
      • Gnome MPV
      • MPlayer
      • SMPlayer
      • VLC Media Player
      • HandBrake >
        • Convert A Video
        • Boost Audio
    • Entertainment >
      • Hypnotix
      • IPTVnator
      • Airy TV
      • Crackle
      • Plex Live TV
      • Pluto TV
      • Popcornflix
      • Stirr TV
      • Tubi TV
      • Xumo TV
      • YouTube Movies
      • Plex Media Server
      • Emby Media Server
    • Themes & Colors >
      • Themes
      • Installing Themes
      • Customize Themes #1
      • Customize Themes #2
      • Change App Icons
    • USB Image Writer Tools >
      • Bootqt
      • Etcher
      • GNOME MultiWriter
      • MX Live-USB Maker
      • Popsicle
    • Diagnostics >
      • Hiren's BootCD PE
  • Reviews
    • YouTube Reviews >
      • Ubuntu MATE 16.10
      • Ubuntu Mate 17.04
      • Ubuntu MATE 17.10
      • Ubuntu MATE 18.04
      • Ubuntu MATE 20.04
      • Ubuntu MATE 22.04
  • Info
    • How Safe are Your Paasswords >
      • Cyber Security Leaks
      • Hotmail Leak
      • YaHoo Leak
      • Windstream Hacked
    • Windows 7
    • Wireless USB Adapters
  • About
    • In Memory of ...