install MATE Desktop on Ubuntu 12.10 64bit

Here’s an explanation of how to replace Unity with MATE Desktop.

[ install MATE Desktop on Ubuntu ]

# lsb_release -a No LSB modules are available. Distributor ID: Ubuntu Description:    Ubuntu 12.10 Release:        12.10 Codename:       quantal # uname -ri 3.5.0-21-generic x86_64

add MATE related repositories and install MATE via apt-get.

# add-apt-repository "deb http://packages.mate-desktop.org/repo/ubuntu quantal main" # add-apt-repository "deb http://repo.mate-desktop.org/ubuntu quantal main" # apt-get update # apt-get install mate-core # apt-get install mate-desktop-environment

after installing MATE desktop via apt-get , MATE related files will be installed under /etc/xdg/autostart directory.

# ls /etc/xdg/autostart/mate* /etc/xdg/autostart/mate-at-session.desktop /etc/xdg/autostart/mate-bluetooth-applet.desktop /etc/xdg/autostart/mate-keyring-gpg.desktop /etc/xdg/autostart/mate-keyring-pkcs11.desktop /etc/xdg/autostart/mate-keyring-secrets.desktop /etc/xdg/autostart/mate-keyring-ssh.desktop /etc/xdg/autostart/mate-power-manager.desktop /etc/xdg/autostart/mate-screensaver.desktop /etc/xdg/autostart/mate-settings-daemon.desktop /etc/xdg/autostart/mateconf-gsettings-data-convert.desktop

change GTK theme

# mateconftool-2 --type=string --set /desktop/mate/interface/gtk_theme "CoolestThemeOnEarth"

change GTK color

# mateconftool-2 --type=string --set /desktop/mate/interface/gtk_color_scheme "bg_color:#e9efe9;fg_color:#444444;base_color:#ffffff;text_color:#333333;selected_bg_color:#6666cc;selected_fg_color:#eeeeee;tooltip_bg_color:#222222;tooltip_fg_color:#dfcfcf;link_color:#cc0099;"

edit /etc/lightdm/lightdm.conf

# cat /etc/lightdm/lightdm.conf [SeatDefaults] greeter-session=unity-greeter user-session=mate-session

reboot the OS

# init 6

After rebooting the OS , you will select MATE desktop.

[ when accessing to Ubuntu over VNC ]

edit  ~/.vnc/xstartup file like this

# cat ~/.vnc/xstartup #!/bin/sh # /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc # # global xinitrc file, used by all X sessions started by xinit (startx) # invoke global X session script #. /etc/X11/Xsession /usr/bin/mate-session

restart VNC server and access to the Ubuntu with VNC Client.