with Mate new install migration

MrNice · January 14, 2017, 9:44pm

Hi there,

I try to migrate from Stella (old CentOS spin with Mate) to OpenSuse Leap 42.2 with Mate.
I installed Leap from DVD + online repo then added Mate in software in the install setup.
Now I have Mate working but with a ugly theme. I want the same I had previously like this one
http://mate-desktop.org/gallery/1.14/
Moreover, on my previous Mate config, I did some settings that I want in the new one.

After few hours searching I can’t find.
Is there a way to take my old Mate config and place it in my new one.
What are the setting files used for Mate config?
Even if I can’t do copy/past in one shot, I could take some parts to get it done faster than from the GUI.

Thanks for your help.

tsu2 · January 14, 2017, 11:52pm

Since like LXDE and LXQt, Mate is not a Desktop selection option during Install,
It’s anyone’s guess whether you have Mate installed properly (I just did a test, and it looks like the default Window Manager (xfce) is not installed so you get an IceWM menu structure. But, you do get Mate applications and what looks like Mate menu selections).

So,
For example,
Do you see “IceWM” on your application launch button?
When you click on the application launch button do you see xterm at the top of your primary menu options?

If you see these, you do not have Mate installed completely and properly.

It may be that like LXDE and LXQt,
I have not yet found a way to properly install these Desktops in a fresh 42.2,
The only way I know(as of today) to install these Desktops properly is to install in 42.1, then upgrade to 42.2.

Your Mate may look ugly because it’s not installed properly.

TSU

deano_ferrari · January 15, 2017, 12:10am

I’m not a MATE user, but post #2 of the following thread might explain your observations about the theme…
https://forums.opensuse.org/showthread.php/521347-conflict-between-gnome-and-mate-themes

user · January 15, 2017, 2:44am

On 15/01/17 09:56, tsu2 wrote:
>
> Since like LXDE and LXQt, Mate is not a Desktop selection option during
> Install,
> It’s anyone’s guess whether you have Mate installed properly (I just did
> a test, and it looks like the default Window Manager (xfce) is not
> installed so you get an IceWM menu structure. But, you do get Mate
> applications and what looks like Mate menu selections).
I have a full fresh Leap 42.2 Mate install, which I built from the
minimal DE option and has IceWm as default window manager, as you note.
I had same (unpleasant) experience as you noted above and when I chose
LightDM as the default window manger in Yast2 system settings things
look a lot better. But though Yast2 System Settings allows the lightdm
Window Manger as an option, it does not take effect until it is actually
installed (not present after minimal install and Mate Desktop patterns).
>
> So,
> For example,
> Do you see “IceWM” on your application launch button?
> When you click on the application launch button do you see xterm at the
> top of your primary menu options?
>
> If you see these, you do not have Mate installed completely and
> properly.
>
> It may be that like LXDE and LXQt,
> I have not yet found a way to properly install these Desktops in a fresh
> 42.2,
> The only way I know(as of today) to install these Desktops properly is
> to install in 42.1, then upgrade to 42.2.
>
> Your Mate may look ugly because it’s not installed properly.
>
> TSU
>
>

MrNice · January 15, 2017, 9:45am

Thanks all for your answers,

The very first time I logged in, I got IceWM, then I logged out, selected Mate at the top/right corner then logged in again.
The theme has only a bottom panel with “Menu” at the left. This menu doesn’t look like Gnome2.
I can’t see any IceWM nor xterm inside. The windows/background are dark grey and black.

I’ll wipe all and reinstall 42.1 +Mate then upgrade.

My first question remain;
How I can take my settings from the old install with all my customisations and import in the new install, at least partially if not completely?

gogalthorp · January 15, 2017, 2:03pm

All custom setting are stored in your home. If you have a separate existing home partition then don’t format it just mount it as /home

I Don’t use mate but I suspect you are just missing some packages. Did you use the Mate pattern to install just installing Mate may miss things. So not at all sure you need to go to the trouble you plan

MrNice · January 15, 2017, 4:11pm

All custom setting are stored in your home

I know that and I did a copy of my old /home directory and can access it from USB. However, I don’t know what file(s) to use as I can’t see any dir/file in the old install corresponding in the new install.
Just thinking this should be due to the incomplete install.

Did you use the Mate pattern to install just installing Mate may miss things

I didn’t as I never used pattern and I don’t know how to.

So not at all sure you need to go to the trouble you plan

Don’t you thing I could avoid missing some pkgs or instabilities?

If you tell me how to finalise the install with Mate pattern I could try.
Thanks

MrNice · January 16, 2017, 4:05pm

I wiped and I re-installed Leap 42.1 with on-line repo and Mate.
Now, I get a login screen with “Welcome at linux-ijma-suse”. When I login, I am in IceWM, When I logout, I am back to the previous login screen.
I don’t have the possibility to switch to Mate, top/right selector.
How I could start Mate?

MrNice · January 16, 2017, 4:32pm

I got it:
Added DISPLAYMANAGER=“lightdm” in /etc/sysconfig/displaymanager

But now I have exactly the same issue than with leap 42.2

Last July I installed Leap 42.1 on a desktop, I didn’t get this issue.
This is demoralizing.

This is not at all a newbie config.
Now I am stuck and I don’t know what to do.

Any help and support are welcome

Edit: I notice the touch pad double-click is not working, so bad install.

gogalthorp · January 16, 2017, 5:20pm

Mate is not part of a normal install and is usually added after a normal install not during so you are probably missing some packages I guess. If you want mate and only mate maybe best to use the openSUSE clone GeckoLinux. It does provide a Mate only live installer

tsu2 · January 16, 2017, 5:25pm

Personally,
I have a very nice MATE by first isntalling LXDE in 42.1, then adding MATE.
I haven’t upgraded that machine to 42.2 but expect that the upgrade should preserve everything.

I don’t have a “Mate only” install that looks right, but the LXDE (or possibly XFCE) foundation is not that much of an issue to me because it’s “lightweight” with a fairly small footprint.

TSU

MrNice · January 16, 2017, 7:28pm

@tsu2
Did you use cli

zypper ar -r http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/X11:/MATE:/Current/openSUSE_Leap_42.1/X11:MATE:Current.repo

from
https://en.opensuse.org/Portal:MATE

I did the install on my Leap 42.1, nothing better regarding the DE, however Libreoffice was installed, I didn’t want it at all.

MrNice · January 16, 2017, 9:26pm

I’d like to know.
After installing the repo as above is these commands good to install MATE without libreoffice?

su -
zypper se mate 
--- one of the listings in the search ---
patterns-openSUSE-mate

--- then install it 

zypper in patterns-openSUSE-mate

tsu2 · January 17, 2017, 1:28am

After checking out your special MATE repo, it’s not necessary unless you want to do a vendor change.

Instead, just install MATE from the regular 42.1 oss.

Install openSUSE 42.1 with online repositories enabled, with the LXDE Desktop.
Disable auto-login, you can do this in the YAST > /etc/sysconfig editor > Desktop > Display Manager > Auto-login…
Install the mate desktop. You can do this with YAST Software Management or run the following command

zypper in -t pattern mate

When you install MATE, the libreoffice pattern is included so you can’t avoid installing Libreoffice unless you don’t use the mate pattern (inadvisable).
So, if you don’t want Libreoffice you will have to uninstall it. The following will remove the Libreoffice applications, but still leave a few libraries behind.

zypper rm libreoffice

Reboot. When the screen for logging in with Username and Password appears, select MATE.

Taking a closer look at the result, it looks like the Display Manager is lxde, which would be changed to lightdm when upgrading to 42.2.
That’s OK.
But, it also looks like Mate is its own Window Manager. It’d be interesting to see what happens when this machine is upgraded to 42.2, if the Mate Window Manager continues to work without a problem or is changed (Some testing needed!).

TSU

tsu2 · January 17, 2017, 2:41am

Update:

Upgraded the system (42.1/LXDE + Mate > 42.2) to 42.2

And the result is really nice.
Fully working and attractive Mate.

Only very minor diff is that the system is now using lightdm as the Display Manager, but aside from the login screen there does not appear to be any loss of appearance or functionality.

TSU

MrNice · January 18, 2017, 11:45pm

I followed your above process with 42.1 and 42.2 and I still get the same Mate DE
Could you tell me what theme you get?
As I said above I get a grey bottom panel with from left “Menu” then “Sticky note”, at right, volume, network, workspace, date.
Menu has Places, System, Favourites, All applications…
Not what I expect like here as I always got in the previous installs I did.
http://mate-desktop.org/gallery/1.14/
Maybe this is the new default theme?

MrNice · January 19, 2017, 12:31am

The main menu looks roughly like that
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5297/5487460012_144dc7990f_b.jpg