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<a target="_blank" href="https://zorinos.com/">Zorin OS</a> has been gaining in popularity as of late as a good alternative for Windows users making the migration to Linux but is it a worthy option? Read on to find out in this Zorin OS Review.There are several ways you can get started with Zorin OS; the first is to download <a target="_blank" href="https://zorinos.com/download/#core">Zorin OS Core</a> which is the free edition of the distro. If you prefer the XFCE desktop environment, you can try their <a target="_blank" href="https://zorinos.com/download/#lite">lite edition</a>  which includes this as a default instead of Gnome.There is also a paid version which is called <a target="_blank" href="https://zorinos.com/download/#ultimate">Zorin OS Ultimate</a> and includes some additional layouts for the desktop as well as over 20 different games for $39. This is a great way to help the developers cover some of their costs. (Side note: Zorin OS Ultimate is also available in Lite and 32 bit editions)For the purposes of this review, I'll be focusing on the Gnome editions (Ultimate and Core) but if you are interested in seeing what the lite editions is like with XFCE, I've covered that here: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cmscritic.com/zorin-os-lite-review-15-1-version/">Zorin OS Lite Review.</a>The installation process is pretty much identical to every other Ubuntu based distro out there so I'm going to skip screenshots for it and just tell you that it went off without a hitch and within a few minutes, I was greeted with the desktop.<h2>Zorin OS Ultimate</h2>As I mentioned earlier, Zorin OS Ultimate is available for $39 and includes a number of games as well as some additional layouts. Here is what the default Gnome desktop looks like.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/zorin-os-review-1.png" />Zorin OS Review - Default Desktop (Gnome)As you can see, it's a clean and easy on the eyes look and feel they are going for.  This is the default layout that you start off with but as you'll see shortly, there are several others you can try if you prefer something else.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/zorin-os-review-2.png" />Zorin OS Review - The MenuThe menu is pretty self explanatory and contains a number of great default applications for pretty much every purpose. The styling and theming should be pretty easy to adapt to for transitioning Windows users and help make them feel at home.As you can see, the Ultimate release includes a number of games to get you started. Of course, you can always download more within the repositories, from <a target="_blank" href="https://store.steampowered.com/">Steam</a> or the ever popular <a target="_blank" href="https://www.gog.com/games?page=1&amp;sort=popularity&amp;system=lin_ubuntu,lin_mint,lin_ubuntu_18">GOG</a> which includes tons of great Linux game options.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/zorin-os-review-14.png" />Zorin OS Review - Ultimate Edition - Included Games<h2>Desktop Layouts</h2>There are numerous desktop layouts included with the Ultimate edition which let you basically alter the look of your desktop. With Zorin OS Core you get three options but with Ultimate, there are a total of six.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/zorin-os-review-15.png" />Below, I've included a gallery of the additional layouts you get. I'm not going to bother with layout #2 as it's basically just changing the task bar from showing icons to showing window names so it's not much of a change.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/zorin-os-review-19.png" /><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/zorin-os-review-16-1.png" /><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/zorin-os-review-17-1.png" /><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/zorin-os-review-18.png" />Zorin OS Review - Additional Layouts<h2>Zorin Appearance</h2>Zorin OS also includes a few interesting theme options within their exclusive theme app, Zorin Appearance. From here you can select between light and dark modes as well as a transitioning theme which will switch between light and dark automatically at whichever times you set. The logic here is that it should make it easier on your eyes in the evenings.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/zorin-os-review-4.png" /><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/zorin-os-review-5.png" /><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/zorin-os-review-6.png" />Zorin OS Review - Theming OptionsYou can also adjust accent colors and fonts, etc from within the Zorin Appearance app as well.<h2>Zorin Connect</h2>Zorin Connect is another application included with the distro, the purpose of which is to allow you to connect your smartphone to the desktop in order to review alerts and notifications. If you are familiar with <a target="_blank" href="https://community.kde.org/KDEConnect">KDE Connect</a>, this is a similar concept.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/zorin-os-review-7.png" /><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/zorin-os-review-8.png" />Zorin OS review - Zorin Connect<h2>Software</h2>Installing software is as easy as using the terminal or going through the included Software app which is organized by category and includes a search option.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/zorin-os-review-9.png" />Zorin OS Review - Software<h2>Settings</h2>Settings for your system can be modified within the Settings app, which is a control center similar to the control panel within Windows. This and the software app above are not exclusive to Zorin but rather are part of the <a target="_blank" href="http://gnome.org/">Gnome desktop environment</a> that Zorin OS uses by default.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/zorin-os-review-10.png" />Zorin OS Review - Settings<h2>Web Browsing</h2>When it comes to web browsing, the included Firefox web browser, which is generally the default browser on the majority of Linux desktops is included. There's even a custom search page for Zorin OS.I don't quite get why the search font has to be so massive but hey, to each their own.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/zorin-os-review-12.png" />Zorin OS Review - Web Browsing<h2>Performance</h2>During my testing, Zorin OS Core and Ultimate running the Gnome desktop environment, a terminal, the file manager and Firefox with two tabs clocks clocked in at about 1.3-1.5 gigs of ram on average.It definitely feels like a better performing Zorin OS than prior versions. It seems to have lost the sluggishness I used to experience with Zorin. I'd love to hear your personal experiences, so please do leave a comment below and share.<h2>Conclusion</h2>Zorin OS Ultimate and Core are very elegant interpretations of the Gnome desktop and with the performance improvements, it feels pretty snappy compared to previous releases. I didn't experience any hiccups or issues during my testing and it seemed to handle whatever I threw at it without issue.If you are looking for a slick Gnome based distro, I'd recommend giving it a try and seeing if it suits your needs. Not sure? Check out our <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cmscritic.com/zorin-os-lite-review-15-1-version/">Zorin OS Lite Review</a> (XFCE based) and see if it suits your needs.You can download Zorin OS here: <a target="_blank" href="https://zorinos.com/">https://zorinos.com/</a>

Zorin OS Review - 15.1 Ultimate and Core Editions

techcto2

Zorin OS Lite is a new XFCE edition of the popular Linux distribution. The main desktop environment we're accustomed to seeing with Zorin OS is Gnome but recently, they decided to start offering a Lite edition as well - a smart move that is sure to expand their install base.For this review, I'll take you through Zorin OS Lite and show you around. If you want to see what the Gnome edition, read my <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cmscritic.com/zorin-os-review/">Zorin OS Review</a>, which I just just updated for 15.1 Ultimate and Core.Installation of Zorin OS hasn't changed with the Lite edition and there's not much to see other than the standard stuff so I won't focus on that aspect, just know that it went off without a hitch.<h2>The Desktop</h2>Zorin OS Lite uses the <a target="_blank" href="https://xfce.org/">XFCE desktop environment</a> and the developers have definitely done a great job of keeping the look and feel of Zorin OS pretty consistent. It's almost hard to tell it's not Gnome.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/zorin-os-review-1.png" />Zorin OS Lite Review - The XFCE DesktopJust like Zorin OS Core and Ultimate, there are also a number of desktop layout options included, which we'll take a look at in a moment.The menu, which you'll find in the bottom left, is well laid out and shows the default applications. The third party apps installed are the same ones you'd find in any other edition of Zorin OS. The only difference here are the DE specific ones (ie: Gnome desktop comes with it's own set of default apps as does XFCE).  In other word's, you'll find differences in the terminal, file manager and settings but apps like Firefox, etc are all standard in each edition.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/zorin-os-lite-review-1.png" />Zorin OS Lite Review - The Menu<h2>Zorin Appearance</h2>Just like the Ultimate and Core editions, Zorin OS Lite includes the Zorin Appearance app which allows you to modify the theme, fonts and desktop layouts.<h3>Desktop Layouts</h3>Let's take a look at the different desktop layouts offered in the Lite edition now. I've put together a gallery below for you showing them all off.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/zorin-os-lite-review-3-1.png" /><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/zorin-os-lite-review-4-1.png" /><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/zorin-os-lite-review-5-1.png" /><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/zorin-os-lite-review-6-1.png" />Zorin OS Lite Review - Desktop Layouts<h3>Theme Options</h3>In addition to the desktop layouts, you can also select between light and dark themes as well as a new option which allows your desktop to automatically switch between light and dark modes depending on the time of day (which you can set). This is intended to be easy on the eyes and reduce eye strain.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/zorin-os-lite-review-7.png" />Zorin OS Lite Review - Zorin Appearance<h2>File Management</h2>The included file manager is Thunar which is the default for XFCE. It's themed nicely (I particularly like it in dark mode) and is a fantastic file manager.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/zorin-os-lite-review-8.png" />Zorin OS Lite - File Management<h2>Settings</h2>Settings for your system can be found within the Settings tool. Here's you'll find everything from display and bluetooth options to wifi and more.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/zorin-os-lite-review-9.png" />Zorin OS Lite Review - SettingsThere are also a number of nice included backgrounds for your desktop should you wish to change it to something other than the default. You can find these by right clicking on the desktop and choosing desktop settings.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/zorin-os-lite-review-12.png" />Zorin OS Lite Review - Backgrounds<h2>Oops, found a mistake!</h2>I did find one mistake but chance while I was exploring Zorin OS Lite. When I went to click on the XFCE Terminal within the menu, it launched the XFCE terminal preferences instead.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/zorin-os-lite-review-10.png" />Zorin OS Lite Review - XFCE Terminal PreferencesThis is due to a misplaced --preferences flag that has been added by mistake within the menu as you can see below. It's a minor mistake but one to be aware of and it's easy to change. Just remove --prefern<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/zorin-os-lite-review-11.png" />Zorin OS Lite Review - XFCE Terminal - Minor Bug<h2>Conclusion</h2>Overall, this new Lite edition is very slick and well put together. It's definitely one of the better looking XFCE desktops I've seen and I'm impressed with how the devs managed to match it up with the other edition's look and feel.Performance wise, I found everything fast, even when running multiple apps at a time with numerous tabs open in Firefox. It just works well and I highly suggest giving it a try if you love XFCE.You can download your own copy of Zorin OS Lite here: <a target="_blank" href="https://zorinos.com/">https://zorinos.com/</a>Don't forget to check out our <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cmscritic.com/zorin-os-review/">Zorin OS Review</a> to see what the Gnome edition looks like.

Zorin OS Lite Review - 15.1 Lite Edition

Elementary OS is a Linux distribution based on Ubuntu that features the custom developed Pantheon desktop environment. One of the key aspects, aside from the  unique look and feel, are the custom coded apps and paid app store that are available with Elementary.  Today, we're going to take a look at the  whole picture in this Elementary OS Review.I'm not going to get into the Installation process here as it's  pretty much identical with every other Linux distro out there and there's not much to see. It worked without issue in all of my testing on multiple devices so I'm going to call it stable and solid.<h2>Elementary OS Review – The Desktop</h2>On  boot-up, we're greeted with the Elementary OS Pantheon desktop, which you can tell took inspiration from Mac OS. That's not a bad thing  however as many people are fond of the look and feel and it just works.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/elementary-os-review-1.png" />Elementary OS Review - The Desktop (Elementary OS 5.1)<h2>Welcome Screen</h2>There is now a new welcome screen with the recent 5.1 release. It walks you through some basic options such as enabling location reporting, setting up Night Light which reduces eye strain at specific times and more.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/elementary-os-review-01.png" />Elementary OS Review - New Welcome ScreenAlong the top we have the Applications menu on the left, the date centered in the top panel and the system tray on the right side. At the bottom, the dock where you can launch and pin apps that you use most frequently.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/elementary-os-review-2.png" />Elementary OS Review - The Menu and Dock<h2>The Applications</h2>When it comes to the default apps, the developers tend to go with  those ones that are geared towards simplicity and minimalism. For  example, the default web browser that is installed is Epiphany.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/elementary-os-review-8.png" />Elementary OS Review - The Web Browser (Epiphany)The issue here, however, is that this web browser simply isn't good enough by today's standards. It froze up on numerous websites I tried it on causing the whole system to lock up.While it's not a terrible web browser, it's certainly not something that's commonly used or up to par when compared to the standard Firefox  and Chrome/Chromium browsers. Sure, you can install different ones from  the app store but I think it's a waste to install something most new users are going to find less than adequate. Epiphany is not in the same league as the big boys and is likely going to not be able to correctly be able to display complex sites as well.<h2>Email</h2>Originally forked from Geary, Mail is now developed under the  Elementary banner and is slowly being rewritten to allow for more robust capabilities (<a target="_blank" href="https://www.reddit.com/r/elementaryos/comments/8a7nc0/pantheon_mailgeary/">source</a>) but it's suitable for most users.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/mail.png" />Elementary OS Review - MailOther included apps are Video, Music, Files, Calendar, Terminal and  Photos to name a few. All of these are custom to Elementary OS.<h2>System Settings</h2>Taking a look at the system settings, we see there are numerous icons to help you configure your new environment:<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/elementary-os-review-3.png" />Elementary OS Review - System Settings<h2>Limited Options?</h2>While system settings do exist, the one thing that I personally dislike is the limited flexibility of the environment. The entire distro focuses too much on restricting flexibility with the pretense that it's helping users. The issue, however, is that it's not allowing new users to experience one of the best benefits to using Linux - variety and customization.An example of this is the fact that you simply cannot theme Elementary with any of the default tools without installing a third party (and unsupported) app such as <a target="_blank" href="https://github.com/elementary-tweaks/elementary-tweaks">Elementary Tweaks</a>.For example; take a look at the limited selections available when you click on Desktop within System Settings.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/elementary-os-review---10.png" /><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/elementary-os-review---11.png" />Elementary OS Review - Desktop SettingsAs you can see above, you can change two toggles and the text size and that's it for appearance options.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/elementary-os-review---9.png" />Elementary OS Review - Changing the BackgroundYou can also change the background, but that's about it.Some may disagree on this but I feel like Elementary is trying too hard to be like Apple - limiting people to very few choices because they feel that it's for the greater good of the user and that the user shouldn't have flexibility because they might break something.Part of Linux is about breaking something. In fact, breaking something is one of the only ways people learn how to do things. Look at Windows, it's breaking all the time and most of what I learned came from fixing things. Believe me, Mac OS has just as many issues so let's not assume that because things are limited, breaking won't occur but one shouldn't hold people back from discovering what their OS can do, otherwise we're just encouraging sheep to join the flock.Now that I've got that off my chest, let's continue.<h2>Additional System Settings</h2>There are a few key items here that I feel need to be pointed out, notably Parental Controls and Online Accounts.Online Accounts only provides operating system integration for FastMail, Last.fm and Email which is pretty limiting.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/elementary-os-review---12.png" />Elementary OS Review - Online AccountsParental controls are also available within Elementary OS and it's a great addition.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/parental-controls.png" />Elementary OS Review - Parental Controls<h2>AppCenter</h2>AppCenter is Elementary OS' answer to a software store. It's one of  the only one's I've seen that functions on a Pay-What-You-Want model.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/appcenter.png" />Elementary OS Review - App CenterThis has actually worked out quite well for the Elementary OS team  and there are now plenty of developers offering paid apps through the  store. You can, of course, also download free ones, not everything is  paid (just to be clear).Here's what the team had to say about the AppCenter:<blockquote>AppCenter is our built-in app store where users can download free and  paid apps that are purpose-built for elementary OS. With AppCenter we’re  doing things a bit differently from our competitors.</blockquote><blockquote>First, every  single app in AppCenter is open source because we firmly believe in the  world-changing power of freely-licensed code and open source software.  Second, all paid apps are offered with a developer-provided suggested  price, but are ultimately pay-what-you-want. Users choose what to  pay — if anything at all — when they download paid apps.</blockquote><h2>Issues I've Encountered</h2>For some reason, the recent 5.1 update seems to have caused more issues than previous releases for me. I found the system freezing up more often than prior releases.I also noticed that when I went to mirror my display to my TV via HDMI, everything scaled to twice the size and wouldn't display correctly no wonder what I tried. Furthermore, I couldn't get sound to output properly either, and finally I just gave up trying.<h2>Elementary OS Review – My Conclusions</h2>First let me state that the intent of these reviews is to cover the quick and dirty basics that a new user will experience on first use. They are not power user reviews or benchmarked ones. My goal is to give those new to the OS a general overview and some points to consider.There's not much that a new user to Linux can actually customize in Elementary OS. While they do offer easy-to-use apps and an interface that is simple and easy to use, as I mentioned,  I found it quite limiting in capabilities without replacing major apps with better and more mainstream options from the AppCenter. Epiphany seemed to do an OK job but it doesn't support extensions. It does, however, offer Firefox Sync capabilities but it's just not good enough in my opinion.I feel like the Elementary team went a bit too far in being  restrictive with the OS but at the same time, limiting things is something Apple has turned into a successful experience and given that Elementary seems to take inspiration from Apple; perhaps it's not a bad thing. I wouldn't recommend trying to use Elementary if you are like me and love customizing things because you won't be satisfied. If you want a “just works” OS and aren't concerned about this, it's a decent option.I'm giving it a 3/5 on the basis that it's a bit too limiting for new users and with the recent 5.1 update, I experienced more freeze-ups and annoyances than before. I'm basing this on what it comes with by default. Is it a great choice for the minimalist? Absolutely.I'd rather recommend something like <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cmscritic.com/ubuntu-mate-review/">Ubuntu Mate</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cmscritic.com/mx-linux-review/">MX Linux</a>, or <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cmscritic.com/reviews/solus-review/">Solus</a>.Interested in trying it out for yourself? <a target="_blank" href="https://elementary.io/">Grab it from here</a>. What do you like about Elementary OS?

Elementary OS Review

mike-johnston

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Voyager Live, for those of you who have never heard of it before, is a heavily customized Ubuntu 19.10 with the Gnome desktop.
They have just released a new version with Voyager Live 19.10 that brings a ton of tweaks, new software and other adjustments to Gnome making it more usable according to the project creator.
Here's a video highlighting the features of this release:
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MMEbwQaiZy8?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Here are some of the additions you can expect in this release:
<ul>
<li>Gufw (Firewall)</li>
<li>Bleachbit</li>
<li>Mintstick</li>
<li>Conky</li>
<li>Zenity</li>
<li>Yad</li>
<li>Testdisk</li>
<li>Deja-dup (for backups)</li>
<li>Caffeine (gnome extension)</li>
<li>Grub customizer</li>
<li>25 different extensions</li>
<li>and more.</li>
</ul>
For a full list of everything in this release, check out the <a href="https://voyagerlive.org/voyager-ge-19-10/" target="_blank">release announcement</a>.
I've used Voyager Live (their XFCE edition) in the past and have found it to be pretty solid with some pretty cool tweaks and software additions although admittedly, I haven't used their Gnome version much as it's not my desktop environment of choice but I'd love to hear if any of you have and what you think.
Let us know in the comments below.

Voyager Live 19.10 Released

Ubuntu MATE is a powerful desktop operating system that is based on the popular <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ubuntu.com/">Ubuntu</a> Linux distribution. What makes Ubuntu MATE unique is that it comes with the advanced <a target="_blank" href="https://mate-desktop.org/">MATE</a> desktop environment which was originally created as a continuation of GNOME 2.  Given it's popularity in the Linux world, I've written this Ubuntu MATE Review to help show you what it's all about and decide if it's the right OS for you.This review has been updated and is now based on the most recent Ubuntu MATE 19.04 (Disco) release.<h2>What are the goals of the Ubuntu MATE project?</h2>According to the website, the following are the objectives / goals for the project:<ul><li>Accessible to all, regardless of language and physical ability.</li><li>Increase both Ubuntu and MATE Desktop user adoption.</li><li>Ubuntu alternative for computers that aren’t powerful enough to run a composited desktop.</li><li>First choice Ubuntu platform for remote workstation solutions such as <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ltsp.org/">LTSP</a> and <a target="_blank" href="http://x2go.org/">X2Go</a>.</li><li>Recreate the halcyon days of Ubuntu for users who prefer a traditional desktop metaphor.</li><li>Use themes and artwork similar to Ubuntu so that Ubuntu MATE is immediately familiar.</li><li>When possible contribute to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.debian.org/">Debian</a> so both the Debian and Ubuntu communities benefit.</li><li>Software selection will favor functionality and stability over lightness and whimsy.</li></ul><h2>Ubuntu Mate Hardware Requirements</h2>Most users will meet these requirement without issue as most modern computers are far past the minimum hardware requirements but when it comes to Linux, lots of people enjoy revitalizing old hardware with Linux distributions. I recommend reviewing this briefly to make sure that your hardware meets the minimums.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/ubuntu-mate-review-hardware-requirements_riwfap.jpg" />Hardware Requirements for Ubuntu Mate<h2>What has changed in the most recent Ubuntu MATE release?</h2>Numerous things have changed with 19.04. One thing that I found quite intriguing is that with this release, if you have an NVIDIA GPU connected to your computer and select Install third-party software for graphics and Wi-Fi hardware during installation, the NVIDIA proprietary drivers will be installed automatically. That's pretty slick and makes the experience more desirable for new users to Linux as installing these drivers could (at times) be overlooked by new users if they are unaware of the need.There are some other changes, of course, but it's always best to read about them from the source so if desired, you can read about everything new with this release here: <a target="_blank" href="https://ubuntu-mate.org/blog/ubuntu-mate-disco-final-release/">https://ubuntu-mate.org/blog/ubuntu-mate-disco-final-release/</a><h2>Installation</h2>Installation of Ubuntu MATE is no different than any other Ubuntu distribution. Since it has pretty much unchanged in the past several releases, I'm not going to go through the process here but what I do want to point out, that's a relatively new(ish) addition is that you can now choose either a normal installation which includes the default selections of software chosen by the Ubuntu MATE developers or a minimal install for those who want more control over what is installed with their OS.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/ubuntu-mate-review-1_db3bhh.png" />Ubuntu Mate review – Choosing the installation type<h2>The MATE Desktop – Your First Look</h2>Upon booting into the desktop for the first time, you'll be greeted with a themed wallpaper as well as a few simple icons.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/ubuntu-mate-review-2-the-desktop_nx1fjo.png" />The MATE DesktopI also was prompted by a Software Updater pop-up to install the latest updates. Now, one thing that's a bit odd here is that I chose to have these installed during the installation so why I am having to update even further now is beyond me. I assume the “Download updates while installing” feature either doesn't work period or doesn't work properly in a virtual machine environment (which I'm using for this review). Either way, just something to keep in mind.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/ubuntu-mate-review-2-software-updater_vdcdeh.png" />Software Updater doing it's job.Another trend that you'll see more and more with large distributions nowadays is the introduction of a Welcome Screen of some kind to give new users a quick overview of how to use their new environment / distribution. This is something the developers of Ubuntu MATE have had for quite some time and they've done an excellent job of making it super useful.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/ubuntu-mate-the-welcome-screen_bigxxt.png" />The Welcome ScreenWith this (and more previous) releases, the Getting Started button followed Updates and Extras is super handy as it includes quick install buttons for codecs, screensavers, themes and more. Under Getting Started and Optional Tasks you can configure various things such as Backups, Network Shares, Users and Firewall Settings as well.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/ubuntu-mate-additional-options_mcu8jh.png" />Another Configuration Screen in the Welcome Dialog<h2>Tweaking your Ubuntu MATE Desktop</h2>Under the MATE menu in the top left (by default) you can access the menu which contains all of the software, preferences and system tools installed with the distribution. You can easily access a handy app called MATE Tweak which, if you click on the Panel tab once launched, lets you choose between numerous included panel layouts.What these do is basically change the structure of the desktop, sometimes moving the menu to the bottom left (similar to Windows) or adding a Mac style layout to the desktop. There are several options to try, I recommend checking them all out before coming to a conclusion as to which is best.The default panel layout is called Familiar so if you make changes here and decide you don't like them, you can revert back to that layout to get the default look and feel. To get a breakdown of what each of these panel layouts looks like (and the differences between them) read this article on the official website: <a target="_blank" href="https://ubuntu-mate.community/t/choosing-and-changing-panel-layouts-ubuntu-mate-18-04/16502">Choosing and Changing panel layouts.</a>You can also tweak your Window Options from within MATE Tweak. This allows you to change things such as the compositor, window decorations, animations and even where the window controls (minimize, maximize and close) are located in the window (left or right side basically).<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/ubuntu-mate-window-options_ornof7.png" />Ubuntu MATE – Window OptionsIn most layouts, you can also choose to add extra applets which are basically small apps that run inside your panel and expand the functionality. To manage them, and add more, simply right click on a panel and click Add to Panel and the following dialog will be presented:<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/adding-applets-to-the-panel_zkmpgj.jpg" />Adding applets to the panelFrom here, you can choose from a growing list of applets that you can add to your panels to give you even more capabilities. Try some and find your favorites!<h2>Adding Software to your Linux Distribution</h2>By default, Ubuntu MATE comes with the usual software such as Firefox, Thunderbird, Transmission, LibreOffice and more but installing others is very simple.As I'm sure most of you know, there is always more than one way to add software to Linux but assuming you aren't a console person and you prefer to avoid the traditional apt commands, you can also use the Software Boutique app which can be found in your menu under Administration.Software Boutique allows you to browse available software that you can install quickly and easily.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/ubuntu-mate-software-boutique_adfocp.png" />Ubuntu MATE software boutiqueClicking on the icons along the top (scissors, gamepad, etc) will take you to the applicable categories and present  you with a list of available software to install. Keep in mind, however, that one of the strengths of Linux; and specifically Ubuntu; is the breadth of repositories out there so if you don't find what you are looking for here, you can learn more about repositories and how to add more here: <a target="_blank" href="https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Repositories/Ubuntu">https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Repositories/Ubuntu</a><h2>Ubuntu MATE Performance</h2>Let's take a quick look at how well Ubuntu MATE performs in general when it comes to CPU and RAM usage. To be fair, this is going to vary widely and can be different given the fact that I am performing this review within a Virtual machine environment, however, it's still relevant.With nothing but the Software Boutique running and the default desktop itself, performance is quite good as you can see from the System Monitor:<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/system-monitor_fmlqls.png" />System MonitorFor more advanced testing, I recommend installing the distro and running tests with the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.phoronix-test-suite.com/">Phoronix Test Suite</a> or check out some existing benchmarks on <a target="_blank" href="https://openbenchmarking.org/s/ubuntu%2019.04">OpenBenchmark.org</a> as results can vary widely depending on software installed, hardware capabilities and other variables.In my usage and from experience running Ubuntu MATE for several months, it's still one of the fastest and leanest distros out there.<h2>The Control Center</h2>The control center is where you'll find most of the system settings for Ubuntu MATE. You'll find this in the menu labeled the same.<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/ubuntu-mate-control-center_vpqrmn.jpg" />Ubuntu MATE control centerYou'll find everything from power management to printer installation in the control center and I advise you to explore it thoroughly so you are aware of how to modify your system as needed.<h2>Conclusions</h2>I've always found Ubuntu MATE to be a reliable distribution. The layout and functionality of the system is easy to use and zippy and everything feels well put together. I highly recommend giving it a try if you aren't a fan of the current Gnome desktop and are looking for an alternative. It's also a great choice for older hardware as it's less resource hungry than the default Ubuntu desktop. I personally feel as though MATE is a more functional desktop than Gnome itself so perhaps I'm a bit jaded there.What do you think? Are you an Ubuntu MATE fan? If not, what do you prefer?

Ubuntu MATE Review

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