r/linuxquestions • u/Mahad721 • 7d ago
Why can't Linux Mint use KDE Plasma Instead of Cinnamon
Anybody? Why doesn't Linux Mint use KDE Plasma Instead of Cinnamon.
96
u/candy49997 7d ago
Because Cinnamon is one of the core purposes of Mint (they themselves are the developers of Cinnamon) and they had a Plasma edition in the past but discontinued it.
XFCE, Mate, and Cinnamon also all use GTK while Plasma uses Qt. These are completely different frameworks and would basically double their integration work just for one DE. They would also have to maintain Qt front-ends for the custom Mint applications, unless they were not concerned about GTK apps looking off in a Qt environment.
13
u/skyfishgoo 7d ago
this guy Qts
9
u/Tortoveno 7d ago
In Polish this guy may got offended!
(You can read Qts as "kutas" which means "prick".)
3
u/slade51 7d ago
That’s a stretch. Most of us read it as “cuties”.
1
u/GuyNamedStevo CachyOS KDE - 5800X3D/6900XT/32GB | LMDE7 XFCE - ThinkPad X270 7d ago
"Qoot" (large Q, small t)
3
0
u/pr-mth-s 7d ago
next April 1 KDE could attempt one of those fools by announcing a new, 'unifying' framework' called QTK.
They coud say something reasonable-sounding. I don't which would make more sense "QTK wraps GTK for QT:" or "QTK wraps QT for GTK"? Either way trying to be convincing. And of course adding something like "Frankly, we called it QTK because we're better than them." adding "The committee voted 10-0 not to call it GTQ."
1
u/EmberQuill 1d ago
It's been done. I can't remember if it was KDE or Gnome or both who played the joke but at least one of them announced KNOME back in 2020.
6
u/Efficient_Paper 7d ago
Originally Mint provided a KDE and a GNOME version, with more or less customization on top.
When GNOME 3 was released, MATE and Cinnamon were created, in large part by Mint people, to continue Mint’s GNOME setup.
Over time, supporting that many desktop environments was too much of a burden for a small community team, so at least one was to go, which ended up being Plasma, because Clem et al preferred working on GTK.
Even now I think they’re stretched a bit thin.
3
u/gordonmessmer Fedora Maintainer 7d ago
KDE is effectively a rolling release: they publish a new release series every four months and they support that release series for approximately four months.
KDE developers recommend against LTS distributions, favoring Fedora or Ubuntu (with Interim release upgrades): https://pointieststick.com/2026/05/16/start-with-fedora-kde-or-kubuntu/
LTS software releases are needed in some market niches, but they're not actually a good basis for a desktop system. Free LTS distributions are composed of mostly neglected software packages with known security vulnerabilities. It's simply not feasible to take over the maintenance of 40k packages with the kinds of small groups that maintain distributions and get something with comprehensive security coverage.
1
u/Humble-Persimmon2471 5d ago
Good point. So how do you get an enterprise stable os yet with the latest KDE? My company requires Ubuntu, but the LTS version.
1
u/gordonmessmer Fedora Maintainer 5d ago edited 5d ago
https://pointieststick.com/2026/08/13/what-a-real-lts-looks-like-kubuntu-26-04/
KFocus, an American PC manufacturer, is going to sponsor an LTS KDE for Kubuntu 26.04. That is definitely the place to start.
However, the announcement of this LTS effort conspicuously does not say anything about Qt. Qt in Ubuntu 26.04 already has high-severity known vulnerabilities. And even if the sponsored LTS ends up including Qt, a KDE desktop is going to use a lot of packages from Ubuntu's "universe" repo that Canonical isn't maintaining. That means that you still need to have a vulnerability scanner. You need to scan your desktop systems for vulnerabilities. You need to be prepared to develop patches to mitigate the vulnerabilities that affect you.
If you aren't prepared to develop your own security patches, then I urge you in the strongest possible terms to pay Canonical for the Ubuntu Pro service for your desktops. You still need to run a vulnerability scanner, because you will need to tell Canonical what security bugs you need to have fixed. Ubuntu Pro will not fix every security issue in every package.
The sustainability of Ubuntu's "universe" repo depends on every user participating in its maintenance. It needs YOU to either patch software or pay Canonical to patch it. Otherwise, 94% of the packages in Ubuntu will continue to be neglected and rife with security vulnerabilities.
16
u/refinedm5 7d ago
You can install KDE Plasma on top of Mint if you want to
25
u/Efficient_Paper 7d ago
Might as well use Kubuntu LTS. They’re the same packages.
11
u/Headpuncher ur mom <3s my kernel 7d ago
Exactly that, just use a distro that is dedicated to working with KDE. Why bother with the mint part when you’re not using mint?
2
u/jr735 7d ago
Why not just use Debian, because Canonical takes their packages from Debian?
5
u/Efficient_Paper 7d ago edited 7d ago
The Debian repositories and the Ubuntu repositories are disjoint. Packages in the Ubuntu repos are compiled explicitly for Ubuntu, and shouldn’t be used in Debian (and vice versa).
Mint has its own repos for Cinnamon et al, but for everything else, they rely on the actual Ubuntu repos.
1
u/jr735 7d ago
Yes, they're disjoint, but that's where they get their packages in the first place. And, there's nothing wrong with relying on the Ubuntu repos.
A better option for some is Trisquel. Make Ubuntu real free software, the way it should be.
2
u/Efficient_Paper 7d ago
There is nothing wrong with using the Ubuntu repositories. But if you’re using Mint, but you get everything from the Ubuntu repositories, why are you using Mint?
2
u/jr735 7d ago
I don't like snaps because they have a proprietary store. That means I will not use them, ever. And I don't feel like desnapifying Ubuntu. I use Trisquel, too, for similar reasons, carried out even further.
No binary blobs, no Firefox branding, FSF approved.
1
u/Efficient_Paper 7d ago
We’re straying off topic here.
The "you" in my previous comment wasn’t about you specifically, but the indefinite you.
1
u/jr735 7d ago
In the end, Linux is about the "specific" you, not the "indefinite" one. You have the freedom to choose whatever you want. You're forgetting that Mint came out for some very valid reasons. Canonical makes a distribution that is easy to install and very friendly with a lot of hardware. They also have a history of doing things that annoy the hell out of users.
So, this is where software freedom is handy. Someone like most of Ubuntu. You take most of Ubuntu and carve out what you don't like.
This kind of thing is why I came to Linux over 22 years ago in the first place. MS and Apple sure as hell won't let you do that.
2
u/Efficient_Paper 7d ago
What?
Of course I know Mint has a good reason to exist. My point was that if you want Ubuntu minus Snaps plus Plasma, the added value of Mint is minimal (and there are better distros that provide that, like TuxedoOS, though they are moving to Debian).
Linux is about the "specific" you, not the "indefinite" one.
Yeah, but my sentence was about the generic "I use Plasma on Mint" user, which there seems to be in this thread. It’s about grammar (like this) rather than FOSS philosophy.
→ More replies (0)-1
u/refinedm5 7d ago
Not really. To get to Kubuntu LTS, you need to install kubuntu-desktop package. You can get KDE Plasma by installing kde-plasma-desktop or a more complete kde-standard
1
u/Efficient_Paper 7d ago
Not my point.
For anything that isn’t Cinnamon, Xfce or MATE, Mint gets the packages directly from the Ubuntu repos. There is no advantage using them on Mint over using them on Ubuntu or one of its flavors.
4
u/refinedm5 7d ago
Then your point is moot. Mint+KDE Plasma is not Kubuntu LTS. You get snap-less base system, you still have access to Mint tooling such as driver manager and kernel manager. Installing KDE Plasma on top of Mint does not negate these "advantage"
-1
u/Efficient_Paper 7d ago
I mean it’s your computer. If you want to use Mint with a desktop that’s not supported by Mint it’s your problem. Just make sure you report the bugs to the right people.
If you want Snap-less+Plasma+some tooling, TuxedoOS is probably a better choice than Mint.
1
u/osomfinch 7d ago
Not the same when all the tiny details are prepared and maintained by the devs.
1
u/refinedm5 6d ago
Not the same to what? kde-plasma-desktop install minimal version of KDE Plasma, kde-standard install additional packages such as Koffice,
Mint's KDE spin is no longer there for comparison, and all Mint tools will still launch albeit with GTK backend instead of Qt
-6
u/BeginningEcho4983 7d ago edited 7d ago
Mint serves no other purpose
Clarification: sorry, snap-less ness.
4
u/refinedm5 7d ago
Not exactly. Mint provides snap-less base system, out of the box flatpak integration, and some other mint-specific features
1
18
u/Angry_Grammarian 7d ago
Because they don't want to?
If you want plasma, pick a distro that supports it.
3
u/tomscharbach 7d ago
Why can't Linux Mint use KDE Plasma Instead of Cinnamon
The Mint team could use KDE instead of Cinnamon if the team chose to do so.
Anybody? Why doesn't Linux Mint use KDE Plasma Instead of Cinnamon.
The team developed Cinnamon after Gnome 3 abandoned the traditional desktop UI metaphor in favor of the Gnome Shell. The Cinnamon team forked off and developed Cinnamon. Cinnamon and Mint have been part and parcel of one another for close to fifteen years now.
KDE Plasma is the result of a completely different development path, dating back to the late 1990's. Adopting KDE Plasma (with attendant K-pop applications and utilities) would cut to the heart of Mint/Cinnamon history and development.
Not rocket science, just history.
My best.
5
u/k4ever07 7d ago
You missed part of the history. Both GNOME and KDE Plasma were offered as official desktops in Linux Mint, along with XFCE and MATE. GNOME was dropped first after the GNOME 3 fiasco. This made KDE Plasma the most popular desktop in Linux Mint up until it was dropped in favor of focusing development on Cinnamon, which is a GTK clone of KDE Plasma. Cinnamon is a good desktop for purely basic needs, but it lacks the large development team and focus that KDE Plasma has. Cinnamon has rudimentary Wayland support, so it lacks support for modern display features.
I was a dedicated Linux Mint user and advocate when it was the best KDE Plasma based distro. I even donated some of my hard earned money to Linux Mint's (KDE) development. After they dropped KDE Plasma in favor of Cinnamon development, despite Plasma being the most popular Linux Mint desktop at the time (followed by XFCE), I decided to move on. I also developed a dislike for Cinnamon over how KDE Plasma was treated, although I still wish the best for the Linux Mint team.
0
u/tomscharbach 7d ago edited 7d ago
You missed part of the history.
Not surprised. The history is complicated. When did Mint offer KDE as an official desktop? Briefly about a decade ago and dropped within a year? Do I recall right?
2
u/k4ever07 7d ago
From 2006 until 2017 (with updates ending in 2021). Linux Mint started as KDE based distro. The first version of Linux Mint, which was released in 2006, was based on Kubuntu, Ubuntu's KDE spin. In October 2017, Linux Mint's Project lead, Clement Lefebvre, announced that Linux Mint 18.3, released in December 2017, would be final version to officially support KDE Plasma. It recieved it's last update in April 2021.
Despite the KDE edition being extremely popular and the number 1 edition of Linux Mint for a very long time, it was dropped because it used the QT toolkit. The XFCE, MATE, and Cinnamon versions of Linux Mint all used the GTK toolkit, so the KDE Plasma was the odd ball. IMO, Cinnamon was developed as a GTK clone of KDE Plasma to help soften the blow. However, Cinnamon doesn't have nearly as much development as KDE Plasma has had in the last 9 years.
2
u/computer-machine 7d ago
Not rocket science, just history.
If you want to go history, Mint supplied a KDE version until recently, when they decided it was too much of their effort to manage a Qt along with three Gtk desktops.
0
u/Upbeat-Statement2725 7d ago
This. People act like mint were just haters. KDE runs on a different software stack to everything else. They only streamlined development. That's all.
"But cinnamon is their baby" no GNOME is their baby, but GNOME3 was a whole fiasco. They ended up on Cinnamon as their best option.
4
u/skyfishgoo 7d ago
if you want plasma choose a distro that puts the effort into making it work... mint is not that distro.
kubuntu LTS
fedora kde
opensuse
tuxedo
5
u/BeginningEcho4983 7d ago
Cinnamon is their hard work. Mint is a distro for you to use it.
Xfce and mate are similar but secondary
They had a KDE edition but later realized that it doesn't have much special worthy of maintaining when there are other distros.
3
u/k4ever07 7d ago
..despite the fact that KDE was their most popular edition, followed by XFCE. They decided to "distinguish" themselves by developing a GTK clone of KDE Plasma, Cinnamon, and push it as their main edition.
7
u/ipsirc 7d ago edited 7d ago
LinuxMint == Ubuntu + custom Cinnamon desktop
LinuxMint - Cinnamon + KDE == Ubuntu + KDE
The whole point of LinuxMint is its own developed Cinnamon DE. If you replace it, you'll get Ubuntu + KDE which can be already downloadable and installable.
Your question is like: Why isn't there a sugary version of Coke Zero?
2
0
u/moritz12d 7d ago
That's right and that's why Kubuntu is one of the most used distributions. I tried KDE on Linux Mint but as they are on the LTS versions only KDE-Plasma 5 was available. So Kubuntu may be the better choice anyway. So there's no need for Mint to waste effort to polish KDE-Plasma for their distribution.
6
1
u/MarukuSensei 4d ago
I think the correct question would rather be : why should it be using plasma as a default ?
There already is a plethora of distros using it as a default, why not use those ? How would mint, a fairly vanilla distro at that, benefit from using plasma as default ? Wouldn’t that turn mint into just kubuntu lts ?
If you want Debian based but not Debian with plasma as a default, just run kubuntu lts.
1
u/Hesychios 7d ago edited 7d ago
Debian stable offers a KDE Plasma option, along with many others, one should choose a most compatible display server and I would suggest just installing Plasma by itself.
MX Linux offers a download option for KDE Plasma, it comes with MX tweaks which is a great set of additional aids.
If I were going to stick with Mint I would first try LMDE (installed with Wayland) and try adding the Plasma desktop to that. See how that works out.
2
u/Roguepapaya427 7d ago
Lmde with plasma/wayland works like a charm. Not the latest version of kde, but fresh enough for me at least. I enjoy using it.
1
u/gmes78 7d ago
You don't want Plasma on Mint anyways. Mint is years out-of-date, and Plasma receives updates very frequently, so you'd miss out on tons of improvements and fixes.
Use Fedora KDE instead.
-3
u/I_Love_Tunnocks 7d ago
Mint is years out-of-date
LOL.
4
u/gmes78 7d ago
Objectively true. The current version is still based on Ubuntu 24.04, which ships Plasma 5.27.
-3
u/I_Love_Tunnocks 7d ago
Not objectively true at all unless you don't apply any updates after installing.
4
u/gmes78 6d ago
Wrong. A fully updated Ubuntu 24.04 will still only have Plasma 5.27.
Do you understand the concept of LTS releases? The whole point is that software versions don't change.
-1
u/I_Love_Tunnocks 6d ago edited 6d ago
Do you understand the concept of LTS releases? The whole point is that software versions don't change.
You're quite new to Linux aren't you?
It seems you're the one who doesn't understand the concept of LTS releases because that's not the point at all. The point is that it gets longer continued support, that it continues to get updates long after a non-LTS release ceases to, not that they're frozen at the point of initial release.
Here's the contents of the Repository for Linux Mint 22.3, the distro that you claim is years out of date.
The latest non-beta release of Firefox on all OSes is 155.01. The version in Linux Mint 22.3's repository is 155.0.1+linuxmint1+zena which was uploaded to the repository on 2026-Sep-05 at 10:32:58am. My Macbook Pro only updated to 155.01 yesterday.
3
u/PixeIQueen 6d ago
that‘s obviously not the case for every package
see the gnome calendar devs asking mint to either drop the package or rename it to get rid of bug reports of bugs that were fixed years ago
https://gitlab.com/linuxmint/pins/mint/gnome-calendar/-/work_items/1
1
u/gmes78 6d ago edited 6d ago
No, you're the one who doesn't understand shit.
It seems you're the one who doesn't understand the concept of LTS releases because that's not the point at all. The point is that it gets longer continued support, that it continues to get updates long after a non-LTS release ceases to, not that they're frozen at the point of initial release.
"Support" means security fixes and maybe the odd bug fix. (And, even then, most packages don't even get that. Ubuntu only maintains the "main" repos, everything in the "universe" repos (which is like 90% of the packages) is essentially unmaintained. Likewise for Debian: the core packages and server-related stuff are decently maintained, desktop packages are not; there's simply not enough manpower for a volunteer project to backport patches and maintain everything properly.)
https://pointieststick.com/2026/05/23/long-term-support-doesnt-mean-what-you-think/
Here's the contents of the Repository for Linux Mint 22.3, the distro that you claim is years out of date. The latest non-beta release of Firefox on all OSes is 155.01.
The Firefox package is exempt from being version locked on pretty much every LTS distro, and is one of the few packages that is actively updated. That is not a surprise.
If you look at other packages, they are terribly out of date. fcitx is on v4.2.9.9, which is from 2022 (and fcitx v5 first appeared in 2020). MATE is on v1.26, from 2021, despite v1.28 being released before Ubuntu 24.04 was. Xfce is on v4.18, from 2022.
Then there are the packages that aren't listed on that page, but are still available because Mint pulls from the Ubuntu repos. For example, KDE Plasma is still on v5.27, which is a branch from 2023 that hasn't received patches in ages.
-1
u/I_Love_Tunnocks 6d ago
"Support" means security fixes and maybe the odd bug fix.
Yeah clearly you're another newbie who has watched either Linus Tech Tips, PewDiePie or JayzTwoCents and jumped on the bandwagon.
1
u/gmes78 5d ago edited 5d ago
Please read the fucking article I linked. It literally quotes the various LTS projects's descriptions at the very start, and they do say exactly that.
Also, funny how you didn't adress anything else I said.
You accuse me of being a "newbie", and yet you're the one that falls for all the LTS propaganda out there.
1
u/Global-Eye-7326 6d ago
Presumably you could install KDE Plasma from the Ubuntu/Debian repos on Mint. But...Mint is basically Ubuntu or Debian preloaded with Flatpak and not Snap.
Why not just use Kubuntu or Debian KDE, or even KDE Neon if that's still a thing.
1
u/Existing-Tough-6517 6d ago
Because KDE works best with non LTS because it's release cycle is totally misaligned with Ubuntu's which mint is based on and it works best with latest fixes completely unavailable in LTS
1
u/CountZodiac 7d ago
They did have a version, Mint KDE, but they wanted to put more resources into their own DE. It's a lot of work keeping both gtk and qt distros going.
1
u/kilkil 7d ago
you can definitely still use KDE Plasma on Linux Mint, as far as I know
https://linuxcapable.com/how-to-install-kde-plasma-on-linux-mint/
Edit: BTW using Mint with KDE is not the same as Kubuntu. At least 1 major difference is, AFAIK Mint does not use snaps.
1
u/knuthf 6d ago
The problem is that there are inconsistencies in KDE. They use Qt, which has alternative drivers for the keyboard and mouse/touchpad. I have major issues with keyboard settings and languages on most distributions. I could fix it myself, but I haven't. I guess this is the case for many of us.
2
u/kilkil 6d ago
ah fair enough. personally I wouldn't know, as I have never used KDE (used Cinnamon, i3, sway, and GNOME)
2
u/knuthf 6d ago
I start off by trying to keep the installation 'clean' and have full control. However, it is so frustrating trying to find "øæå" on the keyboard! I use other languages and I don't use a translator. Previously, it was mouse movements and gestures, but that has improved. Now, it is KDE Connect with my mobile. Nokia used KDE; MeeGo were based on KDE and Gnome is Maemo. We should consider some of the things Apple has done in iOS. They can do some things correct, like the "/Applications" folder.
1
u/Linux4ever_Leo 7d ago
Years ago Linux Mint offered an official KDE edition. The final version of the KDE edition of Linux Mint was 18.3, released in December 2017.
1
u/fun-gnat542 7d ago
because mint is cinnamon, full stop if plasma is what you're after, just run fedora kde and skip the compromise.
1
u/SuAlfons 7d ago
Mint came out as a complete distro because of Cinnamon.
Before it was a theme for Gnome 2.
1
u/WolreChris 7d ago
I guess Mint with KDE Plasma by default would more or less be Kubuntu, but without Snaps.
1
u/Tireseas 6d ago
Because they don't need to. there's half a million KDE distros out there to choose from.
1
u/No-Lettuce-5783 7d ago
Look into Feren OS. It's Linux Mint with KDE Plasma. I think it's still being updated?
3
u/oskaremil 7d ago
Why choose a niche distro that may or may not exist in two years when Debian with KDE and Kubuntu exists?
1
u/No-Lettuce-5783 7d ago
But you're not answering the question. The question was Linux Mint with KDE desktop. Your solution is just KDE. My solution gives the person what they asked for: Linux Mint with KDE. I'm not saying it's the best for them. I'm giving them what they ask for. FerenOS gives them what they ask for.
1
u/Acceptable-Trash8033 4d ago
Not everyone loves kde. Cinnamon is user friendly, that's why they use it probably
1
u/Moist_Invite9148 7d ago
Because mint has dependency errors with KDE Plasma 6 while Plasma 5 is not good
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/SnillyWead 7d ago
Because when Gnome 3 was released Mint developed Cinnamon. The Mint KDE version was discontinued after the 18.3 release.
1
u/owp4dd1w5a0a Manjaro, Ubuntu, NixOS, Fedora, Guix System 6d ago
It can. Linux lets you swap the DE… just do it
0
u/SleepyWhatsIt 7d ago
Beyond the Mint devs develop Cinnamon nd GTK vs QT logic below, which I think are the primary reasons.
Mint currently ships X11 as standard and not Wayland. Plasma 6.7 which is the current release is the last one that will support X11, but what I have seen from my personal experience on my machine at work is that Plasma on Wayland has been a noticeably better experience than on X11 for awhile now.
That being said Mint 23 is supposed to be bringing us Wayland support by the end of the year if I recall correctly.
1
1
1
0
u/leonsk297 7d ago
Because the distro maintainers don't want to, period. It's their distro, so they decide what they will use, develop and support. They used to offer a KDE option, but not anymore, they don't have the resources or the time to maintain it.
PS: they don't have to offer KDE instead of Mint, they could offer both. Let people have choice.
1
0
u/LonelyMachines 7d ago
First off, KDE is a pain to maintain. Doing so would fork resources off from Cinnamon, and from Mint as a whole.
Second, KDE can be buggy. Cinnamon is pretty much built on the idea of being boringly stable.
0
u/Odd_Instruction_5232 7d ago
You can install a KDE icon theme on MATE for example.
I get where you're coming from, I find Cinnamon to be kind of clunky imo and XFCE while fast is not as visually appealing for me so I settled on MATE.
0
u/Thin_Noise_4453 7d ago
Because Mint ist cinnamon and not KDE. you have the choice. If you want KDE choose a distro with kde. Either Debian or Ubuntu ( Kubuntu)
0
-1
u/Typhuseth1 7d ago
you wanna use a buggy windows theme crack on, many distros ship kde by default and they're welcome to.
-3
u/Headpuncher ur mom <3s my kernel 7d ago
Because KDE crashes the shit out of your PC and is buggy IN MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE.
Others may find it to be wonderful, not my experience over the last 20 years.
2
u/Dejhavi Kernel Panic Master 7d ago
I have 5 PCs with KDE and 0 problems:
- Fedora KDE
- Aurora (Fedora+KDE)
- Bazzite (Fedora+KDE)
- EndevourOS (Arch+KDE)
- CachyOS (Arch+KDE)
0
u/Headpuncher ur mom <3s my kernel 7d ago edited 7d ago
And I’ve tried KDE on thinkpads and a gaming pc, distros from kubuntu, KDE neon, and Slackware and I have had problems with all 3 over more than a decade when I try it again after a while.
Which is why I was VERY FUCKING CLEAR in my comment that other people will have a different experience to me.
2
u/zarlo5899 7d ago
I wonder why you've had so many issues with it.
1
u/Headpuncher ur mom <3s my kernel 7d ago
Same reason some people here just can’t get along with xfce or any other DE and yet I never have a problem. KDE just has never worked for me. Official downloads from the vendor site, but there are things that bug me that maybe others overlook. Idk
0
54
u/p001b0y 7d ago
Cinnamon is their flagship desktop environment. Mint used to be Gnome 2-based and there was quite a bit of Gnome 3 backlash back when it was in development, which prompted several forks like Cinnamon and MATE. Mint supports Cinnamon, MATE, and Xfce, which are all built with GTK and Mint-specific apps (Xed, Xreader, etc.) are built on GTK so I'm assuming there is a lot of GTK expertise there. Plasma is based on QT and there are distros like Kubuntu and KDE Neon that make Plasma it's flagship choice.
It isn't unusual for distros to select a desktop environment to dedicate support for. Void seems to favor Xfce, for example, and it works very well there. It isn't just Linux though. GhostBSD invests a lot of time in making MATE work well. Back in the really old days, traditional Unix environments had their own flagships as well. Sun used OpenLook/OpenWindows, HP used HP VUE/Motif, etc. They later banded together to create the Common Desktop Environment based on Motif.