MATE core apps naming

Dear Community,

Historically, GNOME 2 had no established naming convention for its core apps. That naming inconsistency was later inherited by MATE DE. As a result, we have now English-named “MATE Terminal” and “Eye of Mate” as well as a pack of Spanish-named apps including “Caja”, the default file manager. I mean no offence, Perberos did a very important step making a fork which has evolved into a very pleasant and a mature DE. But now it is a more international project which deserves to be more and more polished. I’d say MATE is now one of the most user-friendly desktop environments around, and some streamlined core app naming will be an additional plus.

Nowadays, GNOME 3 developers themselves are moving in that direction (“Nautilus” is now presented as “Files”, “Evince” is presented as “Document Viewer”, etc.). I think, we also may take a look how naming issues were outmaneuvered by Linux Mint X-apps initiative and cherry pick some ideas for MATE. We now have “MATE Terminal”. Why cannot we, say, switch to “MATE Archiver” naming from “Engrampa”? It will be more clear for newcomers. I was a newcomer myself once.

The second part is about Caja exclusively. The file manager is the face of desktop environment and has to be treated as a first-class citizen. “Caja” is simply a “box” in Spanish. What about making a small discussion about a potential new bright name for MATE file manager? I’d propose “Calabash” as a new name. Calabash is used as a container for mate, so it is a “shell” of some sort (and has a beloved “sh” suffix!). So it keeps the tradition of Nautilus: semantically the file manager name has to be related to a shell somehow.

I understand, that it may already be too late to make such changes from a maintainer’s point of view. Nevertheless, I want to plant this idea here to see the opinions of our Community members.

Cheers,
Alexey

I think MATE has good names. Naming a file manager to “Files” can cause a lot of confusion. I know you didn’t suggest that. One good aspect of strange names is that they are not translated. Engrampa is called Engrampa in localized versions of MATE. “MATE Archiver” on the other hand would probably be translated, making it harder to search for help.

I think Perberos chose those names because they sound nice. That is a weird thing to say because I don’t pronounce them correctly. I say MATE (like in partner). Caja I don’t pronounce correctly. But that’s Linux. Who came up with the name “Ubuntu”? Does anyone know the correct pronunciation of that? I think people pronounce Ubuntu differently depending on their native language.

Then you have XFCE, LXDE, LXQT… wonderful names or not. Arnold Schwarzenegger became successful despite everyone telling him he wouldn’t make it because of his name. Sometimes crazy names are an asset.

Linux Mint has Xviewer, Xed, etc., - not bad but “sterile” compared to MATE names.

I don’t like change when it isn’t necessary. Perberos had to invent new names for MATE to separate it from Gnome. I think he did well.

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To be honest, I really don’t think the names manner much. One of the beautiful things about MATE is it runs programs from multiple distros and DE’s quite well. Like in most of the distro’s I install…I rarely use the stock apps anyway. And most of Gnomes core apps suck also…lol

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I would very much love app names which say better what the app does. Particularly for core app which you need but don’t use all the time that would be helpful.
I am using UM for over a year more or less exclusively, but I rarely use an archiver for example. Often when I need it I overlook the menue entry because engrampa doesn’t give away the smallest clue.
New users’s life would be made much easier and UM would be more inclusive.

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In my menu Engrampa is called “Engrampa Archive Manager”. If you put “Archive” in the search field (Advanced menu) it pops up. Actually you just have to type “arc” and it’s at the top of the list. It can’t be more straight-forward than that in my opinion.

I agree with that the naming in the menus is a little confusing at first, but I don’t mind the applications themselves being called Caja, Emgrampa, etc as it sets them apart and are well established in communities.

First thing I do is rename the menu entries so “MATE Terminal” becomes “Terminal” :point_right: “Eye of MATE Viewer” :point_right: “Image Viewer” and so forth. I think the pre-Ubuntu Unity era had those sort of names too.

I have suggested this to @wimpy in the past, but I believe the change may need to be done upstream (the MATE project itself) So, this might happen in future, who knows. :slight_smile:

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Yes, it’s so much easier to google “caja” than “files”! But I like the menu entry change idea.

Everyone, who shared thoughts on the topic - thanks!

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Naming is important!
For example, It took me a while to understand using Synapse (CTRL + Space) if i want to call the calculator, starting typing “cal…” will never find it nor open it!! because it’s called Galculator… so I need to type gal…
Seriously? and my kids ask me how to spell calculator after that…

I don’t even speak about the long list of Kthings/Kapps non related i have in the menu (i am so happy that Gnome 3 have finally understood).

It’s all the FOSS area problem to have weird names (GNU first with the flag ahead!), recursive joke’s naming for example by developer/programmers are only understood by them and are far over the head of every body else, to not say “inaccessible”

Take another name => Ubuntu-MATE, that was the least version i tried (before to fall in love with it) but the name at first sight… made me try it the least. And even now when I speak about Ubuntu-MATE every one it asking
… Ubu… what?
me: … Linux!
them… OH OK…

Very happy that GNOME 3 want to land on Earth!

But, I agree that searching a strange name’s file or software on Internet give the advantage to not search twice :wink:

To my knowledge MATE Menu provides generic names. If you want generic naming that badly switch to the Redmond panel configuration, use the “Advanced menu” feature, customize the stuffing ouf ot it.

Even when modifying the menu’s backend it is reasonably easy enough for someone who may easily think in patterns to deduce the Python code and successfully manipulate how it functions.