Please remember I am new to Linux and Ubuntu. I have looked for the answer to why two different DEs on the web and found lots of words and opinions, but no real reasons.
Is there an answer to the question or is it like “Which came first the chicken or the egg”?
Thanks, Fred
I think it’s as simple as the two groups behind them — Canonical and the GNOME developers, many whom work for Red Hat — having different needs and different visions.
To explain this as complete as possible I need to explain one thing first. Under GNU/Linux you have window managers (WMs) and desktop environments (DEs). Window Managers are applications like i3, awesome, jwm. These are just examples there are more available.
To make a Desktop Environment work you need a window manager, so MATE uses marco, Elementary uses gala and KDE uses kwin. Remind you, these are just examples. Every DE uses a window manager. This enables you to, lets say, replace marco with compiz for better rendering, silly (oops, strike that) beautiful effects and so on.
Now a bit of history: The first DE was KDE, soon followed by Gnome. Not that KDE did not work, but because the developers of Gnome did not like KDE. So it is just about different philosophies on the look and feel of a desktop. For a long time KDE and Gnome ruled the linux world, but there were always different ones available like XFCE4 and Enlightenment.
After a few years Canonical tried something new and created Unity as their main DE, Gnome stopped development of Gnome2 and started Gnome3, Gnome2 was forked and renamed to MATE. And last but not least, the Solus project created Budgie. There are more, but hey, this isn’t wikipedia so I could have missed a few.
So to sum it up: it isn’t about the chicken or the egg, it is about how the chicken feels the egg should look and feel. If I continue in that line: a chicken egg looks different than an ostrich egg although they both have the same function: create a new chick.
It might be daunting that there are a lot of possibilities, but this also gives you a lot of freedom to utilize a DE or WM that suits your workflow whilst still running the best OS there is: GNU/Linux.
Hi Fred, While you have some great answers, here’s another angle.
Gnome: Because KDE had a proprietary nature (rather long ago and not true today).
Gnome2: Because Gnome was getting old.
Gnome3: Because Gnome2 was getting old.
Unity: Because Gnome2 or Gnome3 didn’t fit the goal of a common interface for all the new devices like tablets and phones.
Mate: Because a lot of folks love traditional Gnome2.
Of course, many other reasons may be missing.
When I tweak Gnome3 it looks, feels and works just like Unity, so I find the latter a waste of resources; it’s just another example of the Linux fragmentation, lack of focus and purpose.
@Joss I do not agree to that. What fragmentation? I do not think of it as fragmentation, but as a choice. If I do not like unity I can use gnome3 or MATE or KDE or even ratpoison.
If I do not like Ubuntu I can install Arch, OpenSuSE or whatever. I have a choice. One that I do not have using eiter windows or OSX. I am locked into the paradigm the company sees as best.
Wow, all great answers and I see it is not a chicken and egg problem, rather I like this hat better with this shirt - today. Personal preference is king.
From a newbe’s point of view a) it creates nothing but confusion, b) I agree with @Joss in that is seems to be fragmentation and/or splintering c) it hamstrings Linux from being mainstream and d) documentation is next to impossible.
But I get it, we all like to let our creative juices flow and we know there is a better way to do it so let’s show them.
Thanks to everybody for your answers.
Just to add, some of the desktop environments you can get for Linux are avaliable for other (non-Linux) operating systems too, like FreeBSD.
I didn’t understand your question. Is it
My question was why have two competing DEs for Mate 16.04?
If I were king, I would say let us all use this one and then we can share a common base of knowledge. We can help each other since we all speak the same language. There would only be a need for one set of documentation for all new users. The learning curve would be less steep I could go to one place to find my answer.
I am desperately trying to leave Windows, even to the point I went out and purchased yet another laptop because the other one would not work (AMD based). But both work fine under Windows.
BUT my point is, that I could tell someone exactly what buttons to push, what menus would open and what commands to use to fix a windows problem. Yet as M$ migrated versions they would change buttons, menus and commands to cure “that” problem. In my mind it created needless confusion.
Ubuntu has purposely chosen to run two parallel DEs and WMs, on the same OS, which obviously creates confusion. They even changed the names of some apps so they would not confuse other people. Also they wander or wafer back and forth as they do new builds. In that respect, I feel that they are their own worst enemy.
I was simply trying to understand why. Which everyone that replied answered in one fashion or another. With their collection of answers I discovered it was because they could and did. But in my opinion Ubuntu hamstrung both by doing so. Opinions are like belly buttons we all have them and we think ours is right.
Yea; like Ford and Chevy here in the states 
I think one of the ideas of Ubuntu and Linux to understand is that they are open source. They are open for anyone to change, rewrite, add to, or modify their own satisfaction. It gets stuck in your head that there is a group designing an OS, like there is a corporation that designs MacOs, Windows, iOS, etc. But that’s not exactly how it works with open source. It’s a community, instead of a single entity. Any one person or group of it will step out on their own path and design a new version or program or adaptation to any problem or new design they want. When a new design in software or function improvement through programming is found, it spreads throughout the entire community. And then it is taken by Windows and Mac and added to their OS. Ubuntu and Linux are still the testing field for computer programming. The fragmentation you see is the customization and preferences of different users. It is not a finished product being marketed to the masses, but a huge research and development organization that evolves on its own through trial and error.
It will hopefully always continue to evolve, there will always be failures and there will always be revisions. It will never be a finished product.
That I do not understand. There is only one DE and one WM for Ubuntu MATE 16.04 and that is the MATE Desktop and Marco Windowmanager. I guess you are confused by Ubuntu and the other flavors like Ubuntu MATE, Xubuntu and others. Every flavor has only one Desktop and one WindowManager.
That’s exactly what I don’t get it and I was looking for a clarification.
I think the simple answer is that diversity is freedom. If anything, these communities encapsulate and encourage freedom through the underlying philosophies of software development.
We all want to rule the world, but we all want to do it differently. In the Linux desktop environments, everyone gets a chance to have it their way and the utility of their efforts stands on its merits. Adopt the DE of your choice and you cast your vote for the direction of the community overall.
@wizd3m, @malwaredpc
First remember I am a newbie.
As I went looking for a manual for Ubuntu MATE 16.04 LTS I dutifully entered the following search string in Google: – users manual ubuntu MATE 16.04 LTS –
It returned “Getting Started with Ubuntu 16.04 LTS” sure it is missing one word, but three primary words are present.
I opened it and was greeted with the Unity desktop. I have the Gnome desktop.
Both proclaim to be “Ubuntu 16.04 LTS”. (Yes, I now know they are based on Ubuntu 16.04 LTS, but are forks (I think)).
So then I went out searching as to why two different DEs for Ubuntu 16.04 LTS and found lots of words, but no real answers. Since I have Gnome MATE, I posed my question to this forum (and also because everyone has been so helpful). Which, by the way, was answered the way I thought it would be, “because we can”.
If anything the MATE group should rise up and demand the Unity group define its self and its manual and not proclaim they have written a manual for “Ubuntu 16.04 LTS”. They should be required to call it EXACTLY what it is to remove confusion.
AND the MATE group should produce a manual as detailed as they have. Shame on you.
I am an old geezer that has been using OSes since around 1969. Go back to post 10 and read “If I were king…”. My desire is for Linux to rule and the confusion to stop. There does not need to be so much confusion thrown at us that are trying to leave Windows. Instead welcome us with open arms, don’t bury us in 27 different forks, splinters, fractures and what ever.
Yes I was confused, but don’t be pointing that finger at me. It is the constant splintering and fracturing that creates the confusion for a newbie like me. It drives away lots of people that want to switch, but give up because of what they see.
“You” have a very steep learning curve, because “you” created it. Are “you” purposely trying to keep “us” away? If so, why; aren’t “we” part of the future that can help Linux grow?
Hi Fred, from a (fellow?) baby boomer and great grampa 
…
I’ll always support the thought that Linux is a double-edged sword. The good news is there’s a LOT of choice. The bad news is, there’s TOO MUCH choice!
And that huge amount of choice comes with the baggage of an even larger amount of lingo.
And how those closest to the technology have lost the ability to see what a new user sees.
And how no one documents anymore… things move so fast it will be obsolete, anyway, next year.
Is it obvious I’m also rather opinionated on this topic? 
All we can do is trudge along. I hear ya.
Hi Bill,
I don’t think that is quite true since 16.04 LTS will be around for 5 years before it is replaced, not next year. Agreed any non-LTS would be frivolous. Having a manual would help in the transition from Windows to Linux. Plus once it is started it is easy to maintain, it is not like the next LTS release is totally new.
To me, the totally uniformed, isn’t a non-LTS release sort of an Alpha or Beta release working towards the next LTS release?
Wolfman and others have great on-topic helps, but it is all so scattered. Steve Cook (stevecook17001) helped me tremendously by doing two or three short videos to get me past problems.
But IMO your opinions are absolutely correct
[quote=“fey42, post:18, topic:9310”]To me, the totally uniformed, isn’t a non-LTS release sort of an Alpha or Beta release working towards the next LTS release?[/quote]That’s not far off the mark at all, barring those that work with exact definitions of Alpha and Beta. I think of it from the other direction - heightened awareness to settle things down at LTS time.
I tend to use the LTS but play with the others in virtual machines (VMs) where I can try things with no fear of breaking something I need. Nothing beats test drives.
? what? I’m not pointing anything on you. I just didn’t understand the question or the answers given to you. To me it was like everybody understood the question except me and I felt awkward like if someone were hitting on my mom in front of me and I thought it was maybe because English is not my LANGUAGE OR that all the others haven’t understood the question neither.
As you can have more than 1 DE in your system it may be that what you was asking. Or maybe you don’t like none of those DE and you was asking why people use those two…
Now I can tell you the following:
Ubuntu MATE is UBUNTU MATE group and MATE is another group. I know you are saying what? So I’ll show the path to go thru.
In Linux World (not Linux) there are thousands of groups because Linux is community collaboration.
Linux is an OS that is developed by developers all around the world. Lots of them are actually not doing it by their own but working for a company that makes a team work on Linux. There a lot of companies that do that. Also there are a lot of developers that donate their free time to work on Linux.
Linux is formed of lots of pieces. The Linux kernel is the first one but it has branches, why? Because you don’t need lot of stuff to put in a router (oh, yes, most houses routers are working in some version of Linux. Moreover, Android is Linux, so most mobile phones use Linux).
Then you have CLI tools. Then you have X (and others). Above X you have a Windows Manager or a DE with a Windows Manager (MATE, KDE). Also, before seeing the DE or WM you have a greeter, e.g. LightDM or GDM, the one that ask you for a password.
Then you can use a lot of different software e.g. Pluma, Gedit as text editors or LibreOffice, Apache OpenOffice or WPS.
So, having all hat into account, there’s is some|thin/one like Canonical that chooses a Linux kernel branch + a Greeter + a DE + other Software and distributes it (also they can make changes to the software). That is called a LINUX DISTRIBUTION. The one from Canonical is called Ubuntu and it has different versions, 16.04 the last LTS release. Then, as of Canonical, offers can be that the base is almost the same but with another DE and a little pieces move back and forth. The latter are called FLAVOURS and Ubuntu MATE is a Flavour of Ubuntu (and thus from Canonical).
In the end, I can tell you the following: Ubuntu MATE is a “group” part of Canonical but MATE is not a group part of Canonical neither Ubuntu MATE.
TO complete my answer, there are other distributions: Mint, OpenSuse, CentOS, Arch and a lot more.