This repository provides a setup for running MATE Desktop on NixOS inside Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL). Its easy to install just follow instructions. NixOS + flakes.
MATE Desktop is a lightweight and fast desktop environment that continues the GNOME 2 legacy. It offers a classic, intuitive, and feature-rich interface that is easy to use for both beginners and advanced users. With a focus on stability, compatibility, and long-term support, MATE Desktop is a reliable choice for various use cases—from personal setups to professional environments.
Key characteristics of MATE Desktop:
- Lightweight: Consumes fewer system resources compared to other desktop environments, making it ideal for older or resource-constrained machines.
- Customizable: Offers a variety of configuration options, panel layouts, and additional applets.
- Familiarity: Designed as a continuation of GNOME 2, MATE Desktop provides a familiar experience for those who appreciated GNOME 2's functionality and design.
- Support for Modern Systems: Despite its lightweight nature, it includes support for modern hardware and technologies.
Learn more about MATE Desktop at mate-desktop.org.
NixOS is a Linux distribution built on the Nix package manager, designed to offer reliable and reproducible system configurations. Its declarative approach lets you describe your system configuration in a single file, ensuring consistent environments across different machines.
- Declarative Configuration: Configure your entire system—ranging from services, networking, and user management to packages—using a single plain text file (
configuration.nix). - Atomic Upgrades and Rollbacks: As changes are transactional, you can revert to a prior state seamlessly.
- Isolation and Reproducibility: Packages are built with isolated dependencies, ensuring consistent builds.
- Extensive Customization: Modify or create packages without interfering with your system state.
NixOS is ideal for those looking for a highly customizable, reliable, and reproducible system, making it particularly popular among developers, DevOps practitioners, and system administrators.
To learn more, visit NixOS Official Website.
Before you begin, ensure you have the following:
- A system with Windows 10/11 and WSL enabled.
- Internet connectivity for downloading packages.
- Basic command-line proficiency. Thats ALL.
Follow these steps to get started:
Download NIXOS from this page - https://github.com/nix-community/NixOS-WSL
NOW GO HERE: https://github.com/vinberg88/nixos-mate-wsl/blob/main/NIXOS-MATE.txt
Developed and maintained by vinberg88.
How to install MATE via NIXOS - WSL - MOVIE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHSrHECCJDE
Tools that i USE for WSL - Microsoft - Linux - Windows 11 - 2025
X410 - Xserver for windows 11 - So you have a Desktop. Do you want to seamlessly use Linux GUI apps side by side with Windows apps? Simply start X410 and adjust a few settings; your Linux GUI apps then suddenly appear in Windows and you can use them like Windows apps! It doesn't matter where your Linux GUI apps are actually running; it can be a full virtual machine, Docker container, WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) or whatever. As long as your Linux GUI apps support X-Window client protocols, you can use them in Windows. You can even securely use your Linux GUI apps running in a far remote server via any SSH client that supports X11 forwarding over the Internet.
https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9pm8lp83g3l3?hl=en-US&gl=US
Raft WSL is a powerful tool for managing Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) distributions, enabling installation, snapshots, version control, and seamless integration with Windows tools.
https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9msmjqd017x7?hl=en-US&gl=US
Find more stuff here for WSL and Windows 11.
https://github.com/vinberg88/opensuse
Please visit my WSL page
Regards Mattias Vinberg - NixOS - MATE - SweDen - WSL - X410 - 2025