The MATE Desktop Environment is the continuation of GNOME 2. It provides an intuitive and attractive desktop environment using traditional metaphors for Linux and other Unix-like operating systems.

Note: Before installing any desktop,

Create a non-privileged user account for security reasons, if you skipped this step during Installation.
Enable community repository. Setup-desktop script automatically does this for you.
Install graphics driver for your video hardware.

If you are using Hyper-V and Xorg refuses to start, blacklist the hyperv_drm module by adding it to the /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf file.

Installation using setup-desktop

The Alpine Linux script for setting up a desktop quickly is setup-desktop.

# setup-desktop

On running the above command, you will be prompted to select a desktop environment.

Which desktop environment? ('gnome', 'plasma', 'xfce', 'mate', 'sway' or 'none') [none]

Once you have chosen a desktop environment, this script installs the chosen desktop along with all the necessary packages, firefox browser and adds the necessary services to run on startup. You can reboot when complete and the system will boot into a graphical login screen with the desktop environment. Depending on the desktop chosen, the script also activates the necessary services like dbus, elogind, login manager etc..

To view all the packages that are installed by the script for the chosen desktop you can issue the below command:

# cat /sbin/setup-desktop

Manual Installation

Prerequisites

Install Xorg
Install and configure D-Bus with X11 add-ons

# apk add mate-desktop-environment lxdm adwaita-icon-theme faenza-icon-theme # gvfs_pkgs=$(apk search gvfs -q | grep -v '\-dev' | grep -v '\-lang' | grep -v '\-doc') # apk add $gvfs_pkgs

If you are running your Alpine installation from RAM, save the changes:

# lbu ci

Try starting dbus and lxdm. This will start the display manager and should allow you to login.

# rc-service lxdm start

If it worked, enable the services to start on reboot

# rc-update add lxdm

Misc

TrueType fonts

Todo: The directions below need improvement because they don't work well: They pull in many non-font packages.

Add all available TrueType Fonts:

$ ttfs=$(apk search -q ttf- | grep -v '\-doc') # apk add $ttfs

Disabling standby and screensaver

Check the current configuration using xset:

# apk add xset $ xset q

Contents of xset q

Keyboard Control:
  auto repeat:  on    key click percent:  0    LED mask:  00000000
  XKB indicators:
    00: Caps Lock:   off    01: Num Lock:    off    02: Scroll Lock: off
    03: Compose:     off    04: Kana:        off    05: Sleep:       off
    06: Suspend:     off    07: Mute:        off    08: Misc:        off
    09: Mail:        off    10: Charging:    off    11: Shift Lock:  off
    12: Group 2:     off    13: Mouse Keys:  off
  auto repeat delay:  500    repeat rate:  20
  auto repeating keys:  00ffffffdffffbbf
                        fadfffefffedffff
                        9fffffffffffffff
                        fff7ffffffffffff
  bell percent:  0    bell pitch:  400    bell duration:  100
Pointer Control:
  acceleration:  2/1    threshold:  4
Screen Saver:
  prefer blanking:  yes    allow exposures:  yes
  timeout:  600    cycle:  0
Colors:
  default colormap:  0x22    BlackPixel:  0x0    WhitePixel:  0xffffff
Font Path:
  /usr/share/fonts/misc,/usr/share/fonts/100dpi:unscaled,/usr/share/fonts/75dpi:unscaled,/usr/share/fonts/misc,/usr/share/fonts/100dpi:unscaled,/usr/share/fonts/75dpi:unscaled,built-ins
DPMS (Energy Star):
  Standby: 600    Suspend: 0    Off: 900
  DPMS is Enabled
  Monitor is On

To disable those timers issue the command:

$ xset dpms 0 0 0

Santiy check:

$ xset q | grep Standby Standby: 0 Suspend: 0 Off: 0