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How to add panels to both monitors on a dual monitor MATE desktop.

The MATE desktop; when used with dual monitors by default only shows the panels on one screen or the other. The solution is to right-click on the panels and opt to add a new panel. Then drag this new panel to the other screen end on to the first panel. This will give you a panel on each screen. Then move your applets to the new panel by right-clicking on them and moving them. Then you can have what looks like one long panel spanning both monitors. This is the only way to do this that I could find. I cannot get this to work on the bottom panels as well, but having a Macintosh styled top panel is pretty cool though. So give this a try if you want to have a desktop with the panels spanning dual monitors. The Xfce4 desktop allows the option to span panels across a wider screen. but this is the MATE desktop we are talking about. I hope they fix this bug soon, this is annoying when you want both screens to look the same.

The picture below shows the end-result of this trick. This is the best that you can do when you want to have a panel on each screen. The only other way is to have one panel on the top of one screen and one on the bottom of the other, but this is a better way to accomplish this.

Another way I found to place panels end to end, is to open panel properties and untick the expand option, then drag the panel to the other screen where you want it, then expand it again and it will stay there, end to end with the other panel.

Linux Mint 15 MATE with panel on both screens.
Linux Mint 15 MATE with panel on both screens.

8 thoughts on “How to add panels to both monitors on a dual monitor MATE desktop.”

  1. In my case ALT+Drag did not work, so i just add panels, until they did not fill entire main screen (on every edge), and not appear on second screen, where i be able to drag it to my desired location.

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  2. I have 3 monitors, and it is a mess having to generate 6 different launchers, it is automatically on old ubuntu 16.04 unity, Still the best desktop

    Reply
  3. Thanks!
    I’d like to know if there’s any way to do this automatically. Usually I use my laptop with just one monitor; sometimes I plug in an external monitor. Manually adding panels to both monitors works when the external monitor is connected. But when I disconnect it there’d be duplicate panels on the laptop screen. Any ideas?

    Reply
  4. Thank you for your post.

    Just a quick note: in order to move the 2nd panel, you’ll have to:

    – Right-click the panel you wish to move and select “Properties”.
    – Uncheck the “Expand” option under the “General” tab.
    – Grab one of the edges of the panel by clicking on the left or right end (top or bottom end for vertical panels).
    – Drag the bar to the desired screen and position.
    – Check the “Expand” option in the “Panel Properties” window and click “Close”.

    Reply

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