Ubuntu 14.04 with a CentOS 6 desktop look and feel

I'd like to install an up-to-date Ubuntu distro (14.04 LTS) at home since it is much easier to get desktop applications; however, I'm using CentOS 6 at work and I'm used to and prefer the desktop look and feel of CentOS 6 / RHEL 6: program bar at the bottom, user menus in the window instead of on top, etc.

How I can set this up starting from a stock Ubuntu 14.04 install?

The MATE Desktop Environment is the continuation of GNOME 2. It provides an attractive, lightweight desktop environment that is compatible with popular applications like Firefox, LibreOffice, VLC, Rhythmbox and the Ubuntu Software Center. High DPI is supported by default in MATE Desktop Environment 1.2 and later.

The minimal and recommended systems requirements for the MATE desktop environment are shown at this link: https://askubuntu.com/questions/206407/how-do-i-find-out-which-version-and-derivative-of-ubuntu-is-right-for-my-hardwar/518968#518968

The name MATE comes from yerba maté, a species of holly native to subtropical South America. Its leaves contain caffeine and are used to make a beverage called mate. As its name would suggest, the MATE desktop in the official Ubuntu MATE 15.04 release includes an energetic set of applications installed by default. Ubuntu MATE 15.04 ships with the Ubuntu Software Center and the following applications installed by default: Caja, Pluma, Firefox, Thunderbird, LibreOffice, VLC, Rhythmbox, Shotwell, Pidgin, HexChat, Transmission, Cheese, two terminals – MATE Terminal and Tilda, and Eye of Mate. These applications can also be installed separately from the Ubuntu Software Center. This is an easy way to customize the MATE desktop environment in Ubuntu 12.04, Ubuntu 14.04 or Ubuntu 14.10 to make it more like Ubuntu MATE 15.04.

⠀^{Ubuntu MATE 21.10  (Click image to enlarge)}

How to install MATE in Ubuntu 14.04

Open the terminal, and complete the following steps to enable the appropriate PPAs and install MATE 1.8.1 on Ubuntu 14.04.

sudo apt-add-repository ppa:ubuntu-mate-dev/ppa
sudo apt-add-repository ppa:ubuntu-mate-dev/trusty-mate
sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade
sudo apt-get install --no-install-recommends ubuntu-mate-core ubuntu-mate-desktop

Instead of lightdm use lightdm-gtk-greeter for the login display manager as recommended by the MATE team:

sudo apt install lightdm-gtk-greeter  
sudo reboot  

How to install MATE in Ubuntu 15.04 and newer

sudo apt update  
sudo apt install mate-desktop-environment-extras  

There are also other optional MATE packages available in the Ubuntu Software Center:

• mate-applets - Various applets for the MATE panel
• mate-icon-theme-faenza - MATE Faenza Desktop icon theme
• mate-media - MATE media utilities (metapackage)
• mate-notification-daemon - daemon for displaying passive pop-up notifications
• mate-power-manager - power management tool for the MATE desktop
• mate-screensaver - MATE screensaver and screen locker
• mate-system-monitor - Process viewer and system resource monitor for MATE
• mate-themes - Official themes for the MATE desktop
• mate-utils - MATE desktop utilities
• pluma - official text editor of the MATE desktop environment
• mate-gnome-main-menu-applet - GNOME start menu applet for MATE
• mate-netspeed - Traffic monitor applet for MATE
• mate-sensors-applet - Display readings from hardware sensors in your MATE panel
• mate-user-share - User level public file sharing via WebDAV or ObexFTP
• mozo - easy MATE menu editing tool
• mate-netbook - MATE utilities for netbooks