If you want to test it, install GNOME boxes (it comes preinstalled in Fedora) and install it there. The same applies to Ubuntu Cinnamon Remix (available here: https://ubuntucinnamon.org/ ). You will be amazed at how swift it runs; it feels faster than the GNOME desktop (especially in Fedora), even from a virtual machine!

@David

At the login screen, simply click on the settings icon, it will give you a list of desktops available. If mate has not worked for you, check out Cinnamon, it is a good option: https://www.tecmint.com/install-cinnamon-desktop-in-ubuntu-fedora-workstations/

Using a odroid xu4 arm based computer with ubuntu 16.4 for arm processors. The desktop does not have but two icons. droid is one. SD Boot is the other.

What I want is a desktop like the old gnome classic with all the features on the desktop. This did not do it. But there was a flurry of activity on the command line terminal when I did as you said.

I have a little knowledge of the codes. So I still consider myself new at this.

@Peter

This is correct, it will install latest versions of all packages including MATE DE. This is the usual method if you have MATE already installed.