Problem solved.  Are the dconf-editor edited fields (variables) (well) 
documented anywhere?  I did a web search on this issue
and a found a reference that this had been solved in Mate 1.8 (at least 
on ubuntu).  As I show my research students, a MS Win 8, Mac OS X, Gnome 
3, or KDE Plasma interface is not as efficient as a Gnome 2 style 
interface for non-touch-screen machines; trackpads and touchscreens 
require ergonomic calibration that may be too sensitive for some 
hands/fingers.  Mate is much better.

Yasha

On 12/03/2014 10:31 PM, Ben Waugh wrote:
> My understanding is that this bug is known to be present in MATE 1.8, 
> but will be fixed in the next release:
>   http://forums.mate-desktop.org/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=3274
>
> Meanwhile, there is a workaround using dconf-editor:
>
> http://forums.mate-desktop.org/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=3274&sid=e98780617c56d376cadbc4c1af5f14e7&start=10#p10348 
>
>
> Cheers
> Ben
>
> On 04/12/14 05:29, Yasha Karant wrote:
>> I understand that this is not an EPEL list.  However, Mate is an EPEL
>> port to EL7.   I have been attempting to use Gnome 3, both Classic as
>> well as Frippery; but I find that Gnome 3 lacks specific functionalities
>> that I prefer.  Evidently, Mate is a port/clone of Gnome 2 for
>> distributions using Gnome 3, including EL7.  I have installed Mate 1.8.1
>> as well as the applets, etc., from the EPEL list in the Add/Remove
>> Software GUI.
>>
>> However, the window selector grid has a fixed 4 windows, and the right
>> click Preferences on the selector does not allow me to increase the
>> number of workspaces.  A search on the web reveals that this is
>> supposedly fixed in Mate 1.8 , but is not on my machine. Does anyone
>> have a solution?
>>
>> Supposedly Oracle EL 7 uses Gnome 2.  Is it possible to use the Oracle
>> EL 7 rpms to install Gnome 2?
>>
>> Yasha Karant
>