After some trail and error, countless directory, file diff-ing, and also digging a little bit into Mate-Panel source code (panel.c), confirmed following:

Step to remove panel manually

(1) All objects of target panel have to be removed

• Delete object's folder in ~/mateconf/app/panel/objects/


• Delete object's reference from /apps/panel/general/object_id_list in ~/mateconf/app/general/%mateconf.xml

(2) All applets of target panel have to be removed

• Delete applet's folder in ~/mateconf/app/panel/applets/


• Delete applet's reference from /apps/panel/general/applet_id_list in ~/mateconf/app/general/%mateconf.xml

(3) Remove Panel

• Delete panel's folder in ~/mateconf/app/panel/toplevels/


• Delete panel's reference from /apps/panel/general/toplevel_id_list in ~/mateconf/app/general/%mateconf.xml

Long story short, following is the result

DEL_PANEL is panel to be deleted. Currently is set to top panel.

#!/bin/bash



PANEL_PATH="${HOME}/.mateconf/apps/panel"

DEL_PANEL='top_panel_screen0'



    echo 'DEBUG: Panel Path' ${PANEL_PATH}

    echo 'DEBUG: Panel to be deleted' ${DEL_PANEL}



# -- Get old toplevel id list



TOPLEVEL_ID_LIST_OLD=`mateconftool-2 -g /apps/panel/general/toplevel_id_list | cut -d[ -f2 | cut -d] -f1 | sed 's/,/ /g'`



    echo 'DEBUG: Old toplevel_id_list' ${TOPLEVEL_ID_LIST_OLD}



# -- Generate new toplevel id list



TOPLEVEL_ID_LIST_NEW=''

for i in ${TOPLEVEL_ID_LIST_OLD}

do

    if [[ "$DEL_PANEL" != *"${i}"* ]]

    then

        echo -e "DEBUG: 	Keep ${i}"

        TOPLEVEL_ID_LIST_NEW="${TOPLEVEL_ID_LIST_NEW} ${i}"

    else

        echo -e "DEBUG: 	Del  ${i}"

        # -- Delete panel folder

        rm -rf ${PANEL_PATH}/toplevels/${i}

    fi

done

TOPLEVEL_ID_LIST_NEW="[`echo ${TOPLEVEL_ID_LIST_NEW} | sed 's/ /,/g'`]"



# -- Apply new toplevel id list

mateconftool-2 -s /apps/panel/general/toplevel_id_list -t list --list-type=string "${TOPLEVEL_ID_LIST_NEW}"



    echo 'DEBUG: New toplevel_id_list' `mateconftool-2 -g /apps/panel/general/toplevel_id_list`





# - APPLETS

# -- Identify applet to be deleted



cd ${PANEL_PATH}/applets

DEL_APPLET=`grep -r ${DEL_PANEL} *|cut -d/ -f1`



    echo 'DEBUG: DEL_APPLET' ; for i in ${DEL_APPLET} ; do echo -e "DEBUG: 	${i}" ; done



# -- Get old applet id list



APPLET_ID_LIST_OLD=`mateconftool-2 -g /apps/panel/general/applet_id_list | cut -d[ -f2 | cut -d] -f1 | sed 's/,/ /g'`



    echo 'DEBUG: Old applet_id_list' ${APPLET_ID_LIST_OLD}



# -- Generate new applet id list



APPLET_ID_LIST_NEW=''

for i in ${APPLET_ID_LIST_OLD}

do

    if [[ "$DEL_APPLET" != *"${i}"* ]]

    then

        echo -e "DEBUG: 	Keep ${i}"

        APPLET_ID_LIST_NEW="${APPLET_ID_LIST_NEW} ${i}"

    else

        echo -e "DEBUG: 	Del  ${i}"

        # -- Delete applet folder

        rm -rf ${PANEL_PATH}/applets/${i}

    fi

done

APPLET_ID_LIST_NEW="[`echo ${APPLET_ID_LIST_NEW} | sed 's/ /,/g'`]"



# -- Apply new applet id list

mateconftool-2 -s /apps/panel/general/applet_id_list -t list --list-type=string "${APPLET_ID_LIST_NEW}"



    echo 'DEBUG: New applet_id_list' `mateconftool-2 -g /apps/panel/general/applet_id_list`





# - OBJECTS

# -- Identify object to be deleted



cd ${PANEL_PATH}/objects

DEL_OBJECT=`grep -r ${DEL_PANEL} *|cut -d/ -f1`



    echo 'DEBUG: DEL_OBJECT' ; for i in ${DEL_OBJECT} ; do echo -e "DEBUG: 	${i}" ; done



# -- Get old object id list



OBJECT_ID_LIST_OLD=`mateconftool-2 -g /apps/panel/general/object_id_list | cut -d[ -f2 | cut -d] -f1 | sed 's/,/ /g'`



    echo 'DEBUG: Old object_id_list' ${OBJECT_ID_LIST_OLD}



# -- Generate new object id list



OBJECT_ID_LIST_NEW=''

for i in ${OBJECT_ID_LIST_OLD}

do

    if [[ "$DEL_OBJECT" != *"${i}"* ]]

    then

        echo -e "DEBUG:	Keep ${i}"

        OBJECT_ID_LIST_NEW="${OBJECT_ID_LIST_NEW} ${i}"

    else

        echo -e "DEBUG:	Del  ${i}"

        # -- Delete object folder

        rm -rf ${PANEL_PATH}/objects/${i}

    fi

done

OBJECT_ID_LIST_NEW="[`echo ${OBJECT_ID_LIST_NEW} | sed 's/ /,/g'`]"



# -- Apply new object id list

mateconftool-2 -s /apps/panel/general/object_id_list -t list --list-type=string "${OBJECT_ID_LIST_NEW}"



    echo 'DEBUG: New applet_id_list' `mateconftool-2 -g /apps/panel/general/object_id_list`

Testing Environment

• OS: Ubuntu 12.04 LTS


• Mate Desktop: 1.4.x, Mate Official Repo for Ubuntu from here.