Mezzo is the desktop environment

Desktop environment

In graphical computing, a desktop environment commonly refers to a style of graphical user interface derived from the desktop metaphor that is seen on most modern personal computers. These GUIs help the user in easily accessing, configuring, and modifying many important and frequently accessed...

 created by Ryan Quinn. Added to Symphony OS

Symphony OS

Symphony OS, SymphonyOne or Symphony Linux, is a Live CD Linux-based operating system, developed by Ryan Quinn, Jason Spisak, and Alexander Drummond. The distribution was dormant until 29 June 2011, when a new build was released....

, it follows Jason Spisak

Jason Spisak

Jason Spisak is an American voice actor in animation and video games, and a Computer Programmer.Spisak is also the co-leader of the Symphony OS Project. He is the designer of Symphony's unique Mezzo desktop environment and wrote the Laws of Interface Design, for which the project tries to adhere...

's Laws of Interface Design and poses a new way of presenting data to the user. Mezzo uses FVWM

FVWM

The F Virtual Window Manager is a virtual window manager for the X Window System. Originally a twm derivative, FVWM has evolved into a powerful and highly configurable environment for Unix-like systems.- History:...

 as the window manager.

Mezzo disposes of standard concepts like "The desktop is a folder" and nested menu systems and instead presents all needed information directly to the user via the main desktop and four desk targets for tasks and files related to System, Programs, Files, and Trash. This tries to simplify the desktop.

Originally only available for Symphony OS

Symphony OS

Symphony OS, SymphonyOne or Symphony Linux, is a Live CD Linux-based operating system, developed by Ryan Quinn, Jason Spisak, and Alexander Drummond. The distribution was dormant until 29 June 2011, when a new build was released....

, some earlier versions of Mezzo were available as a .deb package for other Debian

Debian

Debian is a computer operating system composed of software packages released as free and open source software primarily under the GNU General Public License along with other free software licenses. Debian GNU/Linux, which includes the GNU OS tools and Linux kernel, is a popular and influential...

-based distributions such as Ubuntu

Ubuntu (operating system)

Ubuntu is a computer operating system based on the Debian Linux distribution and distributed as free and open source software. It is named after the Southern African philosophy of Ubuntu...

. The design of Mezzo has also influenced other projects, particularly the Kuartet Desktop, which is built upon KDE using SuperKaramba

SuperKaramba

SuperKaramba is a tool that allows one to easily create functionality enhancement modules on a KDE desktop. Currently, only Linux is officially supported, although it also works well on FreeBSD and NetBSD...

 and Python

Python (programming language)

Python is a general-purpose, high-level programming language whose design philosophy emphasizes code readability. Python claims to "[combine] remarkable power with very clear syntax", and its standard library is large and comprehensive...

for the rendering of a similarly designed GUI.