Ubuntu MATE


Ubuntu MATE is a free and open-source Linux distribution and an official derivative of Ubuntu. Its main differentiation from Ubuntu is that it uses the MATE desktop environment as its default user interface, instead of the GNOME 3 desktop environment that is the default user interface for Ubuntu.

History

The Ubuntu MATE project was founded by Martin Wimpress and Alan Pope and began as an unofficial derivative of Ubuntu, using an Ubuntu 14.10 base for its first release; a 14.04 LTS release followed shortly. As of February 2015, Ubuntu MATE gained the official Ubuntu flavour status from Canonical Ltd. as per the release of 15.04 Beta 1. In addition to IA-32 and x86-64 which were the initial supported platforms, Ubuntu MATE also supports PowerPC and ARMv7.
In April 2015, Ubuntu MATE announced a partnership with British computer reseller Entroware, enabling Entroware customers to purchase desktop and laptop computers with Ubuntu MATE preinstalled with full support. Several other hardware deals were announced later.
In Ubuntu MATE 18.10, 32-bit support was dropped.

Releases

VersionCodenameRelease dateSupported untilRemarks
14.04 LTSTrusty Tahr2014-11-11April 2019
Released after the 14.10 release in order to provide long-term support until 2019, following Ubuntu.
14.10Utopic Unicorn2014-10-23July 2015
First release of Ubuntu MATE.
15.04Vivid Vervet2015-04-23January 2016
First release as an official Ubuntu flavour.
15.10Wily Werewolf2015-10-22July 2016
Features MATE 1.10, Ubuntu Software Centre not installed by default.
16.04 LTSXenial Xerus2016-04-21April 2019
First official LTS release; features MATE 1.12.x DE, expanded Welcome application and Software Boutique; has ZFS built in by default.
16.10Yakkety Yak2016-10-13July 2017Full GTK3+ implementation of the MATE Desktop. Most default applications are “Recommended” and can thus be uninstalled without issue.
17.04Zesty Zapus2017-04-13January 2018Previous non-LTS Ubuntu MATE release, with nine months of support. Concludes the migration to GTK3+.
17.10Artful Aardvark2017-10-19July 2018Previous non-LTS release. 17.10.1, was released on 12 January 2018. It fixed a problem that prevented the UEFI & BIOS firmware.
18.04 LTSBionic Beaver2018-04-26April 2021Previous LTS release. Support GPD Pocket & Pocket 2, Raspberry Pi B2/B3/B3+
18.10Cosmic Cuttlefish2018-10-18July 2019Previous non-LTS 64-bit-only release, end of 32-bit support. Features MATE 1.20.
19.04Disco Dingo2019-04-18January 2020Previous non-LTS 64-bit-only release. Features MATE 1.20 and NVIDIA Drivers.
19.10Eoan Ermine2019-10-17July 2020Non-LTS 64-bit-only release. Features MATE 1.22.2 and replaces VLC with GNOME MPV as default media player.
20.04 LTSFocal Fossa2020-04-23April 2023Current LTS 64-bit-only release. Features MATE 1.24.

Reception

In a May 2016 review Jesse Smith of DistroWatch concluded, "despite my initial problems getting Ubuntu MATE installed and running smoothly, I came away with a positive view of the distribution. The project is providing a very friendly desktop experience that requires few hardware resources by modern standards. I also want to tip my hat to the default theme used on Ubuntu MATE."
As of August 2017, Ubuntu MATE ranked at 24 on the DistroWatch 6 month page hit ranking.
Dedoimedo reviewed Ubuntu MATE in July 2018, and wrote that " a wealth of visual and functional changes... You really have the ability to implement anything and everything, and all of it natively, from within the system's interface.".