Ubuntu MATE Is Continuing Despite No Ubuntu MATE 26.04 Release

Back in March, Martin Wimpress stepped down as the longtime Ubuntu MATE leader and was looking for contributors to keep this Ubuntu derivative going with its GNOME2-derived desktop. That change in leadership paired with no Ubuntu MATE 26.04 release having occurred led to some concerns among users, but the plan is still for Ubuntu MATE to continue moving forward.

Published today to the Ubuntu Discourse were some FAQ regarding the Ubuntu MATE project. While there was no Ubuntu MATE 26.04 installer ISO, existing users can upgrade to the Ubuntu 26.04 package set with all the necessary MATE packages still being within the Ubuntu archive. Or those running off another Ubuntu 26.04 ISO can always sudo apt install ubuntu-mate-desktop after the fact even without any blessed ISOs released for this flavor.

As for the future of Ubuntu MATE, today's post explains:

"How fortunate for you: there is a new team working on Ubuntu MATE who have stepped up to help take over flavor management. They haven’t formally introduced themselves yet, but I can safely say that other developers HAVE stepped up for the future of the MATE flavor, despite its prior team lead having stepped down.

(And in case you wonder how I can say this with authority, one of the things I keep an eye on with my Community Council Member and Technical Board Member hats on is the status of flavors - this has been something I’ve kept a pulse on since before the 26.04 cycle)

Ultimately, this means that they are working to cover the missed items and gaps, and may quite possibly have a 26.10 release in October of 2026, which I believe they most likely are targeting.

This also means that bugs in the MATE environment and in packages they normally would have shipped had they have a 26.04 release are still going to get attention and fixes. So, effectively, nothing has changed. The only difference is that there was no 26.04 installer image released."

The Ubuntu Discourse post by Thomas Ward ends with:

"Rest easy, MATE is not going away, and you are not going to get screwed over simply because there was no 26.04 installation image released for MATE."