There's a lot of hype around the latest release of Ubuntu, namely Ubuntu 24.04 LTS Noble Numbat. This is mostly because we all know that when Ubuntu releases, its official flavors are bound to follow, each with its own unique style, and philosophy, as well as tons of changes and upgrades.

Among these official flavors, Ubuntu MATE 24.04 LTS might disappoint some people the most. There's a lot to talk about here as to why this is happening but the gist of the situation is as follows: the main developer for Ubuntu MATE left Canonical a few years back, and since then, the releases of Ubuntu MATE have been less exciting.

The situation was a bit weird following this release of Ubuntu MATE because people were really unsure whether we would actually see a release this time around. But, thankfully, we did. This is also thanks to massive support from people leading other Ubuntu flavors such as Erick Eickmeyer from Ubuntu Studio, David Muhammed from Ubuntu Budgie, and Simon Quigley from Lubuntu.

Ubuntu MATE 24.04 LTS is very similar to 23.10 in the sense that the changes and upgrades are quite conservative (at least compared to other official Ubuntu flavors).

This new LTS version will be supported until 2027, it packs the reliable Linux Kernel 6.8 (features improved hardware support as well as experimental Intel DRM drivers for Intel Lunar Lake GPUs) and, most importantly, the MATE Desktop 1.26.2.

Considering the huge number of changes in Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, most of them are bound to trickle down in the official flavors. For instance, one of the biggest changes is that Ubuntu MATE now uses Ubuntu's Flutter-based installer.

This version of Ubuntu MATE uses GNOME Firmware (which replaces the "old" firmware updater), adds the App Center (which replaces the Software Boutique), and removes the Ubuntu MATE Welcome altogether.

In terms of app updates, Ubuntu MATE 24.04 LTS ships with Firefox 125, Celluloid 0.26, Evolution 3.52, and LibreOffice 24.2.2 (if you don't opt for the Minimal Installation option).

You don't have to be an expert on Linux distributions to know that support and community are everything for these types of projects. The way things are going, there's a very good chance that Ubuntu MATE will fall behind other Ubuntu flavors.

In my opinion (and I may not be the only one), it would be a great shame if that were to happen. Ubuntu MATE has always been unique thanks to its MATE Desktop, and it's a project that truly deserves investment and development. Maybe this is the best time to start contributing to Ubuntu MATE, if you're an active user, a fan, or just someone who believes in the project.