Ubuntu 26.04 LTS still has the MATE desktop too.
I’ve done some Quality Assurance installs, and used one I’d not deleted to make a change before writing a comment on a recent support question - I’d made a snap free install of Lubuntu resolute (26.04) & made package changes to switch lubuntu-desktop (LXQt & apps) to ubuntu-desktop (GNOME & apps) using team meta-packages.
As that install still existed (partition hasn’t yet been replaced; or a erase disk & install hasn’t over written it) I just removed ubuntu-desktop and installed ubuntu-mate-desktop and I have the MATE desktop functioning.
I selected to use lightdm as its what most Ubuntu MATE users will be used to anyway; and at least with my quick play it looked good.
Some comments on change -
- the install actually remained snap free just as installing Ubuntu Desktop earlier had,
- the lack of Ubuntu MATE team work does show a little; the wallpapers package detail still indicates 24.10 (ie. don’t be expecting newer wallpapers! alas that’s not a first time),
- it booted up showing the original Lubuntu
plymouthscreen but I’d not bothered changing that when I installed Ubuntu Desktop (easy fix if I cared; I don’t as this install may not survive the day), and - as someone had reported to me before, some (parts) of the GNOME desktop remained (GNOME selectable at login/greeter [
lightdm]); but as they showed up in somedpkglists I ran so I don’t see removing them as difficult (and FYI: I believe I’d runapt autoremove)
To know what’s in Ubuntu MATE’s future, we’ll just have to wait and see, but I still do see hope there.
( GDM3 as greeter on 26.04 allowed me to start Xorg/X11 sessions; that was my only real surprise ! )