Ubuntu 11.04 with Ubuntu Classic session is the pinnacle of GNOME 2 and kernel 2.6, I have a lot of memory on GNOME 2, with Compiz effect, I prefer GNOME 2 workflow over modern GNOME, it is also fast on old laptops
Mate is now the best Desktop Environment for GNOME 2 nostalgia and workflow, but it’s not the same as GNOME 2 anymore.