Martin Wimpress, creator of Ubuntu MATE, announced he no longer has the passion or time to lead the project and is seeking a handover. The Linux distribution, launched in 2014 as a fork of the classic GNOME 2 desktop, became an official Ubuntu flavor in 2015.
Martin Wimpress created Ubuntu MATE in 2014, offering users a traditional desktop layout based on the MATE environment, which forked from GNOME 2. Those preferring the classic interface over the newer GNOME 3 design adopted it quickly. In 2015, it joined the official Ubuntu flavors, building a solid user base at Canonical, where Wimpress served as Engineering Director at the time. He has since left the company and switched to NixOS, finding it more challenging for his skills. His GitHub activity shows he still develops projects occasionally, but Ubuntu MATE no longer holds his interest. Wimpress made the announcement recently, stating he lacks both the passion he once had and the necessary time. Maintaining an established distribution like Ubuntu MATE demands significant effort, including tracking upstream code, testing features, adhering to Ubuntu standards, attending meetings, meeting release schedules, updating documentation, and managing the community. The MATE desktop itself has seen limited development, with its last release two years ago, potentially contributing to reduced motivation. As a result, there will be no Ubuntu MATE 26.04 LTS release. The current Ubuntu 24.04 version remains supported until April 2027, providing a buffer. Other Ubuntu flavors like Lubuntu and Ubuntu Unity have faced similar leadership challenges, yet projects have sometimes found new leads.
