# Ubuntu MATE Hacker Approved page: https://hackerapproved.com/p/ubuntu-mate/ 5 people recommended Ubuntu MATE in Hacker News comments, 1 had mixed feelings and 1 criticized it, November 2025 to October 2026. It was recommended in 4 of 12 months, in 5 threads. It does not meet the Hacker Approved badge rule. **Verdict:** A free Ubuntu-based Linux desktop with the MATE interface, valued for a stable experience with few UI changes. Critics say some bugs have never been fixed. Summary written by Claude from 6 comments. ## Why people recommend it - Stable, few UI changes (2 comments in the sample): "the experience has remained entirely unchanged except for a few bugs which have crept in and have never been fixed" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47888672)) "enjoying getting work done instead of popups and unfathomable UI changes" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46599224)) - Preferred daily desktop (2 comments in the sample): "MATE is my primary desktop distro" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47579263)) "my favourite flavor, Ubuntu MATE" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47888228)) ## Other Linux distributions people recommend - [Debian](https://hackerapproved.com/p/debian/): 454 recommend, 64 mixed, 165 criticize - [Ubuntu](https://hackerapproved.com/p/ubuntu/): 408 recommend, 98 mixed, 444 criticize - [Fedora Linux](https://hackerapproved.com/p/fedora/): 359 recommend, 50 mixed, 109 criticize - [NixOS](https://hackerapproved.com/p/nixos/): 351 recommend, 79 mixed, 95 criticize ## The badge A product earns the Hacker Approved badge when at least 10 people recommend it, recommenders outnumber critics at least 2 to 1 (mixed feelings count toward neither side), it was recommended in at least 4 of the 12 months and in at least 5 different threads, and no single thread supplies more than half of the people who recommend it. Health and money products are never badged. ## Cite as Hacker Approved, "Ubuntu MATE", https://hackerapproved.com/p/ubuntu-mate/ (5 recommend, 1 mixed, 1 criticize; Hacker News comments, November 2025 to October 2026). Counts updated 2 Nov 2026, with data through October 31, 2026.