Ubuntu MATE is a more retrospective version of Ubuntu, one that largely lets you continue using Ubuntu in the way it functioned over a decade ago. But despite how things may look, updates do continue to roll out for the MATE desktop environment that is Ubuntu MATE's namesake.

The latest iteration is MATE 1.26. Here's how you can update the MATE desktop in Ubuntu 21.04 to the latest version.

How to Get MATE 1.26 on Ubuntu

The latest version of one of Linux's most lightweight desktop environments is not officially available for Ubuntu MATE 21.04. If you want an official update, you need to upgrade to Ubuntu MATE 21.10 instead.

If you need to stick with Ubuntu MATE 21.04 for now or are using another Linux distro such as Ubuntu, you're not out of luck. You will instead need to add a Personal Package Archive, also known as a PPA, to install MATE 1.26.

You can get in trouble copying and pasting PPA commands if you're unsure about the source. The following commands install MATE 1.26 from an archive that comes directly from the Ubuntu MATE developers. You can head over to Launchpad and see for yourself.

Installing the MATE 1.26 PPA

To add the archive, enter: 

        sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntu-mate-dev/fresh-mate

After this, you must download the updated packages. You can do this with: 

        sudo apt upgrade

Ubuntu MATE users need to either log back in or restart their computer. When the desktop loads, you'll automatically sign into the new MATE 1.26 environment.

Ubuntu-MATE-1-26-Desktop

If you're running Ubuntu MATE 20.04, the current LTS release, these same commands will still bump your desktop to MATE 1.26.

For those who don't already have the MATE desktop, you can run the below-given command to install it. This comes in handy when you want to install MATE 1.26 on other Linux distros; on Ubuntu, for example. 

        sudo apt install mate-desktop

What’s New in MATE 1.26?

Once back in, you won't notice any dramatic visual changes. That's not what MATE is about. But this release does offer performance improvements and behind-the-scenes modernization, such as work to run most of the MATE desktop on a Wayland compositor.

There are a few new features, such as the Caja file manager now being able to format drives from the context menu and the Engrampa archive manager gaining support for additional formats such as EPUB and RAR. For the full rundown, view our more in-depth overview of MATE 1.26.