14 DAY TRIAL // There is no doubt that Ubuntu MATE is slowly becoming one of the most used operating systems in the Ubuntu family and the Linux ecosystems as well, but it's interesting to see that the Raspberry Pi version is one of the most downloaded.
We don't usually get download numbers of Linux distros, and it's not a common occurrence. Most of the developers don't keep this a secret, but there is no real interest to know those numbers. This is a free operating system and its success doesn't depend on how many people downloaded it, but sometimes those numbers can be very educating, just like it happened with the ones made public by Martin Wimpress, one of the Ubuntu MATE founders and developers.
The Raspberry Pi platform is one of the most used mini-PCs in the world and a great development support. Its makers have sold millions, and they can be found everywhere. There are quite a few Linux operating systems for it, and Ubuntu MATE is just the latest one. The fact that it's the second most sought after platform after the regular 64-bit edition is just mindblowing.
Ubuntu MATE seems to be the OS of choice for Raspberry Pi
The numbers that have been shared by Martin Wimpress on Google+ paint a very interesting picture. The first place in downloads is the 64-bit edition, and that was to be expected, but the second place is occupied by the Raspberry Pi edition, at a very small difference. If we keep in mind that this version of the OS is just a few months old, then the performance is all the more impressive.
"Here are some, very conservative, download numbers for Ubuntu MATE over the last month. I'm delighted to see the +Raspberry Pi image proving so popular. These numbers only reflect downloads initiated from ubuntu-mate.org, but some torrent downloads and people downloading from the mirrors directly are not represented," wrote Martin.
You can download Ubuntu MATE 15.04 right now from Softpedia and give it a spin.