When comparing Debian ARM vs Ubuntu MATE, the Slant community recommends Debian ARM for most people. In the question“What are the best Linux distributions that run on ARM architecture?” Debian ARM is ranked 2nd while Ubuntu MATE is ranked 17th. The most important reason people chose Debian ARM is:
Debian's ARM port has been around a *very* long time, and as a result, it's quite mature and the porting team is very experienced. Few distributions can make similar claims.
Specs
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Most mature port available
Debian's ARM port has been around a very long time, and as a result, it's quite mature and the porting team is very experienced. Few distributions can make similar claims.
Pro Handles most package managers well and makes getting those annoying OEM drivers working as easy as it's gonna be
Best for working with non-oem drivers that need some specific distribution installed on a Friday before 4 PM after a satanic ritual. Handles most package managers well and with a bit of work you can get their DKMS module installing on you favorite up to date kernel. Also easy to undo after you discover the OEM driver was actually better.
Pro Most trustworthy and stable Linux distro
Pro Simplicity of Gnome with the power of Ubuntu
Debian was good to use but has limited documentation and is difficult to pick up. Ubuntu MATE brings the ease of design and logic of the Gnome 2 style desktop so it's easy to get around coupled with the vast documentation, forums and ease of learning/using the Ubuntu system.
Pro Works great on old laptops
It does not have a lot of system requirements so it works pretty well even on older laptops.
Pro Perfect for people who like Gnome 2
The goal of MATE is to maintain the look and feel of Gnome 2, while maintaining compatibility with Gnome 3. To that end, it has also forked and renamed many of Gnome's core applications. It benefits from the years of work and polish that have gone into the Gnome project.
Pro Highly configurable
Comes with an option to configure as Windows-like, Mac-like, Gnome-like, etc. in a single click. Wonderful to get you started without having to learn it all from scratch.
Pro Behaves like Ubuntu with Unity - after Ubuntu-Gnome transformation
No better place to continue Unity experience with Ubuntu (Left-side panel, HUD) and not as awkward as Gnome.
Pro Based on Ubuntu
Cons
Con No very good Software Center by default
The Software Boutique is not good. You can install Gnome Software from it.
Con Too much bloat included by default
Con Redundant
There is absolutely no reason to install it, since it uses the same package repositories as Ubuntu and you can transform any Ubuntu install into a Ubuntu MATE install.
Con Not bleeding edge
Users who want the latest and greatest software would be happier using Arch Linux, Antergos or another rolling release distro. However, because Ubuntu MATE is based on Ubuntu, users still have access to a large repository of recent software.