Ubuntu GNOME Might Fail To Do A 14.04 LTS Release

The Ubuntu GNOME distribution that packages up the latest GNOME Shell 3 desktop environment atop Ubuntu Linux is already conceding they are low on resources and might be incapable of doing a 14.04 LTS release come next spring.

In response to a call-for-help back in October, there were plenty of Ubuntu GNOME users advocating their support and interest in this flavor of Ubuntu over the default spin with the Unity desktop, but few stepped up to actually help. It's a big problem among other open-source projects too.

One of the Ubuntu GNOME contributors wrote a mailing list post yesterday acknowledging there were only a few active people helping out Ubuntu GNOME. If more people don't step up, they will have to cancel their plans in making a Long-Term Support release out of Ubuntu 14.04 in April.

The Ubuntu GNOME contributor, Ali Linx, wrote on the mailing list about the urgent need for more people. "Please be informed that we DO NEED more help, support and contribution. Otherwise, and let me be super honest here, having an LTS release might be really hard if not impossible. Not trying to be negative here but rather honest and realistic. We are all volunteers here. We appreciate your intentions but we do need your actual contributions."

Should Ubuntu GNOME does go away, you can always install Ubuntu 14.04 LTS and then install GNOME3 packages from the main archive or the various PPAs.