Get the inside scoop on the upcoming Cosmic desktop environment from System76, featuring app launching and customizable themes optimized with Rust. Explore how Cosmic aims to elevate the Linux experience while transitioning from GNOME. The discussion also addresses corporate security innovations and rising challenges in podcast advertising, advocating for audience support. Plus, enjoy humorous banter within the podcast community and insights on Linux boot issues while celebrating creativity in merchandise with Kitterman Creative.
The Cosmic Desktop by System76 was developed as a response to the challenges posed by customizing GNOME, leading to an entirely new environment.
Cosmic Desktop combines minimalism with extensive customization options, allowing users to tailor their workspace through a built-in theme editor.
Utilizing Rust for performance and safety, Cosmic Desktop promises a responsive user experience even on lower-end hardware, ensuring broad compatibility.
Deep dives
The Journey to Cosmic Desktop
The development of the Cosmic Desktop by System76 began as a response to significant changes in the Linux desktop environment landscape, particularly following Canonical's decision to switch from Unity to GNOME. System76 initially opted to customize GNOME with extensions but faced challenges due to the lack of a standard extension API, leading to maintenance difficulties. Recognizing that this approach was not scalable, the decision was made to create a completely new desktop environment from scratch, which required careful consideration of the right technology stack for building it. This journey spanned over two years and culminated in the release of Cosmic Desktop in alpha form, signaling the completion of an important phase in its development.
Key Features of Cosmic
Cosmic Desktop has already established itself as a competitive player in the realm of minimal desktop environments, offering functionality akin to XFCE and LXQt. Users can experience recognized desktop features such as organized workspaces, efficient window management, and touchpad support for navigation, while a robust launcher provides quick access to applications and features command execution capabilities. Noteworthy inclusions are right-click options to run applications on designated GPUs, which adds versatility for users with advanced graphics configurations. As the environment transitions from alpha, it showcases potential and offers a glimpse of features expected in a mature desktop product.
Customization and Theming Capabilities
A standout aspect of Cosmic is its extensive customization options, particularly regarding theming support. Users can easily modify the desktopβs appearance, adjusting elements such as light and dark modes, accent colors, and individual window backgrounds to tailor their experience. Additionally, Cosmic features a built-in theme editor that allows users to create and export their themes, facilitating community sharing and collaboration on aesthetic preferences. This level of flexibility empowers users to develop a unique workspace that aligns with their personal preferences, an important consideration for usability and comfort.
Performance and Underlying Technology
Cosmic Desktop is built using Rust, characterized by its focus on performance and safety, which has led to a surprisingly responsive user experience even on lower-end hardware. The desktop environment is noted for requiring video acceleration but exhibits commendable speed and efficiency for a range of tasks. Unlike older systems burdened with legacy components, Cosmic leverages modern technologies, including the Wayland display server protocol, to deliver a refined and coherent user interface. This approach ensures the desktop feels robust and complete, with existing applications functioning harmoniously within the ecosystem.
Future Potential and Community Integration
There is a strong belief that Cosmic could emerge as a significant desktop environment in the Linux landscape, provided it garners adoption beyond System76 users. Its modular design allows for easy integration into other distributions, exemplifying its potential to become more widespread as it matures through ongoing development and feedback. The support for minimal external dependencies enhances its adaptability across various systems, ensuring a broader reach within the community. With annual releases planned following the eventual move to a 1.0 version, stakeholders anticipate steady enhancements that could establish Cosmic as a mainstream option for Linux users.
System76 tips Fedora Cosmic spin for 2025 release with Fedora 42 β It looks like System76's exciting new Rust-based Cosmic DE will get an official Fedora spin in the upcoming Fedora 42, potentially giving Linux users with bleeding-edge hardware an official way to try Cosmic.
Pop!_OS Mattermost β An excellent place to engage if you want to bring COSMIC to a distro near you.
Portal:Kalpa - openSUSE Wiki β openSUSE MicroOS Desktop Gnome was renamed to openSUSE Aeon, and the Plasma Desktop version is being renamed to openSUSE Kalpa.