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The new COSMIC logo, featured prominently. The open "O" is shaped like a display. Beneath it, an orange underline gradients from orange to red as a nod to customizability.

Visions enacted, users empowered.

COSMIC is a software platform for designing beautiful user experiences.

A New Desktop Environment

We aim to liberate the computer with a new desktop environment powerful enough to build custom OS experiences — for users, developers, and makers of any device with a screen.

Screenshot of a default configuration in COSMIC.

Alpha 2: What to Expect

As the second alpha version of COSMIC Epoch 1, it is incomplete. You’ll most certainly find bugs. Testing and bug reports are welcome and appreciated. New feature requests will be considered for Epoch 2, COSMIC’s second release.

Try COSMIC Epoch 1 (alpha 2) on the Pop!_OS 24.04 LTS alpha.

Download Intel/AMD ISO
sha256sum a5b7321babdef75d86c688d3429fbd5525689d80a1a8b94bc393eea84f372b62

Download NVIDIA ISO
sha256sum 45f0df05a8c6fe66c7aff2d0bac6b1d3070105e78ea133b346050e6c54b17f14

About COSMIC

As a whole, COSMIC is a comprehensive operating system GUI (graphical user interface) environment that features advanced functionality and a responsive design. Its modular architecture is specifically designed to facilitate the creation of unique, branded user experiences with ease.

Make it your own

We encourage Linux distributions to package COSMIC with their brand colors and preferred configurations for panels, docks, and applets. Separate packages for "upstream" branding and settings are unnecessary, as the default configuration is simply Pop!_OS brand colors and settings.

The COSMIC Applets system is crafted to enable experimentation with unique features and user experiences. When integrated with panels, applets become a powerful tool for creating distinct and personalized user experiences.

COSMIC Settings employs a modular design, allowing for the addition and removal of pages as needed. For example, distributions can modify or remove the OS Update and Recovery page to align with their packaging systems and options.

Our vision for Pop!_OS

COSMIC began as our answer to user feedback we’ve received on improving Pop!_OS. The new desktop environment introduces a custom theming system, streamlined Auto-tiling, new core applications including an app store, and provides you more control over your workflow. Written in the Rust programming language, COSMIC is more stable, more secure, and better optimized for performance.

Features

Empowered Workflow

Create the environment you work best in: Set your panels to any edge. Use vertical or horizontal workspaces. Operate independently per display, or on a single workspace that spans across all displays.

  • Use both panels or combine into one
  • Floating dock or extend to edges
  • Adjust dock size
  • Adjust applet placement
  • Workspaces can be numbered
This user has set their desktop to use horizontal, numbered workspaces; as well as a single panel that includes applications and applets.

Adaptable Windows

With optional Auto-tiling, newly opened windows arrange themselves in a grid. Stack windows from different apps like tabs in a web browser. Use your mouse or keyboard shortcuts to adjust size and position with ease.

  • Use tiled, classic "floating" windows, or a mix of both across all workspaces
  • Grab a window anywhere by holding the Super key
  • Resize windows with Right Click + Super
  • Streamlined Auto-tiling accommodates more layouts
  • Sticky windows: Set important windows to always be present, even after switching to another workspace
This tiled grid features a stacked window containing three different applications. Five applications are in use across three windows.

Enhanced Theming

Have fun customizing colors to your liking. Text color is automatically adjusted for readability. Save your favorite themes to your desktop and access them easily from Settings.

  • Set custom Light and Dark themes
  • Share saved themes with friends, family, and co-workers
  • Cycle wallpapers in a slideshow
This COSMIC Settings panel allows users to add, remove, and rearrange applets in their panel.

Applications

Applets make important settings readily available, and can be arranged in the panel however you like. These applets run as independent processes; an error or vulnerability in one applet will not affect the rest of the system.

  • Use the Launcher to open applications, switch windows, search files, calculate, and run commands.
  • Use the App Library to open applications and organize them into custom folders for specific workflows.
  • New core applications include Files, Settings, Terminal, Text Editor, and App Store.
COSMIC's application library is shown, displaying default apps including the COSMIC App Store, Files, Settings, Terminal, and Text Editor, along with Firefox. Apps in the App Library can be organized into custom folders.

What’s done and what’s left

The alpha release includes the features most users require for day-to-day use. Applets in the panel provide important functionality including connecting to wireless networks, audio output and input device selection, and connecting to Bluetooth devices.

COSMIC applications for the first release include COSMIC Terminal, COSMIC Files, COSMIC Edit, COSMIC App Store, and COSMIC Settings.

COSMIC Settings includes Desktop and Panel options, Network & Wireless, Bluetooth, Sound, Wallpaper, Appearance, Workspaces, Input Device settings, Display configuration, Power settings, and About.

Completing Settings pages, fixing bugs, and performance improvements account for most of the remaining work before the first beta release.

  1. Settings pages TODO

  2. Compositor TODO

    • DPMS for turning off the screen
    • Frosted effect
    • Variable refresh rate
    • HDR *post COSMIC Epoch 1 release
    • Night Light *post COSMIC Epoch 1 release
  3. Other incomplete but planned features

    • Accessibility features
    • Calendar integration (evolution-data-server)
    • Workspaces window movement and animation improvements
  4. Apps

    • Initial Setup
    • Additional features and refinement for cosmic-files