System76, the company behind the Linux-based operating system Pop!_OS, has unveiled the fifth alpha version of their Cosmic desktop environment. This new version of Cosmic is written in the Rust programming language, distinguishing it from the previous version based on Gnome Shell. Testing for the new Cosmic desktop environment is now available with ISO images of the upcoming Pop!_OS 24.04 release, specifically tailored for systems with NVIDIA GPUs (2.9 GB) and for Intel/AMD systems (2.5 GB).
Developers can also access ready-made packages for Cosmic on various platforms such as Fedora, NixOS, Arch Linux, openSUSE, Serpent OS, Redox, and Cachyos. Cosmic is being developed as a universal project that adheres to Freedesktop specifications, making it compatible across different distributions.
Cosmic utilizes the id library for building its interface, incorporating safe types, modular architecture, and reactive programming models. It also offers a familiar architecture for developers accustomed to declarative interface construction with the ELM language. The desktop environment supports several drawing backends including Vulkan, Metal, DX12, OpenGL 2.1+, and OpenGL ES 2.0+. Developers have access to a set of pre-built widgets, asynchronous handlers, and adaptive layout options based on window and screen size.
Notable features of Cosmic include a hybrid mosaic layout for windows and window grouping akin to browser tabs, which can be linked to virtual desktops. The project is also developing a composite server called cosmic-comp based on Wayland. The first stable release of Cosmic is expected in the first quarter of 2025.
Key improvements in the fifth alpha version of Cosmic compared to the previous release include enhanced functionality and a more robust development environment for users and developers alike.