System76 Develops New Version of User Environment – Cosmic
System76, the developer of Linux-display Pop!_os, has recently published a report on the development of the new version of their user environment, called Cosmic. Unlike the previous version which was based on Gnome Shell, the new Cosmic is being rewritten in the language of Rust. This new environment is designed to be a universal project that is not tied to a specific distribution and meets the specifications of Freedesktop. In addition to the user environment, System76 is also working on a composite server called cosmic-comp which is based on Wayland. The development of Cosmic aims to bring a fresh and innovative user experience to Linux users.
Integration of Iced Library
To build the user interface in Cosmic, the library called Iced is being utilized. Iced provides a safe type system, modular architecture, and reactive programming model. It also offers an interface construction approach similar to the declarative language ELM, making it familiar to developers. The library supports various drawing backends such as Vulkan, Metal, DX12, OpenGL 2.1+, and OpenGL ES 2.0+. It also includes a window shell and engine for seamless integration with the web. Applications built using Iced can be compiled and run on Windows, MacOS, Linux, and even in web browsers. With ready-made widgets, asynchronous handlers, and adaptive layout features, developers have a powerful toolkit at their disposal. The code is distributed under the MIT license, allowing for open collaboration and customization.
New Features and Improvements
Among the recent changes, one notable feature in Cosmic is the Window-Swapping mode for mosaic (tyl) layouts. This mode simplifies window management by automatically selecting the position of new windows on the screen. Previously, users had to manually manipulate the windows, which could be time-consuming and distracting. With the new mode, users can quickly move windows using the keyboard combination of “Super + X” (Windows + X) and control keys. This improves efficiency and provides a smoother user experience.
