Pop!_OS 24.04 and New COSMIC Desktop reach Alpha Release

The highly anticipated Pop!_OS 24.04 has reached its alpha stage, featuring the new COSMIC desktop environment. This version aims to enhance user experience with improved performance and usability, appealing to both developers and general users. The alpha release allows for community feedback before the final version is rolled out.

Key Features of COSMIC Desktop:

Customization Options

Customize the Super key action to open the app menu, launcher, or workspaces

Hide or show minimize and maximize window buttons

Customize the top panel position, size, opacity, and applets

Customize the bottom dock position, size, opacity, and applets

Choose between light and dark modes, change accent colors, and adjust element styles

Native Applications

COSMIC Terminal: A sleek, integrated terminal with tiling and tabbed interfaces

COSMIC Editor: A minimalist text editor with syntax highlighting

COSMIC Files: A new file manager for efficient file management tasks

COSMIC App Store: A faster and more responsive application store integrated with FlatHub

Performance and Usability

Smooth tiling window management

Fractional scaling support

New screenshot tool and system settings

Wayland-only with X11 app compatibility via XWayland

The COSMIC desktop aims to provide a fresh take on the Linux desktop experience, offering advanced functionality, responsive design, and a modular architecture to facilitate the creation of unique, branded user experiences.