The COSMIC desktop environment is approaching alpha with many improvements

System76 has unveiled updates to COSMIC, its Rust-based desktop environment for Pop!_OS and other Linux distributions. The forthcoming release sees Pop!_OS updated with Linux kernel version 6.8.0, which includes driver support for Intel Xe and Intel Arc graphics, alongside drivers for an upcoming AMD Zen 5 chipset and further networking enhancements.

The pre-alpha update of COSMIC introduces theming support for apps built with both GTK 3 and GTK 4, and those packaged in Flatpak. Custom icon themes have been integrated, applicable to both COSMIC and GTK applications.

In addition, System76 is developing a new app store for COSMIC, which will include a sidebar for navigating featured applications, browsing apps by categories, managing installed apps, and executing updates.

The update also introduces simplified window movements, enhanced and expanded global settings, power state alerts, and On-Screen Displays implementations for adjustments to brightness, volume, and airplane mode.

Work is ongoing for the implementation of COSMIC Edit, Terminal, and Files. This update also encompasses numerous third-party contributions, such as improved touchpad gestures and thumbnail previews, advanced tiling, maximizing and snapping, along with a new COSMIC Tasks app for creating to-do lists and tracking progress.

The update also sees COSMIC benefit from compositor updates, a range of various improvements, and additional fixes.