COSMIC Alpha 6 brings many usability improvements, accessibility enhancements, and more

System76 has released the sixth alpha version of COSMIC, its upcoming desktop environment for Linux. The update introduces several new features and enhancements aimed at improving usability and accessibility. Users can now activate desktop zoom via accessibility settings, and a new desktop view feature allows for customization of desktop folders, drives, and trash visibility, along with icon size and spacing adjustments.

The update also includes an additional scaling option, enabling screen enlargement from 5% to 20%. Workspaces have been refined for better functionality, and a new window management feature allows windows to automatically align to screen edges when dragged close. The launcher now supports scrolling for search results exceeding eight entries.

COSMIC Files has been enhanced with file path completion and middle mouse button copy/paste functionality. A navigation bar for tree view folder browsing in the media player has been added. COSMIC Edit now features a “Revert all changes” option to revert files to their last saved state. Open Sans replaces Fira Sans as the default font, and memory usage has been optimized across various components, including minimize, COSMIC Files, and workspaces.

These updates also include numerous performance improvements, accessibility enhancements, and bug fixes for better stability and user experience.