COSMIC Epoch 1.9 brings new image viewer, redesigned app store, and on-screen keyboard

System76 has released COSMIC Epoch 1.9, marking a notable step forward in its mission to deliver a complete, native Linux desktop experience. The headline addition is COSMIC Viewer, a new built-in image viewer now set as the default application for viewing images across the system. Previously, users had relied on third-party solutions like GNOME's Eye of GNOME or other external viewers; now COSMIC offers its own integrated alternative that supports a wide range of formats and has a number of built-in editing tools. This change reflects the team's broader strategy of building out core desktop applications rather than depending on existing Linux utilities.

Equally significant is the COSMIC Store design overhaul, which introduces cleaner UI elements including developer names displayed prominently on app cards. These visual adjustments improve transparency and help users identify software creators at a glance, an often-requested feature for those evaluating open-source applications. Beyond aesthetics, the update also adds an on-screen keyboard applet with toggle functionality, lock screen background rendering improvements via cosmic-bg, and expanded accessibility options throughout the login greeter.

Underneath these user-facing changes lies a substantial wave of stability fixes. Context menu behaviors were standardized across file managers, editors, and terminals after widespread reports of inconsistent interactions. Window management issues, including maximized windows reverting to original sizes upon focus changes and the Super key getting stuck when launching the app launcher, have been resolved. Network configuration improvements address WireGuard setup problems, while various Wayland protocol errors affecting layer shell surfaces were patched. As COSMIC moves closer toward its full stable release, Epoch 1.9 demonstrates System76's focus on both finishing the application ecosystem and refining the day-to-day desktop experience.