COSMIC, a new desktop environment developed by System76

Many have heard of System76, a company specializing in the production of laptops, PCs and servers that ship with Linux and who is also responsible for the development of the Linux Pop! _OS, which is based on Ubuntu.

And is that talking about them, recently released the news that they have made the introduction of a new user environment called "COSMIC" (Computer Operating System Main Interface Components), which will replace the modified GNOME desktop environment used with the Pop! _YOU.

It is mentioned that the new user environment will begin shipping with the release of Pop! _OS 21.04 scheduled for June. The COSMIC code is developed under the GPLv3 license.

About COSMIC

The user environment provided previously in Pop! _OS was based on a modified GNOME Shell with additional extensions, its own design, a set of icons, and modified settings. COSMIC continues this effort and is also based on GNOME technologies, but differs in a deeper redesign of the desktop and the introduction of conceptual changes.

Among the main tasks that is planned to be solved during the development of COSMIC there is the desire to make the desktop easier to use, expand functionality and increase efficiency of work customizing the environment to suit your preferences.

“Time to preview the next version of Pop! _YOU! The new features are ready to roll out like kids in a candy store. Among them, the tale… the legend… the ultimate customizer… the COSMIC desk. To ensure the best flavor, we cook COSMIC slowly to provide a quality experience. As a result, Pop! _OS 21.04 will be released in June, ”System76 officials said.

According to those responsible for the System76 project, it is a refined solution that makes the desktop easier to use, while being more powerful and efficient for users through customization.

It is also mentioned that new designs have been developed from extensive testing and user feedback since the release of Pop! _OS 20.04, and are currently being refined in its testing phase.

Instead of the unified horizontal navigation of virtual desktops and applications in the Activities Overview that appeared in GNOME 40, COSMIC continues to separate views to navigate desktops alongside open windows and existing applications. A split view gives you the ability to access a selection of applications with a single click, and a simpler layout will keep you from distracting from visual clutter.

During user testing, we found that even GNOME veterans tend to pause their homework after opening the Activities Overview. Split views allow you to access the app selector with a single click, while the cleaner user interface design avoids visual distraction.

For window manipulation, both the traditional mouse control model, which is familiar to beginners, such as the tile window layout mode, which allows you to control the work with only the keyboard.

When you press the Super key, the Launcher interface starts by default, allowing you to start applications, run arbitrary commands, and switch between programs that are already running. The user can press Super and immediately begin to enter the mask to select the desired program, in addition to that if he wishes, he can change the link of the Super key to other actions, such as opening the navigation to desktops and applications.

It is also mentioned that the option to place the Dock has been added, Through the settings, you can choose where the panel is displayed (bottom, top, right or left), the size (across the screen width or not), auto hide, and also control the location of desktop icons, open selected windows or applications.

Finally if you are interested in knowing more about it, you can check the details In the following link.