System76, a Linux hardware vendor, has announced the release of the second alpha version (Alpha 2) of their upcoming COSMIC desktop environment, which is built using Rust. This release is designed for the Pop!_OS 24.04, an Ubuntu-based Linux distribution. For more details, see this article.
The latest updates in COSMIC Alpha 2 include a new Bluetooth settings page for connecting and managing Bluetooth devices, a Gallery view in the COSMIC Files file manager for browsing images in folders, and adjustable spacing options under Settings > Appearance to customize the UI layout.
Enhancements to the COSMIC Files file manager also include a new Search bar, options to create new folders, change view settings, and sort files by various criteria such as name, type, and size. There is also a new “Recents” section for quick access to recently used files, a preview option in the context menu, and the capability to handle file compression and extraction via the right-click menu.
Additional updates to COSMIC Files include options for connecting to network drives, a comprehensive File menu, sidebar separators to organize sections like Trash and Networks, and new keyboard shortcuts designed to improve user efficiency in managing files.
Some other noteworthy changes in COSMIC Alpha 2 include a comprehensive theming system with shareable themes, an option to choose for either vertical or horizontal workspaces, an integrated and easily accessible tiling system, and highly customizable panels (dock and top bar).
“COSMIC’s Alpha 2 release builds upon that work with functionality built out for Files, additional Settings pages, considerable infrastructure work for screen reader support, and some highly requested window management features. System76 is ecstatic at the level of excitement and collaboration so far with alpha testers and early app & applet developers, and looks forward to seeing what comes from these new additions,” said System76.
The second alpha release of COSMIC introduces enhanced support for Bluetooth devices within the Sound and Power & Battery settings. It also improves X11 application clarity and gaming at native screen resolutions through a new “Scale all X11 Applications” option in the Displays settings. Additionally, a new toggle in the Date & Time settings now allows users to display seconds on the clock applet.
Furthermore, this version incorporates two much-requested features in Window Management settings, specifically “Focus follows cursor” and “Cursor follows focus.” The former makes the focus shift to any window that the cursor is hovering over, while the latter automatically moves the cursor to the top-left corner of a window when focus is transferred via keyboard shortcuts or when a new window is opened.
Finally, COSMIC Alpha 2 introduces several enhancements and fixes. Users can now disable the Super key from the dropdown menu in Window Management settings. There’s added support for battery charge thresholds on compatible devices through system76-power in COSMIC Applets, along with language options in COSMIC Greeter. The release also enhances the searchability of custom keybindings, boosts the performance of the COSMIC App Store, and addresses a variety of bugs.
COSMIC Alpha 2 is available for testing on several popular GNU/Linux distributions, including Arch Linux, Fedora Linux, openSUSE, CachyOS, Redox OS, Serpent OS, NixOS, and, of course, System76’s Pop!_OS 24.04 Linux, which you can download from here. System76 says that this alpha will be followed by monthly alpha releases until all core features are built out.
Last updated 8 hours ago
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