# COSMIC Desktop — Next-Generation Linux Desktop Environment by System76

> An open-source desktop environment built from scratch in Rust by System76, designed for performance, customization, and a polished user experience on Linux.

## Install

Save in your project root:

# COSMIC Desktop — Next-Generation Linux Desktop Environment by System76

## Quick Use
```bash
# Install on Pop!_OS (ships by default in newer versions)
# Or build components from source:
git clone https://github.com/pop-os/cosmic-epoch.git
cd cosmic-epoch
just sysext
# See the README for full build instructions per component
```

## Introduction
COSMIC is a next-generation desktop environment for Linux, built entirely in Rust by System76 (the company behind Pop!_OS). It replaces the GNOME-based desktop with a from-scratch implementation focused on speed, memory efficiency, and deep customization without sacrificing usability.

## What COSMIC Does
- Provides a complete Linux desktop with compositor, panel, app launcher, and settings
- Offers tiling and stacking window management with keyboard-driven workflows
- Delivers a unified settings application for system and desktop configuration
- Includes a custom app store and file manager built in Rust
- Supports Wayland natively with robust multi-monitor handling

## Architecture Overview
COSMIC uses iced as its UI toolkit and smithay for the Wayland compositor, both written in Rust. Each component (panel, launcher, settings, file manager) is a separate process communicating via D-Bus and a shared cosmic-config layer. The compositor (cosmic-comp) handles window management, rendering, and input, while the desktop shell components run as independent applications.

## Self-Hosting & Configuration
- Install Pop!_OS for the out-of-box COSMIC experience
- Build individual components from source using the Just build system
- Configure appearance, keybindings, and panel layout through COSMIC Settings
- Customize the tiling behavior with per-workspace rules
- Extend with third-party applets for the panel and dock

## Key Features
- Written in Rust for memory safety and performance
- GPU-accelerated Wayland compositor with smooth animations
- Built-in tiling window manager with auto-tiling and manual controls
- Customizable panels, dock, and app launcher
- Fractional scaling and per-display DPI settings

## Comparison with Similar Tools
- **GNOME** — widely used but heavier, less customizable without extensions
- **KDE Plasma** — highly configurable but complex codebase in C++/Qt
- **Sway/Hyprland** — tiling-only compositors without full DE features
- **Cinnamon** — traditional desktop feel but GNOME-fork maintenance burden
- **XFCE** — lightweight but aging X11 codebase, limited Wayland support

## FAQ
**Q: Do I need Pop!_OS to use COSMIC?**
A: COSMIC is developed by System76 for Pop!_OS but is being packaged for other distributions. Check your distro's repositories or build from source.

**Q: Is COSMIC Wayland-only?**
A: Yes. COSMIC uses a custom Wayland compositor (cosmic-comp) and does not support X11 natively, though XWayland compatibility is included.

**Q: How does COSMIC compare to GNOME on resource usage?**
A: Early benchmarks show COSMIC using less memory than GNOME, thanks to the Rust implementation and iced toolkit.

**Q: Can I use COSMIC components individually?**
A: Yes. Components like the file manager or terminal can run independently on other desktop environments.

## Sources
- https://github.com/pop-os/cosmic-epoch
- https://system76.com/cosmic

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Author: AI Open Source