COSMIC Alpha Released

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Announcement clarity & onboarding

  • Several commenters found the release page unclear about what COSMIC is, suggesting clearer linking, screenshots, key features, and context.
  • Some Pop!_OS users were unsure how to try COSMIC without reinstalling; replies mention using the alpha ISO live-boot or installing the COSMIC packages and switching sessions.

Design goals vs GNOME/KDE

  • Many see COSMIC as a GNOME-like but independent DE: similar layout for familiarity, but with different goals (tiling, customizability, less “baggage”).
  • System76’s split from GNOME is attributed to constant extension breakage, diverging design goals, and maintenance burden; building their own stack is seen as a way to move faster.
  • Opinions diverge on KDE parity: some think matching KDE’s feature set will take years; others hope COSMIC stays smaller, more opinionated, and tiling-focused.

Technology stack (Rust, Iced, libcosmic)

  • Strong interest in COSMIC’s use of Rust, Iced, libcosmic, and the Smithay compositor stack.
  • Iced is praised for ergonomics, MVU architecture, low memory usage, and themeability, though it’s explicitly “experimental.”
  • Debate over using an immature UI toolkit for a DE: critics cite missing accessibility, text editing niceties, and system integration; supporters point to rapid progress and good fundamentals.
  • Comparisons are made with other Rust UI frameworks (GPUI, Vizia, Slint); Iced is generally seen as more mature.

Theming, tiling & extensibility

  • Tiling is a major selling point; several users say COSMIC’s tiling is already better than KDE’s, especially on ultrawide/multi-monitor setups.
  • Current theming is limited (colors, padding, border radius); some want richer, non-flat customization.
  • Plugin architecture is a key differentiator: plugins run as separate processes communicating via Wayland, intended to be more stable than GNOME’s in-process JS extensions. API stability is not promised yet (alpha).

Alpha quality & usability

  • Experiences vary: some daily-drive it on Fedora/Arch/Gentoo with only minor bugs; others hit severe breakage requiring reinstall and note many missing settings vs Pop!_OS’s GNOME.
  • Specific complaints: DPMS/power management not done, fractional scaling issues for Electron/X11 apps, lack of stable workspaces, large title bars, limited cursor/theming options, missing applets/pagers.
  • Positive notes: fast, lightweight, feels cohesive, sane Super-key-based shortcuts, good multi-monitor behavior and per-monitor workspaces.

Privacy & external services

  • A network request to googleapis.com on startup alarms some users; others speculate it may come from online accounts or captive-portal checks.
  • Broad agreement that such calls should be opt-in and ideally use self-hosted or non-Google services.

Distro support & release timing

  • COSMIC already runs on multiple distros (Pop!_OS alpha, Fedora via COPR, Arch, Gentoo, openSUSE Tumbleweed), generally with good performance.
  • Some frustration that Pop!_OS is still on 22.04; the COSMIC alpha is also effectively a Pop!_OS 24.04 alpha, with a full stable release expected later (timeline seen as optimistic by some).

Business strategy & hardware

  • Debate over whether System76 should prioritize hardware quality vs building a DE.
  • Some report disappointing laptop hardware experiences; others praise their desktops or newer models.
  • A subset explicitly say COSMIC makes them more likely to buy System76 hardware, seeing integrated hardware+software as a differentiator.