August updates on COSMIC DE include new systems for theming, third-party apps, tiling, and more!
Our new, not yet released Rust-based desktop environment for Pop!_OS and other Linux distros is filling out with some essential systems that cater the DE to both users and developers alike. Customization is one of our main focuses for COSMIC, and was a huge focus for us in August, too.
I've never wanted to "rice" my Pop!_OS, but I think I've been disappointed that Gnome couldn't add some simple changes like the following from COSMIC without installing third party software.
Beyond changing from Dark to Light mode and choosing an accent color you can change the application background, interface text palette tint and neutral palette tint. You’ll also be able to choose one of the three styles for the corner radii used throughout the interface and set an interface density.
Finally! Notifications can happen where you want, and they're not connected to the calendar. This is a massive win for me. Gnome's is really annoying being top center and dropping down into your work. I've always turned off 95% of notifications. If I can have them bottom left or right I will love that.
The notifications applet has been integrated into COSMIC DE! Unlike in Pop!_OS 22.04 LTS, notifications exist in their own applet, separate from your calendar.
Yeah GNOMEs limitations are sometimes extreme, but sadly it's the only desktop to focus on the single-entry workflow that cosmic removed (by separating out functions of the activities overview). The s76 team seems pretty against that flow in their design vision, so I'm not really sure what I'll end up doing because my brain just does not jive with memorizing like 5+ multi-key shortcuts just to get around my apps and desktops. I'm hoping the rust desktop restores the ability to use the full overview where you can see windows and desktops, type for apps that aren't already open if you need, and then also at the same time drag them to desired desktops. Before I could start my session then type firefox and drag it to a workspace then type blender and drag it to another, etc lightning fast, then click on the desktop i want to go to. I tried and tried to use cosmic's separated and siloed functions, and it's just way way slower for me. And the amount of time i press the wrong shortcut and get irritated and out of my flow....
I love the full overview as well. On every Pop installation I restore it to super key only. The Launcher then goes to it's original keys of super + /. You end up with the full activity view with the exception of the Gnome search bar. And we're talking about the COSMIC extension on Gnome right now, but the COSMIC desktop environment will be much more configurable from what I've been led to believe.
Yeah all the stuff in development looks really cool.
