System76 has just released the third alpha version of its highly anticipated COSMIC desktop environment, and it’s packed with exciting new features and improvements. COSMIC Alpha 3 builds upon the foundation laid by previous alpha releases, focusing on enhancing user experience, accessibility, and functionality.
The release brings a variety of updates, including improved accessibility features such as early screen reader support, enhanced file management capabilities in COSMIC Files, and a new "Made for COSMIC" section in the COSMIC Store for showcasing community-developed applications.
The COSMIC alpha 3 release also includes various performance improvements, bug fixes, and aesthetic refinements across the COSMIC user interface.
Table of Contents
A More Accessible COSMIC
One of the major highlights of this release is the introduction of early-stage screen reader support. Currently, Firefox and GNOME applications can work with the Orca screen reader.
The development team is working on extending support for COSMIC interfaces and applications in the near future. Notably, screen reader keybinding support is currently limited to Pop!_OS unless other distributions patch at-spi2-core.
This innovative implementation serves as a proof of concept, paving the way for broader screen reader adoption on Wayland across various distributions and desktops.
Enhanced Customisation and Control
COSMIC Settings has received several notable updates. Users can now enjoy a new level of personalisation thanks to the addition of Experimental Settings in the Appearance Settings panel. This allows for customisation of system font, monospace font, icons, and toolkit theming.
Furthermore, the Power and Battery Settings now include power-saving options, such as turning off the display and automatically suspending the system.
Revamped COSMIC Files
COSMIC Files, the file manager, has undergone a significant overhaul to create a smoother user experience.
File previews are now disabled by default, but can be activated through the "show details" option in the View menu, right-click menu, or by using the Ctrl + Space
shortcut.
The Gallery view has been integrated into the view menu and can be toggled on by pressing Space when an image is selected. To maintain consistent positioning, buttons have been moved to a new footer widget.
This release also introduces several improvements to COSMIC Files, including:
- Full file name tooltips: Addresses the issue of truncated file names by displaying the full name in a tooltip when hovering over the file.
- Hidden file visibility: Provides options in the View menu or
Ctrl + H
shortcut to show hidden files and directories. - Sidebar directory pinning: Enables pinning directories to the sidebar for quick access.
- Refined file search: Displays search results per tab, removes the magnifying glass icon during search, and moves the search bar to a second line in the single-column view.
- Expanded Functionality: Includes the ability to mount encrypted drives, execute files, and empty the trash directly from the sidebar.
- Enhanced File Support: Adds support for JPEG XL files and streamlines file opening options in the NavBar/Sidebar.
COSMIC Store: A Hub for COSMIC Applications
COSMIC Store (previously known as "COSMIC App Store") now features a dedicated "Made for COSMIC" section on the Explore page to highlight community-developed applications specifically designed for COSMIC.
Developers can have their apps featured in this section by adding "COSMIC" to the upstream metainfo categories of their applications.
Moreover, COSMIC Store now displays application URLs and licenses as part of the app details, offering more transparency. It also includes support for local Debian packages and flatpak refs.
System-Wide Refinements and Bug Fixes
COSMIC Alpha 3 introduces numerous bug fixes and performance improvements, including:
- Padding fixes for headers in Compact Density mode.
- Improved search performance.
- Enhanced "Cursor follows focus" behavior.
- Enabled workspace switching while the Launcher is open.
- Fixes for file and folder naming issues.
- Implementation of quotation marks for copied file names.
- Remapping Caps Lock to Ctrl.
- Functional eject button for safe removal of external drives.
- Corrected desktop view options in the right-click menu.
- Prevention of duplicate item pinning to the sidebar.
- Resolution for Thunderbird crash when changing Keyboard Settings.
- Fixes for missing or low-resolution app icons.
- Solution for inactive top panel issue.
- Operational "Show password" button on the login screen.
- Comprehensive display of selection options in Dock Settings.
- Elimination of looping animations when switching workspaces.
- Enabling use of tilde and other affected keys in the Terminal on international layouts.
- Improved app URL stacking in COSMIC Store.
- Elimination of double-click interruption by mouse movement.
- Accurate display of input volume in the sound applet.
- Resolved "Remove from Sidebar" option issue.
- Corrected tree view behaviour in COSMIC Edit.
- Resolution of sound volume debounce issue.
- Context menu radius alignment with Appearance Settings.
- Accurate display of connected device charging status.
- Fixes for notification interference with applet dropdowns.
- Resolution for cosmic-randr monitor listing issue.
- Launcher enhancements.
- Proper alignment for Java UI buttons.
libcosmic: Building a Solid Foundation
The core library powering COSMIC, libcosmic, has also received a major update. This includes the addition of a new footer widget and updated NavBar icons for closed and open buttons.
While this update is expected to bring overall improvements, some regressions might occur. Users are encouraged to report any bugs they encounter.
Upgrading to COSMIC Alpha 3
Users can easily transition from a previous alpha version to COSMIC Alpha 3 through the Updates page in COSMIC Store.
Click the "Update all" button to upgrade to alpha 3.
Pop!_OS 22.04 LTS alpha testers can now upgrade to 24.04 LTS using the developer flag. For those who prefer a fresh installation, the latest ISO is available for download at system76.com/cosmic.
COSMIC Alpha 3 shows System76's commitment to creating a powerful, user-friendly, and accessible platform. As the development progresses, the future of COSMIC looks bright, promising a desktop experience that is both innovative and empowering.
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