Garuda Linux has released a new version (ISO) featuring the COSMIC desktop environment. It's currently in Alpha, meaning it's still under development and may have some issues. In this blog post, we will give you an overview of Garuda COSMIC, what to expect, and how you can get involved.
Table of Contents
What is Garuda Linux?
Garuda Linux is based on Arch Linux. It's designed to be user-friendly, fast, and visually appealing. It's a good choice for:
- Beginners who want to try an Arch-based system.
- Gamers and multimedia enthusiasts.
- Users who like visually attractive desktops.
Garuda Linux has several key features:
- Arch-Based & Rolling Release: You always get the newest software updates.
- Btrfs Filesystem with Snapshots: It uses the Btrfs file system with Timeshift and Snapper, which creates automatic system snapshots. This makes it easy to revert your system if an update causes problems.
- Performance Tweaks: It includes the Zen kernel and CPU scheduler tweaks, which improve performance.
- Gaming Focus: It has "Garuda Gamer", a tool for installing gaming utilities like Steam and Lutris.
- User-Friendly Interface: The default is a heavily customised KDE Plasma theme called "dr460nized KDE", but other options are available.
- Garuda Assistant & Setup Manager: These tools make system maintenance and driver installation easier.
- Pacman & Chaotic-AUR: It uses Pacman and includes Chaotic-AUR, a repository for pre-built packages from the Arch User Repository (AUR).
- FireDragon Browser: A privacy-focused browser based on LibreWolf.
Keep in mind that Garuda Linux may require more powerful hardware due to its visual effects and optimisations.
Garuda COSMIC: An Early Look
The Garuda COSMIC ISO lets you try out the COSMIC desktop environment on Garuda Linux.
For those wondering, the COSMIC Desktop Environment is a Rust-based desktop environment being developed by System76 for their Pop!_OS distribution. It is a completely new DE, separate from their previous GNOME-based customization, and is designed for performance, modularity, and customization.
COSMIC Desktop Environment is gradually gaining adoption across multiple Linux distributions. Initially developed for Pop!_OS, it can now be installed on Arch Linux, CachyOS, Fedora, NixOS, openSUSE, Redox, SerpentOS, and most recently, Garuda Linux.
Please note that he Garuda COSMIC ISO is currently in Alpha. This means it's not yet fully stable, and you may encounter bugs or unfinished features. It is not recommended to use it as your daily operating system if you need your computer for work or can't handle occasional downtime.
The current release is "very barebones", essentially stock COSMIC packages on a Garuda base.
Downloading Garuda COSMIC ISO
You can download the Garuda COSMIC ISO from this link:
Be sure to check the dates and download the most recent ISO.
Bug Reporting
If you find any bugs during testing, don't report COSMIC bugs to Garuda Linux. Instead, report them to the COSMIC developers via their GitHub issue page:
Contributing to Garuda COSMIC
If you're interested in helping to develop Garuda COSMIC, you can contribute in several ways:
- GitLab: The garuda-cosmic-settings package repository is on GitLab. You can fork the repository, make changes, and submit a merge request. Be sure to use conventional commit messages.
- Forum: If you're not comfortable with Git, you can share your feedback and ideas on the Garuda Linux forum.
Final Thoughts
The Garuda COSMIC ISO provides an early look at the COSMIC desktop environment on Garuda Linux. While it's an Alpha release and may have issues, it offers a chance to explore and contribute to the development of this new spin.
If you're willing to test and provide feedback, download the ISO and give it a try.
