> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://itsfoss.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # I Tested Pop!_OS 24.04 LTS Beta: A Few Hits and Misses But Mostly on the Right Track - URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/cosmic-beta/ - Published: 2025-10-18T17:40:07.000Z - Updated: 2025-10-21T03:48:05.000Z - Description: COSMIC has come a long way, but is it enough? - Author: Sourav Rudra - Tags: Development Updates, News, #Import 2025-11-08 21:15 Remember when [System76](https://system76.com/?ref=itsfoss.com) first announced they were building their own [desktop environment](https://itsfoss.com/best-linux-desktop-environments/) (*DE*) back in 2021? That feels like ages ago. The Linux community has been waiting patiently (*and sometimes not so patiently*) for [COSMIC](https://system76.com/cosmic?ref=itsfoss.com) to arrive. System76 has been taking their time, meticulously polishing every aspect of this Rust-based desktop environment. Luckily, the wait is finally starting to pay off. System76 has released the first public beta of Pop!\_OS 24.04 LTS, featuring COSMIC, which is also in beta. ## COSMIC is Getting There ![a screenshot that shows the desktop view of cosmic beta on a pop!_os 24.04 lts beta system with its fastfetch output visibile](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/cosmic-beta-1-fastfetch-output.png) [**Fastfetch*](https://itsfoss.com/fine-control-fastfetch/) *output of COSMIC Beta.* I used the NVIDIA ISO for Pop!\_OS 24.04 Beta, installing it on an external SSD to see how COSMIC Beta fared. At first glance, **it felt fresh** compared to my daily driver DE, [GNOME](https://www.gnome.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), offering a familiar yet different experience. While there were some issues along the way, the overall experience seemed quite polished considering this is an in-development piece of software. So, let’s begin by looking at how the user interface and multitasking feel on COSMIC. ### User Interface & Multi-Monitor Use The **default layout on COSMIC will remind you of GNOME**; there is a familiar workspace switcher on the top-left, which shows any active workspaces in a vertical view (*can be changed to horizontal*). Next to it is the application launcher, whose "*Library Home*" page features a convenient search bar at the top and your favorite apps just below. COSMIC also includes several pre-configured app folders for easy organization, and you can create your own custom folders as well. 📋 You can activate the app launcher using the "**Super*" key too and there is a handy dock below to quickly launch apps. On the right-hand side, you’ll find **a set of convenient applets** for managing system functions such as language, accessibility, workspace preferences, audio, Bluetooth, network, and battery. The power menu is also located here, allowing you to lock, log out, sleep, restart, or shut down the system. ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/cosmic-beta-1-keyboard-shortcuts-1.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/cosmic-beta-1-multi-monitor-2.jpg) **COSMIC keyboard shortcurts on left, multi-monitor demo on right.* If you are someone who prefers using a keyboard over a mouse for navigating your way around your Linux system, then you will be glad to hear that COSMIC has **some really good keyboard shorctuts**. During my use, I often relied on a combination of *Shift*, *Super*, and the *arrow keys* to effortlessly switch between workspaces and app windows across multiple screens, and it all felt very natural. And don’t get me started on **the window tiling**; it’s absolutely fabulous. While it’s not as flexible or feature-packed as [Hyprland](https://itsfoss.com/hyprland-distros/), managing multiple app windows across several monitors just works. You can easily snap windows into place, resize them on the fly, and even have them automatically adjust when you open new apps. Even if I disable a monitor and re-enable it later, COSMIC remembers the layout perfectly, placing all open windows and workspaces exactly where they were. ### Checking Out COSMIC Apps ![this is a desktop view of cosmic beta with four cosmic apps open, they are files, store, image viewer, settings](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/cosmic-beta-1-native-apps.png) The [default apps](https://system76.com/cosmic/apps?ref=itsfoss.com) are quite handy. **COSMIC Files** felt a bit like Nautilus, but different in a good way; it’s clean, responsive, and makes managing files straightforward. The **Image Viewer** also worked really well, effortlessly opening photos from my smartphone and displaying useful metadata like resolution, file size, and creation date. Then there’s the **COSMIC Store**, which comes pre-configured with two software repositories: *System* and *Flathub*. These are pretty self-explanatory; one fetches applications from COSMIC's repositories, and the other fetches from [Flathub](https://flathub.org/en?ref=itsfoss.com). ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/cosmic-beta-1-store-software-install.png) ![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/cosmic-beta-1-deb-installation.png) **Installing new DEB packages or carrying out Flatpak applications via Flathub is easy.* [Installing new DEB packages](https://itsfoss.com/install-deb-files-ubuntu/) or getting Flatpak apps via Flathub is simple and hassle-free. The Store interface makes it easy to browse, search, and install apps without ever touching the terminal. ![the installation of new codecs on cosmic player is shown here, both are gstreamer plugins for media playback](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/cosmic-beta-1-player-codec-installation.png) **COSMIC Player** struggled a bit with playing an MP4 video at first, but it asked if it could install the necessary codecs to make it work. Both additions required authentication, which was straightforward and secure, though a minor hiccup in an otherwise smooth experience. Similarly, **COSMIC Screenshot** works well for capturing still images, but it’s missing a screen recording feature. GNOME’s screenshot utility includes this, so having it in COSMIC would be a really welcome addition. ### Multimedia Experience ![firefox is shown playing a youtube live stream titled, "lofi hip hop radio" on the left, the desktop interface is in the background, and on the top right, the audio quick settings are open with volume controls and current media playback information](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2025/10/cosmic-beta-1-audio-playback.png) The **audio and video handling in COSMIC is solid**. I was able to plug in my [IEM](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In-ear%5Fmonitor?ref=itsfoss.com)s and start listening to music right away, and switching between them and my external monitor’s speakers via HDMI worked seamlessly. There was no weird artifacting or lag at all when I was watching videos. Also, I skipped testing gaming performance, saving that for when the first stable release of COSMIC comes out. ### Customization Potential If you head into the Settings menu and open the "*Desktop*" section, you’ll find **a wide range of appearance options** you can tweak to your liking. This page lets you change the wallpaper and its fit, switch between light and dark modes, and customize the accent colors across the interface. You can also adjust the panel’s position, manage the applets on it, and fine-tune the dock’s behavior and appearance. Even the workspaces are customizable, giving you plenty of freedom to shape COSMIC’s look and feel just the way you want. ### Closing Thoughts I did run into a few bumps during my time with COSMIC. The default UI scaling made elements feel a bit oversized, and I had to keep my smartphone unlocked to transfer files over USB—something that worked fine on [Fedora](https://fedoraproject.org/?ref=itsfoss.com). OBS Studio, both the *Flatpak* and *System* versions, refused to capture the screen for recording, even after I disabled one monitor via the Display Settings menu. I had to use [Kooha](https://flathub.org/en/apps/io.github.seadve.Kooha?ref=itsfoss.com) instead, which worked flawlessly. Despite these quirks, **I am genuinely impressed with COSMIC**. It’s polished, intuitive, and clearly built with care. But there’s still work to be done, and that is okay. We need a finished product, not a rushed one. ## Get COSMIC Beta You can grab the COSMIC Beta from the [official website](https://system76.com/cosmic/download?ref=itsfoss.com). It's available for a bunch of Linux distros like **Fedora** (*Spin/ATOMIC*), **CachyOS**, **NixOS**, **Arch Linux**, **openSUSE**, and more. Also, there’s [Pop!\_OS 24.04 LTS Beta](https://system76.com/pop/pop-beta/?ref=itsfoss.com), which ships with COSMIC by default; you can try that too. [COSMIC Beta](https://system76.com/cosmic/download?ref=itsfoss.com)