Installing COSMIC Desktop on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS: A New Linux Desktop Experience

A Promising Alternative to Established Desktops

COSMIC, the new open-source Rust-based desktop environment, has garnered attention as a modern and configurable alternative to established desktops like GNOME. Developed by Linux hardware company System76, it saw its first stable release earlier this month and is the default desktop in Pop!_OS 24.04 LTS.

For users in North East India, this development holds significance as it presents an opportunity to explore a fresh desktop environment. While GNOME is the default desktop environment for most Linux distributions, including Ubuntu, COSMIC offers a unique take on the Linux desktop experience.

Risks and Considerations

A community-maintained PPA allows users to test COSMIC on their Ubuntu 24.04 LTS systems, but it comes with risks. The PPA, maintained by a community developer named hepp3n, includes packages beyond just the COSMIC desktop and apps, such as Mesa graphics drivers, Wayland (and Xwayland), llvm-toolchain-20, and the Rust compiler.

While these packages are critical system components, they may not necessarily get installed when using the PPA. However, the potential for upgrades to these packages could pose risks to the system's stability and security. Users are advised to make a system backup before attempting to install COSMIC from the PPA.

Installation and Customization

To install COSMIC desktop on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, users can add the PPA to their system using the command sudo add-apt-repository ppa:hepp3n/cosmic-epoch. After adding the PPA, a system update is triggered, and the COSMIC desktop session can be installed using the command sudo apt install cosmic-session.

Once installed, users can customize the COSMIC desktop to their liking, as it is highly configurable. However, users may encounter some quirks compared to running a vanilla instance on Pop!_OS, such as missing indicator icons or issues with Snap apps.

Rolling Back Changes and Troubleshooting

If users encounter issues or decide they no longer want to use COSMIC, they can roll back the changes using the command-line tool ppa-purge. This tool removes the PPA and downgrades the system packages back to the official versions carried in the Ubuntu repositories.

Conclusion

The community-maintained PPA for COSMIC desktop offers an opportunity for Ubuntu users to test a promising new Linux desktop environment. While it comes with risks, especially regarding critical system components, users can take precautions, such as making a system backup and testing the PPA in a virtual machine. As with any software installation, it is essential to understand the implications and potential risks before proceeding.

For users in North East India, this development serves as a reminder of the vibrant Linux community and the continuous efforts to innovate and improve the Linux desktop experience.