Summary
When Linux users talk about their favorite operating systems, the conversation usually centers around the distribution itself—and for good reason. The distro serves as the foundation of the entire system, making it the first thing most people consider when recommending Linux. However, the desktop environment plays an equally important role. If the distribution is the heart of the system, the desktop environment is the interface users interact with every day. Even a great distro can lose its appeal if the desktop experience falls short.
Anyone who has tried Pop!_OS has likely also experienced its COSMIC desktop environment. Since both are developed by System76, they evolve alongside one another, with each benefiting from the other’s development. Now, COSMIC is introducing a sleek new frosted glass desktop theme, and it’s making me reconsider whether sticking with KDE Plasma is still the right choice.
Pop!_OS’s COSMIC Gets a Beautiful Frosted Glass Look
The New Theme Is Already Available on Pop!_OS 24.04
The announcement came directly from System76 CEO Carl Richell, who showcased the new frosted glass design on his X account.
At first glance, the new interface immediately brings back memories of Windows Vista. Regardless of what people think about Vista’s performance or how Microsoft handled its release, its visual design has always been one of my favorites. That same aesthetic is reflected in COSMIC’s new theme, and I genuinely like the direction it’s taking.
If you’re already running Pop!_OS 24.04, you can install the update today through the COSMIC Store. After installing it, simply log out and sign back in. The new frosted glass theme should then appear in your desktop settings, ready to be enabled.
As for me, this might be all the motivation I needed to give Pop!_OS another try.