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Why should we care about the COSMIC Desktop Environment?

Edit: I've now gotten 2 downvotes in 4 minutes. I do not understand what's so controversial about this comment. Why should we care about having a third DE? Does this matter to users at all? I've watched several videos show casing it, and there seems to be no point to it except organizational (Pop OS wants to break free from GNOME).



Your comment could have been posted under almost ANY story on HN. "Why should we care about .... ?" In other words, it's a very low value comment as far as discussion goes. If you don't care about it move on, nobody said you had to care.


Because there are a number of existing frustrations with GNOME that can not be fixed in GNOME, because GNOME Foundation has their own specific vision, which not a lot of people like.

KDE is good but has its own flaws, and it's a different workflow


IMO KDE is not a different workflow. You can easily recreate all of gnome in KDE.

So, just use KDE.


Can KDE do dynamic workspaces now? That was one of the nicer things about GNOME last time I used it


Yes, it's in the overview.


you really can't. I have tried and I am trying every couple of years. I hope it gets there one day though

it's also usually more buggy for me, so there's that.


I legitimately cannot think of a single feature in Gnome, Windows, or MacOS that does not exist in KDE.

Now, granted, you would only know that if you're a KDE wizard. So maybe Gnome defaults coincidently align better with what you like.

But in terms of functionality, there just isn't any contest.


Making a single virtual desktop on my second monitor that remains static, while the primary switches between them Having a good screenshot tool on Wayland that freezes the screen, lets me select a region of the screen in an overlay, then puts the selection in my clipboard and vanishes jn the background. KDE one was insistent on spawning its window and wasn't very good. Third party tools failed on Wayland on region selection. Especially with scaling enabled.

Not having random Z-index order bugs is also a big one


Tried KDE. I very much prefer Gnome with extensions


Pro-tip: These are inside thoughts, no need to comment, just have the thought and move along.


Not being able to question large investments is not a healthy perspective. And as this is the first public release with Cosmic, I think it's completely fair for people to question it.


Sure but there was not much in that question.


Sorry, I don't see it that way.


Which is why you were downvoted.


Who is "we". But to answer your question, it was created because System76 didn't find an existing DE that met their needs even after extensive changes to them.


    Downvotes
As someone else mentioned, it's because it's a very low value comment.

It provides nothing to the discussion except a bad attitude.

It's clear from the fact you're asking it you don't about the topic. Go investigate Cosmic desktop, if you don't know why we should care about it, and you can find out for yourself whether or not it's worth caring about.

If you find out that you don't think this is something that should be discussed, don't up vote the thread and move on, simple as that. If the thread gets many upvotes anyways, you can infer people care about it, even if you don't. Comments like this only pollute the discussion and make everything feel negative.

It's a big part of the reason the internet has become such a drag, that people always feel the need to comment every little thing, even if it only adds negative value.


Perfectly valid question. I remember Ubuntu getting lost down a rabbit hole of their touch screen desktop wm that had soo many warts. I guess if you don't have the power to steer a project you fork or try something else. Then realise you neither have the UI chops or technical finesse to pull something off. Windows has been atrocious UI wise since Win 8, failed to pull anything off cohesively and just left a mess. Much like Ubuntu, but with what you would expect a well funded dedicated UI team.

UIs generally sick in Linux with the exception of the shell. And even that could be sexed up hugely.

The best thing about AI tools for me is that they make up for shortcomings in the UI and have become a very important go-between for me.


I personally care because it’s Rust based and that means I’m likely to participate in development and feel comfortable with the tooling.

As a broader picture — it matters since the creator is System76 which sells laptops and desktops and moves towards giving a full Linux on Desktop polished experience. You really can only go so far if you are not deeply involved in the DE yourself.

p.s.: your question is very legit imo, don’t get the downvotes




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