Rust-Based COSMIC Desktop Gets 5th Alpha Release with COSMIC Media Player
COSMIC Alpha 5 introduces an early version of COSMIC Media Player, which is now the default media player in Pop!_OS 24.04 LTS. System76 says that COSMIC Media Player uses Vulkan for video rendering and Video Acceleration API (VA–API) for video decoding.
Apart from the COSMIC Media Player, the 5th alpha of the Rust-based COSMIC desktop brings a more refined VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) implementation to take into account the minimum refresh rate of your display to ensure the cursor runs smoothly, especially in non-game apps running in full-screen mode.
OMG Ubuntu:
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System76 Release COSMIC DE Alpha 5: What's New? - OMG! Ubuntu
This is the fifth alpha of the Rust-based DE since August 2024. More alphas will arrive each month until all the features planned to ship in the first stable release – or ‘epoch’, as System76 is calling them – are in place, at which point beta testing will begin.
Arriving alongside this alpha is a refreshed ISO of Pop!_OS 24.04 (Alpha) with COSMIC Alpha 5 preinstalled — but, just like previous COSMIC desktop alpha releases, users of other Linux distributions, like Arch Linux, can install it too.
For a lick more detail on the notable user-facing changes this update brings, read on.
Liam Dawe (GOG):
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System76's COSMIC Alpha 5 is here with a new media player, VRR improvements and lots of fixes | GamingOnLinux
Hardware vendor System76 continue building up their new Linux desktop environment, COSMIC, with a fifth alpha now available for testing. Their Rust-based desktop environment is primarily being made for their own Linux distribution Pop!_OS, but with proper support for users on other distributions too.
The first big addition is the new COSMIC Media Player that's now the default, which uses Vulkan for rendering and VAAPI for decoding (where available) for efficient video playback. Cycling through apps via Alt+Tab will go through in the order they were last active, there's improvements to Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), a new User Settings page and you can open links in the COSMIC Terminal.
Linuxiac:
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COSMIC Desktop Alpha 5 Released, Introduces New Media Player
More than a month after the previous Alpha 4, System76 officially unveiled COSMIC Alpha 5, the latest sneak peek at its much-anticipated Rust-based new desktop environment. One of the biggest highlights of this release is the COSMIC Media Player, which now serves as the default option for video playback.
Because System76 strongly emphasizes performance, the media player utilizes Vulkan for rendering and VAAPI for decoding (when available), ensuring resource efficiency without compromising quality. Although it currently focuses on video, audio playback features are on the horizon.
Original:
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2025: The Year of COSMIC — Alpha 5 Released!
System76 kicks off 2025 with a new COSMIC Alpha release! Our team is rested and racing towards an approaching Beta of our new Rust-based desktop environment for Pop!_OS and other distros. COSMIC Alpha 5 brings an early version of the COSMIC Media Player, Users Settings, and essential updates to Alt+Tab, variable refresh rates, and more!