I tested COSMIC’s new Frosted Glass effect, and it’s way better than MacOS’ Liquid Glass

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ZDNET’s key takeaways

• COSMIC desktop has unleashed Frosted Glass.
• This impact is what Apple’s Liquid Glass ought to have been.
• Anybody working Pop!_OS can take pleasure in this new look.

When you concentrate on which desktop has probably the most stunning UI, MacOS might be the primary one which involves thoughts.

In the event you had been a Linux person, you’d know higher, because of KDE Plasma — which is regularly catching as much as what Apple has to supply.

However then, you may additionally find out about what’s been cooking within the metaphorical labs at System76. Again in 2024, the corporate introduced it was engaged on one thing referred to as Frosted Glass. After I first heard about it, I will admit I used to be reasonably excited. In any case, what System76 has accomplished with COSMIC in such a brief period of time is mind-blowing. This comparatively new Linux desktop setting (constructed from the bottom up with Rust) has come a good distance in a short time.

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What I did not notice was simply how wonderful Frosted Glass would transform. In reality, I will simply state this right here and now: COSMIC’s Frosted Glass is what I thought MacOS’s Liquid Glass was imagined to be.

Frosted Glass is attractive. 

Over time, I’ve talked about how any variety of Linux desktop environments might take the title of probably the most stunning in the marketplace. Effectively, that every one modified the second I upgraded COSMIC and enabled Frosted Glass. Now, each desktop setting has taken a again seat to COSMIC.

Sure, the tables have turned. System76 has upped the ante thus far that I can not think about one other desktop setting catching as much as COSMIC.  

What’s Frosted Glass?

The brand new Frosted Glass characteristic in COSMIC desktop provides an elegantly smooth, blurred transparency to home windows and numerous UI elements. In the event you’ve ever seen the blurred background impact utilized in login screens, the Android App Drawer, or sure menus in MacOS, you will know what I am speaking about. 

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Take, for example, the COSMIC terminal app. With Frosted Glass enabled, the whole terminal is handled to a softly blurred background. The identical therapy is utilized to varied different apps, such because the COSMIC System Monitor, COSMIC File Supervisor, COSMIC Textual content Editor, and the COSMIC App Launcher.

This layered look is beautiful, and I consider it’s what Apple was aiming for with Liquid Glass.

The way to get Frosted Glass?

Getting Frosted Glass is an easy matter of upgrading COSMIC desktop to the newest launch. In the event you’re working Pop!_OS 24.04, you are able to do this by the standard methodology of opening the COSMIC Retailer (which additionally will get the Frosted Glass therapy), clicking Updates, after which making use of the upgrades. 

As soon as you have run the improve, reboot your machine and log again in.

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To allow Frosted Glass, open Settings (which additionally will get the therapy) and navigate to Desktop > Model > Frosted Glass. Within the sidebar, allow the characteristic for the weather of your alternative, after which change the frost thickness and glass opacity to your liking.

It took me all of two minutes to have my desktop wanting as elegant as I’ve ever seen an OS desktop look. I enabled Frosted Glass for each ingredient, as a result of I am loopy for a superb blur impact.

The top result’s attractive.

Sorry about your luck, Apple

Apple had an ideal alternative to take the desktop to new heights with Liquid Glass. I am not saying its UI is ugly… it is not. I really like Liquid Glass and have utilized it to each my MacBook Professional and Apple Studio. Nonetheless, now that I’ve seen what System76 has accomplished with COSMIC, Liquid Glass appears drab and boring by comparability. 

Now that Frosted Glass has been unleashed, it appears like Apple’s bought a a lot larger bar to succeed in than it did just some days in the past. Even when the corporate goes again to the drafting board with Liquid Glass, I can not think about will probably be higher than what System76 has accomplished.

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To the entire designers and engineers at System76, I applaud the work you have accomplished. As soon as once more, you have proved that Linux is the ruler of the desktop, and that is not going to alter any time quickly.