Desktop Environments

COSMIC's file browser just made file recovery easier

Quitting programs also just got a handy shortcut.

Jordan Gloor

Jordan Gloor

— 2 min read
The COSMIC logo with an orange gradient accent underneath the "O", all over a gradient moving from pastel green to blue.

System76, the Linux-first computer manufacturer and developer of the COSMIC desktop environment, released "Epoch" version 1.0.9 of COSMIC on April 7, 2026. It brings several small but important improvements to the Rust-based desktop.

What's new

  • File search in more folders: You can now search for specific files in your Recents and Trash folders in COSMIC's file browser. In other words, rescuing that file you accidentally deleted.
  • Open file location from search: This is a big one for me: when reviewing search results in COSMIC Files, the ability to open a file's location is now properly and fully implemented.
  • Search Wi-Fi networks: Available Wi-Fi networks in COSMIC Settings can now be searched by name. This will be handy in coffee shops and apartments where there are tons of SSIDs competing for attention.
  • Quick-closing apps with middle-click: When you hover over a window preview in the app tray, you can now close those windows with a middle-click. That'll help when you have a sensitive window that needs a quick exit.

What's getting better

  • Listening to music with COSMIC Player: Several improvements make COSMIC Player a much more usable app for enjoying music. You can now repeat media, and issues with the interface and repeating specific sections when playing audio files were fixed.
  • Your desktop applets: Several small fixes address issues like crashing applets and titles getting too long. Also, the battery applet will no longer disappear just because your laptop doesn't have an battery.

Diving in

The fineprint: Check out the release notes to make sure I didn't miss anything important.

Get it now: Update your Linux distro's repositories to see if Epoch 1.0.9 is packaged and ready for you, if you're not getting the source files from the release linked above.

Zooming out

Why this update matters: COSMIC is a new and serious contender in the desktop environment space. It uses the memory-safe Rust language to create a modern and efficient alternative to the likes of long-running titans like GNOME.

My take: I'm glad the applets are continuing to get work, as that was the main sticking point for me when I tried COSMIC earlier this year.

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