System76 releases COSMIC Desktop 1.8 with compositor overhaul

System76 has released COSMIC Desktop 1.8, a coordinated update that synchronizes the Rust-based desktop environment across more than twenty submodules. This release, tagged as COSMIC Epoch 1.8.0, provides a stable snapshot for various Linux distributions, including Arch, Fedora, and NixOS.

A major component of this update is the overhaul of the cosmic-comp Wayland compositor. Key improvements include enhanced touchscreen support through new touch input capabilities, tablet emulation, and libei pasteboard sharing. The update also addresses hardware-specific issues, such as improved primary GPU detection for hybrid graphics laptops and smoother Steam overlays for X11 applications.

Other functional refinements include improved Bluetooth alias handling, multi-factor authentication (PAM) login chaining in the greeter, and fixes for audio volume controls. The update also brings usability improvements to COSMIC Files, COSMIC Workspaces, and COSMIC Settings, alongside various bug fixes for window decorations and display handling.