What is Pop!_OS? The Curated, Hybrid Desktop Explained

If you have spent any time in the Linux world, you have heard of Pop!_OS. It’s the distribution that is relentlessly recommended to gamers, developers, and creative professionals. But Pop!_OS is more than just another “Ubuntu-based distro”—it is a complete, curated product, built by the US-based hardware manufacturer System76.

It’s an operating system designed with a strong, opinionated workflow, built-in gaming support that actually works out of the box, and, as of 2025, it’s at the center of one of the most exciting developments in open-source: the creation of its own, brand-new, from-scratch desktop environment called COSMIC DE.

Let’s explore what Pop!_OS is, who makes it, and the “Great Divide” between its stable version and its revolutionary future.

The System76 Connection: Hardware Forges Software

You cannot understand Pop!_OS without understanding SYSTEM76. System76 is a company that builds and sells high-performance Linux laptops, desktops, and servers.

For years, they pre-installed Ubuntu. But they grew frustrated with the “one-size-fits-all” approach. They knew their users—developers, scientists, makers, and gamers—needed a better-integrated experience.

So, they created Pop!_OS. This is its superpower. Pop!_OS is not a hobby; it’s a product designed to sell hardware. This means:

• Hardware support is flawless. The System76 team ensures that Pop!_OS works perfectly with modern NVIDIA graphics, complex Wi-Fi chips, and laptop sleep states because their business depends on it.
• It’s focused on workflows. They build features that professionals and students actually need, not just what’s cool.
• It’s 100% focused on the desktop. There is no “server” version. It is an OS built to be used.

The Great Divide: Pop!_OS 24.04 (GNOME) vs. 24.10 (COSMIC DE)

As of late 2025, Pop!_OS exists in two distinct, parallel states. This is the most important thing for a new user to understand.

1. The Stable Standard: Pop!_OS 24.04 LTS (with GNOME)

This is the current, long-term support (LTS) release, recommended for all users who need a rock-solid system for daily work.

• Base: Built on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS.
• Desktop: Uses the GNOME desktop, but is heavily modified with a set of extensions that System76 calls the “COSMIC Desktop Experience”.

This “old” COSMIC (do not confuse it with the new one) is what made Pop!_OS famous. Its key features are:

• Auto-Tiling: The “killer feature.” With the press of a button, your windows automatically tile and arrange themselves to fill the screen, moving you from a “floating” window user to a hyper-efficient “tiling” user.
• The Launcher: A fast, keyboard-driven launcher (like Spotlight on macOS) that lets you launch apps, switch windows, and run commands from one place.
• Workspaces: An intuitive and clean workspace-management system.

This version is the battle-tested workhorse, but it is the last of its kind.

2. The Future: Pop!_OS 24.10 (with the new COSMIC DE)

This is the “big one.” This is the future of the entire platform, currently available as a public beta (Pop!_OS 24.10), with a stable release imminent.

Frustrated by the limitations of GNOME and its extensions, the System76 team did the “unthinkable”: they decided to build their own entire desktop environment from scratch.

• Built in Rust: The new COSMIC DE (Desktop Environment) is written 100% in the modern, fast, and memory-safe Rust programming language.
• Not a GNOME Fork: This is not a “theme.” It is a completely new, independent desktop. It has its own window manager (COSMIC WM), its own compositor, its own applets, and its own settings panel.
• Performance: It is designed to be lighter, faster, and more responsive than GNOME, eliminating the “stutter” or “lag” that some GNOME extensions can cause.
• “Hybrid” by Design: Unlike the old version, the new COSMIC DE is built to be a perfect “hybrid.” It seamlessly blends floating windows (for apps like GIMP) with keyboard-driven tiling (for your terminal and code editor).
• Modern Features: It’s being built from the ground up to support modern features like HDR (High Dynamic Range), fractional scaling, and better multi-monitor support.

This is the new flagship, and by 2026, it will be the only version of Pop!_OS.

The “Out-of-the-Box” Features (Why It’s So Popular)

Beyond the desktop, Pop!_OS bundles several key features that make it a favorite for new users.

1. The NVIDIA ISO

This is genius. When you go to the download page, you get two options: “Standard” or “NVIDIA.”

If you download the NVIDIA ISO, the proprietary NVIDIA drivers are pre-installed and pre-configured. This single step eliminates the #1 source of pain and frustration for Linux gamers. You install the OS, and your high-end graphics card just works.

2. The Pop!_Shop

The “App Store” in Pop!_OS is the Pop!_Shop, and it’s a model of pragmatism. It is a single, clean storefront that gives you access to three different types of software, all in one place:

• .deb Packages (apt): The standard, fast, and reliable software from the Ubuntu/Pop!_OS repositories.
• Flatpaks: It has Flathub enabled by default. This gives you access to thousands of sandboxed, up-to-date applications.
• Nix (Coming Soon/In-Dev): The team is also integrating the powerful Nix package manager, giving users access to even more reproducible, developer-focused software.

This “hybrid” store means you never have to ask “How do I install X?” The answer is always: just search for it in the Pop!_Shop.

3. The Recovery Partition

This is a life-saver. Pop!_OS automatically creates a small, 1GB “Recovery Partition” on your drive.

If your system breaks, you don’t need a new USB drive. You just hold a key at boot, and you can boot into a full, offline copy of the Pop!_OS installer, complete with your drivers. From there, you can use its “Refresh Install” feature, which reinstalls the entire OS without deleting your user files. It’s like the built-in recovery on Windows or macOS, and it’s brilliant.

Pop!_OS vs. Ubuntu: “Why Not Just Use Ubuntu?”

This is the most common question. Pop!_OS is based on Ubuntu, so what’s the difference?

• No Snaps: This is the big one. Pop!_OS does not use or force Snaps. Where Ubuntu now defaults to a Snap for Firefox, Pop!_OS provides a native .deb (or Flatpak) version. This single decision makes the system faster and more aligned with users who dislike Canonical’s Snap-first strategy.
• The NVIDIA ISO: As mentioned, this is a game-changer.
• The Recovery Partition: Ubuntu doesn’t have this.
• The Desktop Experience: Pop!_OS provides a highly curated, opinionated tiling/hybrid workflow (in both GNOME and COSMIC DE). Ubuntu provides a standard, vanilla GNOME experience.
• The Pop!_Shop: A unified store for .deb and Flatpak is a cleaner experience than the default Ubuntu Software store.

Who is Pop!_OS For in 2025?

• The Gamer: This is arguably the #1 “It Just Works” distro for gaming. The NVIDIA ISO, pre-installed Steam/Lutris, and performance focus are unmatched.
• The Developer & “Maker”: The tiling workflow, keyboard-driven launcher, and built-in access to a massive library of dev tools make it a productivity powerhouse.
• The “Ubuntu Refugee”: The user who loves the stability and .deb ecosystem of Ubuntu but is frustrated with Snaps and wants a more polished, opinionated desktop.
• The System76 Owner: If you own their hardware, Pop!_OS is the only choice—it’s tailor-made for your machine.
• The Enthusiast (24.10 Beta): Anyone who wants to be on the front lines of the next big thing in Linux desktops is testing the new COSMIC DE right now.

Official website: System76.com

Are you one of the many users who started your Linux journey with Pop!_OS? Are you currently running the 24.04 LTS, or are you one of the brave testers trying out the new COSMIC DE on 24.10? Let us know what you think of System76’s new direction in the comments!