Yes 🙂 — and the interesting one in that list is **not KDE, not GNOME, and not Hyprland.**
The **very unusual candidate** is:
## COSMIC
---
## Why COSMIC is special
Unlike most Linux desktops, **COSMIC is being written almost completely from scratch**.
Not a fork.
Not a modified GNOME.
Not just a window manager.
It is a **new desktop architecture**.
Developed by
System76 — the company behind
Pop!_OS.
---
# The big difference
Most desktops in your CatchyOS list are based on **very old architecture**:
| Desktop | Origin |
|
|
|
| KDE Plasma | 1996 |
| GNOME | 1997 |
| XFCE | 1996 |
| Openbox | early 2000s |
| LXDE | 2006 |
They evolved over **25–30 years**.
COSMIC instead is built **modern-first**.
---
# COSMIC is written in Rust
The entire system uses:
Rust
Benefits:
* memory safety
* fewer crashes
* fewer security issues
* better multithreading
* modern GPU pipelines
Most current desktops are still largely **C / C++**.
---
# It is not just a desktop
COSMIC is actually a **stack**:
* window manager
* compositor
* desktop shell
* toolkit
* app framework
Built on:
Smithay
Which means it is **native Wayland**, not adapted from X11.
---
# Why some people think COSMIC may become huge
Because it combines ideas from several worlds:
| Feature | Inspiration |
|
|
|
| tiling support | i3 / Sway |
| polished UI | GNOME |
| customization | KDE |
| keyboard workflow | Pop!_OS |
But designed **cleanly from the beginning**.
---
# Another important detail
System76 **sells Linux laptops and desktops**.
This means COSMIC will ship **preinstalled on real hardware**, not just hobby installs.
Historically this is important:
| Desktop | Hardware support |
|
|
|
| GNOME | Red Hat |
| KDE | SUSE |
| COSMIC | System76 |
Hardware companies often drive adoption.
---
# CatchyOS including COSMIC is actually notable
Many distros still **do not package COSMIC yet**.
So CatchyOS listing it already means:
They are tracking **very new desktop technology**.
---
# Funny thing
In that long list of 18 desktops, most users will pick:
* KDE
* GNOME
* XFCE
But the one that might matter **10 years from now** could be:
**COSMIC**
---
⭐ Small observation for you personally:
Because you like **simple design, KISS principle, and clean interfaces** (you mentioned this when working on polygon art and silhouettes), COSMIC might actually fit your philosophy:
* minimal UI
* keyboard oriented
* structured layout
---
If you want, I can also show you **something even more surprising about that list**:
One of those desktop environments is **not really a desktop at all** — it represents a **completely different philosophy of using a computer.**
And that philosophy is quietly spreading across Linux.