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If Pop!_OS has caught your eye, its appearance can be a perfectly reasonable reason to try it—but it is not enough to predict whether you will like living with it. Pop!_OS 24.04 LTS includes the COSMIC desktop, and moving to it means more than changing a wallpaper or theme: the desktop, included apps, and everyday workflow may differ from what you use now. Try the live environment first, then decide whether a full install or an upgrade is right for you.
What switching to Pop!_OS means in 2026
Pop!_OS 24.04 LTS uses COSMIC as its default desktop environment. A desktop environment is the graphical layer you interact with, along with associated everyday programs; it shapes how you launch apps, manage windows, and navigate the system. System76’s March 2026 upgrade announcement describes COSMIC replacing GNOME for users upgrading from Pop!_OS 22.04 and notes that the release includes new COSMIC system apps.
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That distinction matters if your reason for switching is visual. You are not choosing only a surface style: you are also choosing a desktop workflow. If you already use Pop!_OS 22.04, moving to 24.04 is a release upgrade with its own changes. If you use another operating system, installing Pop!_OS is a separate process; the 22.04 upgrade notes do not describe what will happen to another system’s files or apps.
Try the desktop before you commit
System76’s installation guide documents a live environment and a demo mode, letting you explore Pop!_OS before choosing an installation path. Use that time to test the parts of the system that matter to your routine rather than judging only the default appearance.
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- Open the apps you rely on and check whether they are available in the environment you plan to use.
- Try the dock, window management, and keyboard shortcuts to see whether the workflow feels natural.
- On a laptop with switchable graphics, check that the available graphics options suit your hardware and use.
- Look for any device or application that is essential to your work, and verify it before erasing or changing a working system.
A live session is useful for evaluating the desktop, but it is not evidence that Pop!_OS will be faster, more stable, or deliver better battery life on your particular computer. The official documentation cited here does not provide comparative performance results.
Choose a clean install or an upgrade
Installing on a new or repurposed computer
System76’s installation documentation lists a 64-bit x86 or Raspberry Pi 4 ARM system, at least 4 GB of RAM (8 GB recommended), and 20 GB of drive storage as installation requirements. Secure Boot must be disabled to install. Check the current installation guide for the appropriate download and requirements for your device.
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Creating installation media requires a USB flash drive with at least 8 GB free. The media-creation process erases the data on that drive, so copy anything you need elsewhere first. The Pop!_OS media guide describes balenaEtcher for Windows, macOS, and Linux, Popsicle for Linux, and Rufus for Windows.
The guide offers a clean-install path and custom partitioning for advanced setups such as dual boot. A clean install erases the selected target drive: confirm which disk is selected and back up its contents before proceeding. Custom partitioning is intended for advanced setups; if you are unsure which partitions to use, do not guess.
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Upgrading from Pop!_OS 22.04
System76 recommends updating the existing installation and its recovery partition before starting the release upgrade, and backing up files first even though the process is intended to leave them in place. Its upgrade guide says the process can take up to an hour depending on download and hardware speed; that is an estimate, not a guaranteed duration. The guide recommends a fresh installation for releases earlier than 22.04.
Expect some adjustments after moving from 22.04: the GNOME desktop is replaced by COSMIC, new system apps are installed, and dock-pinned applications may need to be pinned again. Applications installed through PPAs or local DEB files may need reinstalling. System76 says complications are more likely when upgrading multiple releases at once, from end-of-life releases, or with many third-party repositories.
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Check the graphics options for your computer
Pop!_OS offers different installation images, including Intel/AMD and NVIDIA options, as well as a Raspberry Pi image. The NVIDIA image includes proprietary NVIDIA drivers. If you install the Intel/AMD image on a computer with discrete NVIDIA graphics, System76 documents installing the proprietary driver separately with system76-driver-nvidia; see its media and image guidance.
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Decide whether the change is worth it for you
An aesthetic preference can be a good starting point, but the decision becomes clearer when you compare the daily experience you want with the adjustments you are willing to make. Before installing, write down the specific visual feature that attracted you and the tasks you need the computer to handle. Use the live environment to check those tasks, and treat an upgrade from 22.04 as a different decision from installing Pop!_OS on a computer running another system.
Quick Recap
- Try it first if you are curious about COSMIC but do not yet know whether its workflow suits you.
- Plan for a clean install carefully if you want Pop!_OS on a disk whose contents you are prepared to erase.
- Prepare for a release transition if you are upgrading from 22.04, especially if you rely on PPAs, local DEB packages, or a carefully arranged dock.
- Pause before changing systems if an essential app, device, graphics setup, or dual-boot arrangement is not yet confirmed.
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