Distro Profile · Ubuntu-Based · STEM & Developers
Developed by American computer manufacturer System76. An Ubuntu-based distribution built specifically for people who use their computers to build things — engineers, scientists, developers, and creators who need their OS to stay out of the way and perform.
Specifications
| Desktop Environment | COSMIC (built in Rust by System76) |
|---|---|
| Window Management | Built-in Auto-Tiling (toggleable) |
| Graphics ISOs | Separate ISO with NVIDIA drivers pre-baked |
| Developer Tooling | TensorFlow, PyTorch via Pop!_Shop |
| Security | Full-disk encryption offered by default at install |
| Package Manager | APT + Flatpak + Pop!_Shop |
Standout features
Pop!_OS ships with a built-in tiling window manager. Open a new application and it automatically tiles alongside existing windows. A feature that typically requires extensive configuration on other distros — available with one toggle in the system menu.
System76 ships a separate ISO with proprietary NVIDIA drivers pre-integrated into the kernel. For users with NVIDIA GPUs — especially those doing machine learning or GPU-accelerated computing — this eliminates the most common Linux setup headache entirely.
Pop!_OS manages power profiles — Battery Life vs. High Performance — more intelligently than virtually any other distribution. This makes it the premier choice for Live USB deployments on modern laptops where battery life is critical.
Why choose it
Booting Pop!_OS from a Live USB lets you experience auto-tiling out of the box — no configuration required. When moving to a full installation, Pop!_OS is one of the few distributions to offer full-disk encryption by default during setup, without requiring command-line configuration.