Pop!_OS is developed by System76 and is based on Ubuntu. It emphasizes productivity, hardware compatibility, and a polished desktop experience.
- 2017: Pop!_OS 17.10 is released as the first public version (October 31).
- 2018: Pop!_OS 18.04 LTS released based on Ubuntu 18.04 LTS.
- 2019: Pop!_OS 19.04 and 19.10 released with interim Ubuntu bases.
- 2020: Pop!_OS 20.04 LTS released with improved NVIDIA support and system76-driver.
- 2021: Pop!_OS 21.04 introduces COSMIC as a desktop experience (GNOME-based).
- 2022: Pop!_OS 22.04 LTS ships as a long-term support release (April 25).
- 2023-2024: COSMIC Desktop Environment development in Rust; interim releases paused.
- 2025: Pop!_OS 24.04 LTS released (December 11) with new COSMIC Desktop Environment (Epoch 1).
- 2026: Pop!_OS 24.04 LTS upgrade widely available (March 3); Pop!_OS 26.04 LTS expected with new versioning scheme.
Browse Pop!_OS history by year:
Pop!_OS continues as a productivity-focused desktop Linux distribution:
| Version |
Release Date |
Base |
Desktop |
Support |
| Pop!_OS 24.04 LTS |
2025-12-11 |
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS |
COSMIC |
5 years |
| Pop!_OS 22.04 LTS |
2022-04-25 |
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS |
GNOME |
Legacy |
| Aspect |
Description |
| Base |
Ubuntu LTS releases |
| Release Cycle |
Aligned with Ubuntu LTS (typically) |
| Support |
5 years for LTS releases |
| Desktop |
COSMIC (24.04+), GNOME (22.04 and earlier) |
| ISO Variants |
Intel/AMD, NVIDIA, ARM |
| Tool |
Purpose |
| COSMIC Desktop |
System76’s custom desktop environment (Rust-based) |
| Pop!_Shop |
Application store (Flatpak, DEB) |
| Pop!_Launcher |
Application and file launcher |
| System76 Driver |
Hardware driver management |
| Pop!_OS Recovery |
Recovery and refresh install |
Major Changes:
- COSMIC Desktop Environment: New desktop environment written in Rust (Epoch 1)
- Ubuntu 24.04 Base: Built on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS (Noble Numbat)
- ARM Support: Official support for System76 Thelio Astra
- Hybrid Graphics: Automatic GPU switching without mode changes
- Refresh Install: Reinstall OS while keeping files and settings
- New COSMIC Apps: Files, Settings, Store, Terminal, Text Editor, Media Player, Screenshot
- 2023-2024: COSMIC Desktop Environment development in Rust
- 2025: COSMIC Epoch 1 released with Pop!_OS 24.04 LTS
- Features: Window tiling, workspaces, multi-display support, extensive customization
- Performance: Memory-safe, performant desktop written in Rust
- Interim Releases Paused: No interim releases during COSMIC development (2022-2025)
- New Versioning: Pop!_OS 26.04 LTS expected to follow new versioning scheme
- LTS Focus: Focus on LTS releases with 5-year support
| Version |
Release Date |
Base |
Desktop |
Support End |
| 24.04 LTS |
2025-12-11 |
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS |
COSMIC |
2030 |
| 22.04 LTS |
2022-04-25 |
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS |
GNOME |
2027 |
| 20.04 LTS |
2020-04-30 |
Ubuntu 20.04 LTS |
GNOME |
2025 |
| 18.04 LTS |
2018-05-15 |
Ubuntu 18.04 LTS |
GNOME |
2023 |
| Version |
Release Date |
Base |
Desktop |
Notes |
| 21.10 |
2021-12-14 |
Ubuntu 21.10 |
GNOME |
Last interim before 22.04 LTS |
| 21.04 |
2021-06-29 |
Ubuntu 21.04 |
GNOME |
COSMIC (GNOME-based) introduced |
| 20.10 |
2020-10-23 |
Ubuntu 20.10 |
GNOME |
Improved NVIDIA support |
| 19.10 |
2019-10-17 |
Ubuntu 19.10 |
GNOME |
Standard interim release |
| 19.04 |
2019-04-30 |
Ubuntu 19.04 |
GNOME |
Standard interim release |
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pop!_OS
- https://support.system76.com/articles/upgrade-pop
- https://blog.system76.com/post/pop-os-letter-from-our-founder/
- https://blog.system76.com/post/pop-24-04-lts-upgrade/
- https://system76.com/pop