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Omarchy is an opinionated Arch-based desktop built around Hyprland tiling windows and Quickshell—not a general-purpose setup designed to suit every Linux user. You can install it from a bootable USB, but the official installer can take over a selected drive. If you want to explore it without replacing or repartitioning your existing Linux system, the project also documents a virtual-machine trial for compatible x86-64 PCs.
What is Omarchy Linux?
The Omarchy Manual describes it as “an omakase Linux distribution based on Arch, the tiling window manager Hyprland, and the desktop construction-kit Quickshell.” In practice, Omarchy brings those components together as a curated working desktop rather than asking users to assemble a desktop environment and application set themselves.
The project’s intended workflow emphasizes visual design, tiling windows, keyboard use, and terminal work. Its included applications span development, browsing, note-taking, office work, video editing, and streaming—for example, Neovim, Chromium, Obsidian, LibreOffice, Kdenlive, and OBS Studio. The manual also describes editing some configuration files by hand, so Omarchy may suit people comfortable adjusting a Linux setup as well as using it.
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The official getting-started guide describes installation from an ISO image written to a USB stick. Before booting from it, decide whether you can dedicate a drive to Omarchy or want to preserve an existing installation.
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- Back up important files. The full-disk option takes over the selected drive. Treat that as destructive to existing data on that drive, and do not proceed until you have a separate, verified backup.
- Know which drive you are selecting. The installer offers full-disk installation and an option to install into free space. Read the current installer prompts carefully; do not assume a free-space installation is risk-free or that it will preserve every existing setup unchanged.
- Check firmware settings. The guide says Secure Boot and/or TPM must be disabled in BIOS for the installer it describes. Confirm the current instructions and your machine’s firmware options before changing settings.
- Plan for startup encryption entry. The described installer enables full-disk encryption by default, and you will need to enter its password at startup. The guide says Bluetooth keyboards cannot enter this password; use a wired keyboard or a 2.4 GHz keyboard with a USB dongle.
These are requirements reported by the installation guide, not a guarantee that every current ISO or machine behaves identically. Check the official instructions for the ISO you intend to use before making firmware or disk changes.
How do I install Omarchy?
- Get the ISO and prepare USB media. Follow the official getting-started guide to download the Omarchy ISO and write it to a USB stick.
- Boot the computer from the USB stick. Use the machine’s boot menu or firmware controls to start from the installer media. If the installer does not start, consult your computer’s documentation and recheck the current Omarchy installation guidance.
- Answer the setup questions and choose a target drive. Confirm the intended drive and installation option before continuing. Full-disk installation takes over the selected drive; the guide advises backing up beforehand.
- Complete setup, then restart. With the described default full-disk encryption enabled, have the encryption password ready at startup. A Bluetooth keyboard will not work for entering it according to the guide, so connect a wired keyboard or a 2.4 GHz keyboard with a dongle.
The official guide estimates installation may take under a minute on the fastest modern machines and generally no more than five minutes on an older computer. Those are the manual’s estimates, not measured benchmarks or a time guarantee.
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Can I try Omarchy without replacing my Linux distro?
Yes. The project’s Try Omarchy for Linux page documents a virtual-machine route intended to let you try Omarchy without replacing the host distribution or repartitioning its drive. That page lists these requirements:
- A 64-bit x86 PC with hardware virtualization (KVM)
- About 15 GB of free disk space
- 8 GB of memory recommended
- ARM is unsupported for this Linux VM option
Check the trial page for current instructions and requirements before setting it up, since they can change. The available documentation does not establish a performance comparison between running Omarchy in a VM and installing it directly.
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Native installation or virtual machine?
| Consideration | Native installation | Linux VM trial |
|---|---|---|
| Effect on existing system | Full-disk installation takes over the selected drive; the guide also describes a free-space option. | Designed to try Omarchy without replacing the host distribution or repartitioning a drive. |
| Documented platform | The cited getting-started guide explains installation from USB and selection of a target drive; it does not establish a complete machine-support matrix. | 64-bit x86 PC with KVM; ARM is listed as unsupported for this Linux VM option. |
| Memory and storage figures | Not stated in the cited getting-started guide. | About 15 GB free disk space and 8 GB memory recommended, according to the trial page. |
| Special setup considerations | The described installer defaults to full-disk encryption; the guide identifies Secure Boot and/or TPM settings and a non-Bluetooth startup keyboard as considerations. | Follow the trial page’s current VM instructions; the cited requirements do not establish how the VM compares in performance with a native installation. |
If preserving your current Linux setup is the priority and your PC meets the VM requirements, start with the VM route. Choose native installation only when you understand the drive option you are selecting and are prepared to follow the installer’s encryption and firmware guidance.
What hardware is documented?
Framework has published Omarchy installation guides for its Laptop 13 and Laptop 16 lines. Those guides show that manufacturer-published setup guidance exists for those product lines; they do not establish compatibility for every generation, configuration, or other computer. The available documentation is not a comprehensive support list, so check the guidance for your exact hardware before installing.
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Is Omarchy a good fit for every Linux user?
Omarchy’s value is its curated, strongly shaped desktop experience. The same choices that make it coherent may not match someone who prefers a conventional desktop, wants to customize everything through graphical settings, or is not comfortable working with a keyboard-focused tiling workflow and occasional manual configuration.
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- It may fit if you want an Arch-based desktop organized around Hyprland, visual design, keyboard navigation, terminal work, and a selected set of applications.
- Try it cautiously if you are curious but need to preserve your current installation: use the documented VM route if your hardware qualifies.
- Pause before installing if you cannot back up the target drive, are unsure which drive the installer will use, or cannot meet the described firmware and startup keyboard requirements.
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