Open Getting Started

Getting Started

Before installing Omarchy, you might want to consider Omakub. It's based on a more conventional desktop environment and built on top of Ubuntu — the most popular Linux distribution. It's probably a better fit for someone brand new to Linux. But if, say, editing config files to change monitor settings or controlling everything with the keyboard doesn't intimidate you, do go on.

Omarchy runs on Arch Linux, so you must install that first:

1. Download the Arch Linux ISO, put it on a USB stick (use balenaEtcher on Mac/Windows), and boot of the stick.
2. If you're on wifi, start by running iwctl, then type station wlan0 scan, then station wlan0 connect <tab>, pick your network, and enter the password. If you're on ethernet, you don't need this.
3. Run archinstall and pick these options (and leave anything not mentioned as-is):

Open Navigation

Navigation

Everything in Omarchy happens via the keyboard — EVERYTHING! When the system first starts, you literally can't do a thing with the mouse alone. But you can hit Super + Space to reveal the Wofi application launcher. That'll show you everything that's installed on the system.

But wofi is not intended to be the main way to operate the system most of the time. We can get faster than that! All the most important applications are bound directly to individual hotkeys. You start a browser with Super + B and the terminal with Super + Return. Try doing one after the other, and you'll see the magic of Hyprland's tiling in action:

You can then hit Super + J to stack them horizontally instead of vertically:

Hit Super + J again to return them to horizontal positions. Then try Super + Shift + Arrow Right while on the browser to swap t

Open Themes

Themes

Omarchy comes with seven beautiful themes. You can select from them using Super + Ctrl + Shift + Space. Each theme styles the desktop, terminal, neovim, btop, notifications (mako), top bar (waybar), application launcher (wofi), and the lock screen (hyprlock).

Each theme can have a set of background images that you can rotate between using Super + Ctrl + Space.

Making your own theme

You can add your own themes in ~/.config/omarchy/themes. Just copy one

Open Hotkeys

Hotkeys

You can see all the main keyboard bindings by hitting Super + K.

Navigating

Launching apps

| Hotkey | Function | | -----------------

Open Filling out PDFs

Filling out PDFs

Omarchy ships with a nice, basic PDF viewer called Document Viewer. This is the program that'll open any PDFs you just double click on.

But you can only use Document Viewer to fill out PDFs that have been setup as forms. If you need to fill out PDFs that haven't, or you need to sign a PDF, you'll have to right-click the file, select Open With..., and pick Xournal++.

Xournal++ will let you write anywhere on a PDF using the T tool. If you need to sign a document, you'll need an image of your signature, and you can use the Image tool to insert this signature and resize it.

When you're done filling out the PDF, use File > Export as PDF to save the final version.

Open Neovim

Neovim

Neovim is a modern implementation of the vi editor created by Bill Joy all the way back in 1976. It's a modal editor where insert mode and command mode are separated, and it's a bit of a superpower once you learn even just a subset of the incredibly deep key command set. But it's also quite the learning curve!

If you're totally new to vim-style editing, I recommend you checkout ThePrimeagen's Vim As Your Editor series on YouTube. That'll teach you the basics. Just know that unlike more similar mainstream editors, it's going to take you longer to get basic proficiency with vim. But once you do, the payoff is also larger.

Now Neovim is basically infinitely configurable. If you really want to go nuts, you can create your own Neovim configuration from scratch. There's a great course from [Typecraft on setting up Neovim from scratch](http

Open Shell Tools

Shell Tools

fzf

fzf gives you fuzzy finding of files via the ff alias. Go to any directory, type ff, and you'll be able to fuzzy find your way to any file in that tree, while seeing a preview of the files you're narrowing down on the right-hand side.

You can use Ctrl + R to use fzf to fuzzy find through your command history.

This tool is also used by Neovim when you type Space Space.

Zoxide

Zoxide is a replacement for cd. It remembers the directories you've been in, so you can more easily jump to them next time. Say you do cd ~/.local/share/omarchy once. Next time, you can just do cd omarchy (or even just cd oma), and Zoxide will take you directly there.

ripgrep

ripgrep searches the contents of files by using rg <pattern> <path>, like rg Controller app/ to find all mentions of Controller in the directory app.

This tool is also used by Ne

Open Shell Functions

Shell Functions

Omarchy comes with a set of shell functions to simplify common tasks and encapsulate convoluted parameter calls.

• compress [file.tar.gz] / decompress [file.tar.gz]: Create or expand a tar.gz file.
• iso2sd [image.iso] [/path/to/sdcard]: Create a bootable drive on an SD card using the referenced iso file.
• web2app [Name] [URL] [URL to PNG icon]: Create a .desktop file for a web app that can then be started with wofi easily.
• web2app-remove [Name]: Remove the .desktop file you've previously created for a web app.
• refresh-xcompose: Restarts fcitx5 to pickup changes made to ~/.XCompose to add new emojis or other auto completions.

Open TUIs

TUIs

Lazygit

Lazygit is a delightful alternative to something like the GitHub Desktop application, and it runs inside the terminal.

You can run it directly, by going to any directory managed by git and running lazygit. Or you can run it inside Neovim where it can be started with Space G G.

You hop between the different panes using Tab. In the Files pane, you select files for staging using Space, and then you can create a new commit using c. You can see all the commands available using ?.

Lazydocker

Lazydocker is made in the same spirit like Lazygit, and also gives you a terminal interface for managing your containers and images.

You can start it with Super + D.

You stop a container using s or start/restart it using r. See all commands using ?.

Btop

Btop is a beautiful resource manager that shows memory, CPU, disk, and

Open GUIs

GUIs

Obsidian

Obsidian is a free and highly extensible note taking application that uses simple Markdown files for storage.

It offers a commercial add-on for syncing with mobile apps on iOS and Android, but if you don't need that, it's free for personal use (and $50/year for commercial use).

You start Obsidian with Super + O.

Pinta

Pinta is a basic image editing tool that's great for cropping, resizing, and other basic manipulations. Just don't expect a Photoshop alternative. But it's still got a Magic Wand and layers!

You start Pinta via wofi (Super + Space).

LocalSend

LocalSend lets you send files to other devices on the same network running the app, like Apple's AirDrop. It's cross-platform, though, so you can send files to and from Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, and of course Linux.

LibreOffice

[LibreOffice](https:/

Open Commercial GUIs

Commercial GUIs

Omarchy is mostly focused on providing free, open source software, but it's not religious about it. Sometimes the best solution is a commercial offering, and that's just fine. Here are some of the options we provide an easy installation for.

1Password

Keeping your passwords in a password manager is a best practice. Doubly so if you're working with a team. And 1password is a great solution, which also comes with a command line tool for integrating key lookups in scripts.

You start 1Password with Super + /.

Typora

Typora is a minimal, distraction-free writing tool in the same spirit as iA Writer for the Mac and Windows. Like Obsidian, it uses Markdown for formatting, but in a way that's focused on writing individual pieces or essays and very little else.

Best used in full screen mode (F11) for that totally immersive nothing-but-words look.

It comes with a 15-day free trial, and is then a $15 one-time cost.

Dr

Open Development Tools

Development Tools

Installing your editor

Omarchy ships with Neovim by default, and uses the LazyVim distro. It's an awesome terminal-based editor built on the proud legacy of Vi, which stretches all the way back to the 70s. It's a delightful, but acquired taste. It's the only editor that's tied into the theme switcher by default.

If you'd like something a bit more mainstream and familiar, here's how to get it:

Mise

Mise lets you install and run multiple versions of a programming language on the same machine. It's like rbenv or rvm for Ruby or virtualenv for Python, but it works for a bunch of different environments.

To install, say, Ruby 3.3, you'd run mise use -g ruby@3.3, which will both install Ruby 3.3 and set it as the global defa

Open Web Apps

Web Apps

These web apps live in ~/.local/share/applications. They're just .desktop text files. You can make your own or remove the default ones by cloning or deleting these files.

It's best if you log into all your accounts using a regular browser before using the web app shortcuts. The thin wrapper frame doesn't work well with 1password, so just easier to be logged in directly first.

All the keyboard hotkeys for these web apps can be changed in ~/.config/hypr/hyprland.conf.

ChatGPT

ChatGPT is the most popular AI chat bot in the world.

You can start ChatGPT using Super + A.

WhatsApp

WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging services in the world, and the web version is a great option for Linux.

You can start WhatsApp using Super + Shift + G.

X

X is where news break.

You can start X using Super + X and go straight to writing a new post with Super + Shift + X.

YouTube

[YouTube](https://y

Open Gaming

Gaming

Omarchy isn't just for pRoDUcTiVItY, it's also for having fun, and what's more fun than gaming? Two of the best options for playing games on Omarchy are Steam (modern games) and Retroarch (retro games).

Thanks to Valve's incredible work on the proton compatibility layer, there are now tens of thousands of playable modern games on Linux. Oh, and did you know that the Steam Deck actually runs Arch!

Steam

Install Steam by first enabling 32-bit packages from multilib with:

sudo sed -i '/^\s*#\[multilib\]/,/^$/{s/^\s*#//}' /etc/pacman.conf
sudo pacman -Sy

Then install Steam itself:

yay -S steam

(Make sure you pick the packages made for your GPU! If you're on an AMD with an iGPU, just pick the first package. Otherwise there are options for Nvidia and Radeon.)

After you've installed it, you'll be able to launch Steam w

Open Other Packages

Other Packages

Arch has an amazing wealth of packages available for almost any type of software between the official repository and the Arch User Repository (AUR).

It couldn't be easier to use either. You install a new package with yay -S [package]. If there are multiple matches, you'll just pick yourself.

If you want to remove a package, you can use yay -Rns [package] (removes package, config files, and dependencies).

Here are some common packages you might like:

You can use yayf to browse the AUR by filtering the entire repository with fzf-style fuzzy finding. Or go to https://aur.archlinux.org/packages to see everything. Almo

Open Dotfiles

Dotfiles

Omarchy is primarily configured through the so-called dotfiles that live in ~/.config. Here's a list of the key files and what they control:

Open Monitors

Monitors

Omarchy assumes you're running on a 2x-capable display by default. This is what you need to get those nice, crisp programmer fonts. It's what laptops like the Framework 13 with it's 2.8K monitor is optimized for. It's what you'd want to run on a 5K Apple Display/ProArt/Samsung.

But if you have to run a lower-resolution display, you'll probably want to run it at 1x resolution, so everything isn't so big. To do that, you'll have to change two settings. First, open ~/.config/hypr/hyprland.conf to change the GDK_SCALE env to 1, like so:

env = GDK_SCALE,1

Then change ~/.config/hypr/monitors.conf to:

monitor=,preferred,auto,1

That last 1 is what specifies the scale. You could also use fractional scaling here, but you'll be sacrificing crispness, as there's no way to actually split a pixel.

In fact, it's running Linux on low-resolution displays and using fractional scaling that's given the platform a bad reputation for fussy fonts. It's an entirely self-inf

Open Keyboard, Mouse, Trackpad

Keyboard, Mouse, Trackpad

Hyprland let's you configure all your inputs in great detail. You can change the keyboard repeat to be supersonically fast or make the trackpad use natural scrolling. You change all of it in ~/.config/hypr/hyprland.conf.

Here's an example:

input {
  # Use multiple keyboard layouts and switch between them with Alt + Space
  kb_layout = us,dk
  kb_options = compose:caps,grp:alt_space_toggle

  # Change speed of keyboard repeat
  repeat_rate = 40
  repeat_delay = 600

  # Increase sensitity for mouse/trackpack (default: 0)
  sensitivity = 0.35


  touchpad {
    # Use natural (inverse) scrolling
    natural_scroll = true

    # Use two-finger clicks for right-click instead of lower-right corner
    clickfinger_behavior = true

    # Control the speed of your scrolling
    scroll_factor = 0.3
  }
}

# Scroll faster in the terminal
windowrule = scrolltouchpad 1.5, class:Alacritty

You can [see all the input options](https://wiki.hypr.land

Open Fingerprint authentication

Fingerprint authentication

A lot of laptops, like my beloved Framework 13, come with a fingerprint sensor to do authentication. You can use this with Omarchy using the omarchy-fingerprint-setup command. That'll install the fingerprint package, collect your print, verify it, and you'll be set to go using your fingerprint to unlock from the lock screen (which you can trigger with Super + Escape), enter sudo mode, and authorize system prompts.

If you've setup fingerprint authentication, but then need to work on an external keyboard that doesn't have it, just hit CTRL + C, when you're prompted for your fingerprint during sudo.

Open Backgrounds

Backgrounds

All the backgrounds for Omarchy live in ~/.config/omarchy/backgrounds/[theme]. If you want to add an extra background image to, say, the nord theme, you just put the file in ~/.config/omarchy/backgrounds/nord. Then when you're on the nord theme, it'll be included in the cycle of backgrounds you can move between using Super + Ctrl + Space.

You can find a huge collection of cool curated backgrounds on https://github.com/dharmx/walls.

Open Updates

Updates

Omarchy is intended as a starting point for you to build your own ideal environment, so many of the config files are generated directly, and you're invited to tweak them. But there are also pointers into Omarchy's defaults that you can update from time to time to get the latest with omarchy-update.

This basically just pulls the latest from the git checkout of Omarchy that lives in ~/.local/share/omarchy, but if there are major updates in the future, it'll also do a migration from where you are to the latest. And finally, it'll update all system packages using yay -Syu (which you can also just run on its own).

Open Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting

Why are some apps so large on my display?

Omarchy assumes a 2x high-resolution display, which requires setting GDK_SCALE to 2 in ~/.config/hypr/hyprland.conf. But if you're on a 1x display, you can change this to 1 (and then reset Hyprland with Super + Escape, then Relaunch).

Why are my external speakers not playing?

Probably because they're not set as the primary output. Click on the speaker in the top right of the waybar, and it'll launch the volume controls where you can select the primary speaker.

Why isn't Caps Lock working?

In Omarchy, Caps Lock has been designated to be the xcompose key. That's how you get quick emojis and other autocompletions done. If you really miss using Caps Lock, you can remape the xcompose key to something else by editing ~/.config/hypr/hyprland.conf, like

Open FAQ

FAQ

How do I switch between keyboard layouts?

Edit your ~/.config/hypr/hyprland.conf file and add this to switch between layouts on Alt + Space:

# Use multiple keyboard layouts and switch between them with Alt + Space
input {
    kb_layout = us,fr
    kb_options = compose:caps,grp:alt_space_toggle
}

You can even configure Waybar to showing your current keyboard layout in the top bar.

How do I change the default terminal to Ghostty (or Kitty)?

First install Ghostty with yay -S ghostty, then edit ~/.config/hypr/hyprland.conf and replace $terminal = alacritty with $terminal = ghostty. Now Super + Return will start Ghostty! Same story for kitty.

If you'd like to match the aesthetics of the default Omarchy setup with the Tokyo Night theme in Ghostty, you can use this configuration and put it in `~/.config/g