What is Omarchy? Who it is for
Omarchy is built on Arch. It uses Hyprland as its desktop and pacman for software, and it follows a rolling release, so updates arrive continuously with no big version jumps.
Omarchy at a glance
- Foundation: built on Arch
- Desktop: Hyprland
- Software tools: pacman
- Release style: a rolling release, so updates arrive continuously with no big version jumps
- Installer: a guided installer
Who Omarchy suits
Omarchy suits developers who like a keyboard-driven tiling desktop that is set up for them.
Strengths
- Good tooling for programming, with current compilers, languages and containers available.
- Software stays close to the newest versions without waiting for a new release.
- Fine control over how the system is built and what it contains.
Things to consider
- Updates never stop arriving, so update often and keep a backup in case an update needs fixing.
- It expects you to read documentation and solve problems yourself, so it is not the best first Linux system.
- As a rough guide, about 4 GB of RAM is a comfortable minimum for a desktop session.
Try Omarchy from a USB drive
The easiest way to find out is to start it from a USB drive without changing your computer. See the Omarchy bootable USB drive, then follow our install guide when you are ready. New to this? Read how to try Linux without installing it and how to boot from a USB drive.
Compare Omarchy
Installing software on Omarchy
Omarchy uses pacman. These commands search for a program and install it (replace name with the program):
pacman -Ss name sudo pacman -S name
Most desktop systems also have a graphical software store. See how to install software on Linux.
Frequently asked questions
Is Omarchy good for beginners?
It can be used by beginners, but Omarchy is aimed more at developers who like a keyboard-driven tiling desktop that is set up for them. If you are brand new, a beginner-friendly distribution such as Linux Mint or Ubuntu is usually an easier first step.
What desktop does Omarchy use?
Omarchy uses Hyprland. To learn how desktops differ, read what GNOME, KDE, Xfce and Cinnamon are.
How much RAM does Omarchy need?
As a rough guide, about 4 GB of RAM is a comfortable minimum for a desktop session.
Is Omarchy based on another distribution?
Omarchy is built on Arch.
How often is Omarchy updated?
Omarchy follows a rolling release, so updates arrive continuously with no big version jumps.
How can I try Omarchy without installing it?
Write it to a USB drive, restart, choose the drive from the boot menu and pick the live or try option. Nothing on your internal disk changes unless you choose to install.