# Omarchy Omarchy is an opinionated [[Arch Linux]] distribution by [[David Heinemeier Hansson (DHH)]], incubated at 37signals (Basecamp, HEY) and MIT-licensed. The pitch: a beautiful, keyboard-driven, fully configured Linux desktop out of the box — Hyprland tiling, curated defaults, one coherent theme system — aimed squarely at developers coming from macOS. Since version 4, it's also the first mainstream distribution that treats **coding agents as system citizens** rather than programs you happen to run. It's my daily driver. ## What you get **System layer** - Arch base with Omarchy's own pacman repository — since v4, Omarchy files live in pacman-owned locations (`/etc`, `/usr/share/omarchy`) and updates ride the normal package path (worth knowing: the repo uses HTTPS + SHA-256 checksums, not PGP signing) - Hyprland (Wayland) as compositor; since v4 configured in **Lua** instead of `.conf`, so configs can use loops, conditionals, and shared values - `omarchy` unified CLI for system operations (updates, theme switching, `omarchy reinstall configs` as the rollback hammer) - Migrations system so existing installs evolve version to version - Dual-boot support, full-disk encryption, fingerprint/FIDO2 auth, a Windows VM option, and gaming support (overhauled in 3.7: Steam, Proton, controller support) **Desktop shell (v4 "Quattro" rewrite)** - The entire shell — bar, launcher, menus, notifications, OSDs, panels, lock screen, polkit agent — rewritten as **one Quickshell/QML process**, replacing eight separate tools (Waybar, Walker, Mako, SwayOSD, hyprlock, hypridle, swaybg, polkit-gnome) - Everything is a **plugin**: clone a built-in widget into `~/.config/omarchy/plugins/`, edit, hot-reload. Customization became programmatic instead of config-file archaeology - Bar position on any edge, transparency, panels for Tailscale and Dropbox - Built-in reminders via countdown timers (`Super + Ctrl + R` family) **Agent integration (the differentiator)** - Bar widget tracking agent subscription usage: weekly token burn, daily patterns, time-to-reset for [[Claude Code]], Codex, and others (state stored as JSON in `~/.local/state/omarchy/agents/usage/`) - Nine pre-wired agent CLIs behind lazy-loaded mise stubs: [[Claude Code]], [[OpenCode]], [[Codex CLI|Codex]], [[Gemini CLI]], [[GitHub Copilot]], Crush, [[Grok]], Pi, Oh My Pi — `Super + Shift + Ctrl + A` to launch - A shipped **agent skill for reconfiguring the machine itself** — experimental; run in plan mode first, and `omarchy reinstall configs` undoes agent misconfiguration - **Herdr** multiplexer alongside [[TMux]], tracking agent state (idle/working/blocked/done) per pane **Apps and tooling** - Terminal-first: `foot` as default terminal since v4 (previously [[Alacritty]]/[[Ghostty]]; alternatives stay supported), [[Neovim]] (LazyVim) as editor - Omarchy's own theme-aware mini-apps: **Omawrite** (Markdown editor), **Omacut** (video trimming), **Omacalc** (calculator) - Coherent theming across terminal, editor, browser, and shell — swappable system-wide with one command, with a large community theme catalog - Plugin Marketplace: 500+ plugins, with a first plugin competition and agent-powered security reviews announced (August 2026) ## Version history | Version | Date | Headline | |---|---|---| | 1.x | mid-2025 | Initial release: scripted Arch + Hyprland setup | | 2.x–3.x | 2025–2026 | ISO installer, own pacman repo, themes, gaming overhaul + unified CLI (3.7) | | **4.0 "Quattro"** | 2026-08-14 | Quickshell shell rewrite, agents as system citizens, Lua Hyprland config, pacman internals — DHH's 90-minute launch video calls it a career-best release | Governance followed the growth: the **Omarchy Core Team** was formalized on 2026-08-19. [[Cloudflare]] sponsors hosting. ## My take Omarchy occupies a spot nothing else does: more opinionated than any DIY Arch/Hyprland setup, more current than any traditional distro, and alone in making agent workflows a first-class desktop concern — usage metering in the bar, agents that reconfigure the OS, a multiplexer that knows when an agent is blocked. The v4 upgrade advice reflects its move-fast nature: fresh installs from the 4.0 ISO, single-machine users wait out the first bug-fix days after a big release. ## References - Official website: https://omarchy.org - News: https://omarchy.org/news/ - Manual (52 chapters, git-backed): https://learn.omacom.io — also in-repo under `/manual/` - Source code: https://github.com/basecamp/omarchy - Releases/changelogs: https://github.com/basecamp/omarchy/releases - Discord server: https://discord.gg/tXFUdasqhY - Plugin marketplace: https://omarchyplugins.com - Themes: https://omarchythemes.com/ - Debloat (à la carte install): https://github.com/DanielCoffey1/a-la-carchy - DistroWatch entry: https://distrowatch.com/omarchy - Omarchy 3.7 gaming overhaul (Phoronix): https://www.phoronix.com/news/Omarchy-3.7-Released - Quattro deep dive: https://codetocloud.io/blog/omarchy-4-quattro-whats-new/ ## Related - [[Arch Linux]] — the base - [[David Heinemeier Hansson (DHH)]] — creator - [[Claude Code]] · [[OpenCode]] · [[Codex CLI]] · [[Gemini CLI]] · [[GitHub Copilot]] · [[Grok]] — the pre-wired agent harnesses - [[TMux]] — ships alongside Herdr - [[Neovim]] — default editor - [[Alacritty]] · [[Ghostty]] — former default terminals, still supported - [[Cloudflare]] — hosting sponsor