Getting Omarchy Running: What I Actually Did

By admin_norgaard , 7 October, 2025
Getting Omarchy Running: What I Actually Did

Look, I just installed Omarchy on my laptop. Fresh. And yeah, it's amazing out of the box, but let's be honest - you're going to want your own tools. This isn't a generic tutorial. This is what I actually did to get from "nice Linux desktop" to "ready to work."

What is Omarchy, really?

DHH made it. The Ruby on Rails guy. He got fed up with Apple's App Store nonsense and decided to build his own Linux distribution. Not just scripts - a full operating system that looks nothing like the desktop environments you're used to.

Everything happens via keyboard. I mean EVERYTHING. Your mouse basically retires. Sounds weird? It is at first. But then you realize you're flying through tasks.

37signals (DHH's company) is moving their entire dev team to this. Over three years, they're ditching Macs completely. Why? Rails tests run twice as fast on Linux. Docker works natively. No virtualization overhead.

The shortcuts you need to remember RIGHT NOW:

  • Super + Space - Launch anything
  • Super + Alt + Space - The Omarchy Menu (your control panel)
  • Super + Return - Terminal
  • Super + Esc - Reload everything

Got it? Good. Let's actually install stuff.

Installing Essential Development Tools

Setting Up Zsh and Oh My Zsh

Omarchy doesn't come with zsh by default, but it's easy to install and configure:

# Install zsh
sudo pacman -S zsh

# Add zsh to valid shells
command -v zsh | sudo tee -a /etc/shells

# Install Oh My Zsh
sh -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ohmyzsh/ohmyzsh/master/tools/install.sh)"

# Set zsh as default shell (if chsh doesn't work, use the workaround below)
sudo usermod -s /usr/bin/zsh $USER

If shell changing doesn't work, add this to your ~/.bashrc as a workaround:

echo 'exec zsh' >> ~/.bashrc

Installing Oh My Zsh Plugins

Enhance your terminal experience with these essential plugins:

# Autosuggestions (suggests commands as you type)
git clone https://github.com/zsh-users/zsh-autosuggestions ${ZSH_CUSTOM:-~/.oh-my-zsh/custom}/plugins/zsh-autosuggestions

# Syntax highlighting (colors your commands)
git clone https://github.com/zsh-users/zsh-syntax-highlighting.git ${ZSH_CUSTOM:-~/.oh-my-zsh/custom}/plugins/zsh-syntax-highlighting

# Enable plugins - quick one-liner method
sed -i 's/plugins=(git)/plugins=(git zsh-autosuggestions zsh-syntax-highlighting sudo colored-man-pages command-not-found)/' ~/.zshrc

# Reload configuration
source ~/.zshrc

Plugin features:

  • zsh-autosuggestions - Press → to accept suggestions
  • zsh-syntax-highlighting - Red = invalid command, green = valid
  • sudo - Double-tap ESC to add sudo to previous command
  • colored-man-pages - Colorful, readable man pages

Installing IDEs and Editors

VSCode

yay -S visual-studio-code-bin

Or use the Omarchy Menu: Super + Alt + Space → Install → Editor → VSCode

Setting Default Editor

After installing your preferred editor, set it as default:

  1. Press Super + Alt + Space
  2. Navigate to Setup → Defaults
  3. Edit the UWSM defaults file
  4. Save and press Super + Esc to reload

Installing Development Tools

# Install ddev (Docker-based development environment)
yay -S ddev-bin

# Install all at once if you prefer
yay -S visual-studio-code-bin ddev-bin slack-desktop discord

Installing Claude Code

Claude Code is an AI-powered coding assistant that works directly in your terminal:

# Recommended: Native installer
curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash

# Alternative: via npm
npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code

# Verify installation
claude doctor

First-time setup:

cd ~/your-project
claude

On first run, you'll authenticate through your browser using either Claude Max or Anthropic Console.

Note: Claude Code requires either a Claude Max subscription or API credits. Max is usually more economical for regular use.

Managing Installed Applications

Finding Installed Packages

# Search for specific packages
pacman -Q | grep -i "search-term"

# List all installed packages
pacman -Q

Removing Unwanted Applications

# Remove package and unused dependencies
sudo pacman -Rs package-name

# Example: Remove specific apps
sudo pacman -Rs 1password-beta 1password-cli

Using the Omarchy Menu

The easiest way to manage apps:

  1. Press Super + Alt + Space
  2. Navigate to Remove
  3. Browse and select apps to uninstall

Configuring Multiple Keyboard Layouts

If you work in multiple languages, you'll want to switch between keyboard layouts easily:

Edit Hyprland configuration:

vim ~/.config/hypr/hyprland.conf

Add/modify the input section:

input {
    kb_layout = us,dk
    kb_variant = 
    kb_model =
    kb_options = grp:alt_shift_toggle
    # ... other input settings
}

Switch layouts: Press Alt + Shift

Alternative switching options:

  • grp:win_space_toggle - Super + Space
  • grp:caps_toggle - CapsLock toggles
  • grp:ctrl_shift_toggle - Ctrl + Shift

Apply changes: Press Super + Esc to reload Hyprland

Package Management Tips

Omarchy uses a combination of package managers:

pacman (Official Arch packages)

# Update system
sudo pacman -Syu

# Install package
sudo pacman -S package-name

# Remove package
sudo pacman -R package-name

# Remove with dependencies
sudo pacman -Rs package-name

yay (AUR helper)

# Search AUR
yay -Ss search-term

# Install from AUR
yay -S package-name

# Update AUR packages
yay -Syu

Omarchy Menu

The GUI way: Super + Alt + Space gives you access to:

  • Install → Package (Arch repos)
  • Install → AUR (AUR packages)
  • Install → Editor, Style, Font (curated lists)
  • Remove → Uninstall applications
  • Update → System updates

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Permission Errors with npm

Never use sudo npm install -g. Instead, configure npm properly:

mkdir ~/.npm-global
npm config set prefix '~/.npm-global'
echo 'export PATH=~/.npm-global/bin:$PATH' >> ~/.zshrc
source ~/.zshrc

Shell Won't Change

If chsh doesn't work, use the workaround:

echo 'exec zsh' >> ~/.bashrc

Missing Text Editors

Omarchy ships with Neovim but not nano. Install if needed:

sudo pacman -S nano

Bluetooth Keyboard at Boot

Full-disk encryption requires a wired keyboard (or 2.4GHz wireless) to enter the password at startup. Bluetooth keyboards won't work at this stage.

Essential Omarchy Workflows

File Management

Omarchy includes a file manager accessible through the app launcher (Super + Space).

Screenshots

Use the built-in screenshot tools via hotkeys or the Omarchy Menu.

Installing Fonts

Super + Alt + Space → Install → Style → Font

Theming

Omarchy comes beautifully themed, but you can customize: Super + Alt + Space → Style

Keeping Your System Updated

# Update Omarchy-specific packages
omarchy-update-git

# Update all system packages
sudo pacman -Syu

# Update AUR packages
yay -Syu

# Or use the Omarchy Menu
# Super + Alt + Space → Update

Useful Resources

  • Official Documentation: https://learn.omacom.io/
  • Omarchy Website: https://omarchy.org/
  • Community Discord: Join for installation help and troubleshooting
  • GitHub Repository: https://github.com/basecamp/omarchy

Conclusion

Omarchy provides an excellent foundation for a modern development environment. With the tools and configurations covered in this guide, you'll have a fully customized system tailored to your workflow. The keyboard-driven approach may take some getting used to, but once mastered, it significantly boosts productivity.

Remember: everything in Omarchy is designed to be accessible via keyboard shortcuts. Learn the basics (Super + Space, Super + Alt + Space, Super + Return), and you'll quickly discover why so many developers are making the switch.

Happy coding on Omarchy!

Have questions or suggestions for this guide? Feel free to reach out or leave a comment below.

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