First Impressions of Omarchy
I have a pre-built gaming desktop from 2017.
When I upgraded recently from windows 10 to 11, I had to work around the TPM 2.0 requirement, despite my computer being fast enough to run 90% of games on steam.
I also learned that I was due for a Microsoft Office subscription renewal this week. I have not used any of those apps for my personal machine in years.
These factors prompted me to look for alternative OS solutions, as I wanted to try something new and I wanted more control over my experience.
I have not used linux before. To be honest, I have always thought it was interesting, but didn't have the time or patience to deal with any configurations. I just wanted something to work without the hassle.
After looking at various linux distros, I settled on Omarchy, after hearing about it on X. It was created by DHH, known as the Ruby on Rails creator, among many other things.
The installation process was smooth, even as someone who has a nvidia graphics card (this is in reference to linux users complaining about driver compatibility over the years). It took roughly one hour.
After the installation, I was greeted with the following screen (isn’t that wonderful?).
After checking the omarchy guide, I quickly learned some shortcuts. Here are my favorites so far (can be customized):
- super + k: shortcuts
- super + return: terminal
- super + b: browser
- super + m: music
- super + 1: desktop 1 (and 2,3 etc...)
The Omarchy tiling window manager, for me, is a better experience than on windows or mac. When you create new windows, it automatically resizes them.
Omarchy comes pre-installed with useful CLI tools, like ripgrip and fuzzy finder, that allow you to search your files quickly.
The UI also feels extremely snappy.
There are a ton of more features which you can read about here.
Omarchy makes linux more approachable and fun, with its out of the box configurations. I highly recommend it. I no longer feel dread about my OS.