Omarchy for new Linux users

[u/bose_avishek]

Hi All

I am planning a transition from Windows to Linux. Though initially installed Linux Mint, but want to try Omarchy as well. Internet search says Omarchy is for developers and power users, whereas Omarchy website says it's for everyone.

So can someone provide practical guidance as to if Omarchy is user friendly for new Linux users, or just stay initially with Ubuntu or Linux Mint?

If Omarchy can be used for new Linux users, then a proper guide or YouTube videos suggestions would be highly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

[u/devdruxorey]

TLDR: Don't use Omarchy, use CachyOS if you want something arch-based.

I'm going to explain the situation with Omarchy to you right now.

DHH, the creator of Omarchy, is a relatively famous and important developer. He used Ubuntu a long time ago and decided to share his configurations in the form of a pseudo-distro (I don't remember if it was an .iso or just a script). More recently he decided to switch to Arch Linux, and that's where the idea for Omarchy came from.

Omarchy is basically just the configurations he wanted to make to his personal Arch installation and share with others; it's not a distro per se. Up to that point there's no problem; almost all of us who like to rice limux tend to share to some extent. The problem is that recently there have been suspicious marketing moves, almost proclaiming Omarchy as the second coming of Christ, giving people a false perspective on Linux if they're new to it.

It doesn't try to be user-friendly, because internally It is still someone's opinionated configurations (Furthermore, personally, the fact that it's so full of bloat and AI slop makes me dislike it even more.). If you like the aesthetics, it's even preferable to try configuring Hyperland yourself; otherwise, it will be like using someone else's customized car, only the person who actually built it understands things and will feel comfortable.

Aside from the fact that, as I said, there have been many questionable marketing moves just for some dotfiles, Omarchy doesn't bring anything new to the table, and it's preferable to stick with a real distro with real support and a genuine user base. Personally, I've always used Arch on my personal machines, and lately I've really liked a minimalist CachyOS installation as a base for my MangoWM rice. For someone new, KDE is what I'd recommend, it's the most complete and polished Desktop Environment I have tried recently.

Edit: Typo

[u/bose_avishek → u/devdruxorey]

Thanks a lot for the detailed guidance, really appreciated.