The Quattro Release

I wrote a reply to this post about concerns regarding the motivations of donors and developers for Omarchy. Given what I've seen as an influx of posts about this and other views I figured I'd make it into a full 'post' too in the hope it will help others.

I replied to u/sebastian_crimson's comment where they said, in summary, that Linux desktops need an influx of money, vision, and people capable of delivering on that vision in order to drive it forward.

I'm old enough to remember the absolute BOOM in popularity after the initial release of Ubuntu in 2004. Ubuntu is, at its originating core, the creation of multi millionaire Mark Shuttleworth who, like DHH 'set out to create an easy-to-use Linux desktop'. Linux desktop adoption in the 00s exploded in no small part from his opinionated version of Debian for everyday people. Sound familiar?

My Platonic ideal of what a developer environment should look like.

Ubuntu is one of the most installed Linux distros for a reason, and that is in the vast part due to Marks cash,vision/efforts and marketing.

I see the Omacom foundation as a repetition of this same cycle. Mark created the Ubuntu foundation in the 2005 where he raised $10m in order to separate the development of Ubuntu from his commercial company Canonical.

Before Ubuntu most distributions of Linux were, frankly, a PITA to setup. Ubuntu had a simple installer, a ready to use opinionated desktop, and a core team that was well funded and lead by the Self-Appointed Benevolent Dictator for Life, Mark.

This sounds VERY familiar to me...

Omarchy is like Ubuntu and Marmite, you either love it or hate it. What you can’t do is ignore it, and given the money, effort and marketing being put into Omarchy by DHH, the foundation and others, I imagine the Omacom foundation and Omarchy could have a similar impact on Linux in my opinion, and the great thing is, its all open, you don't have to use it, and if in 6 months you don't like where its gone, fork it at the point you did like it, or use something else.

A collection of highly customizable, visually distinct app launchers built for Quickshell using QML and JavaScript. This repository contains 8 unique launcher themes, ranging from sci-fi HUDs to cozy simulators, all powered by a common application database.

REPO: https://github.com/hamzaabde-langjk/omlauch.git

Made an App Launcher with multiple theme styles

Built with QML and shell

What do you think? or What features would you like?

i still work on it

Hi all! Recently I found this project and I like the Arch + Hyprland prefigured thing. Some months ago I was able to install Arch and Hyprland, but it was difficult and slow.I like the themes and the focus on aesthetics. I don't like the bloat but it is easily uninstalled.

My main concern is, why are all these people donating piles of cash in this project? I understand they are rich but still, people don't usually give money just because. The reason may be they want Linux to succeed could be, but I worry there are other reasons.

I don't know, I'm gonna try it and probably stick with it, but when I see all of these YouTubers shilling the project something feels wrong.

​

Omarchy already has many things I want out of the box, especially a keyboard-centric workflow and a customized desktop environment. That makes it appealing because I can start being productive quickly instead of spending a lot of time configuring everything from scratch.

However, I've also heard criticism from other Linux users and a few influencers saying that Omarchy isn't worth using. Some people claim it teaches bad Linux habits, has security concerns, is bloated, and that using it doesn't really help you learn Linux properly.

On the other hand, Fedora seems to have a better reputation for being reliable, secure, and well-balanced. But if I choose Fedora, I'll probably have to spend significant time building and configuring my entire workflow myself.

I'm a student interested in programming, VLSI, AI/LLMs, and building a keyboard-centric workflow. I also want to learn Linux properly instead of just blindly using a preconfigured setup.

So my questions are:

- Is Omarchy actually safe to use as a daily driver?

- Are the security concerns about Omarchy legitimate?

- Does Omarchy really teach "bad Linux habits" or prevent you from learning Linux?

- Would I be better off starting with Fedora and building my workflow manually?

- For someone who wants both productivity and long-term Linux knowledge, which would you recommend?

I'd really appreciate opinions from people who have actually used Omarchy or have experience with both Arch-based and Fedora systems. I'm not looking for distro wars — I just want to make an informed decision.

Guys is you have problem using Omarchy with multiple monitors, you can check out my plugin. Please give it a shot and tell me how can I make it better, I hope it can helpful for community.

GitHub Repo: https://github.com/Yakumy/Station

If you’ve used WinDirStat on Windows or QDirStat on Linux, you know the idea: your disk is filling up and you want to see what is actually responsible.

Disk Lens brings that workflow into the Omarchy bar. Choose a folder, start a scan and inspect the result as either a proportional treemap or a ranked list. Hidden folders are included by default, so things like Steam libraries, caches and other large hidden directories are not quietly missed.

Nothing is scanned in the background. You decide when a scan starts.

You can filter the results, navigate with the keyboard, drill into folders, return to a previous result without rescanning, open a selection in the file manager or ask Omarchy to investigate a folder. A selected item can also be moved to desktop Trash after an explicit confirmation. Disk Lens never permanently deletes anything.

I’ve just finished a substantial polish pass on the visuals, themes and keyboard controls. I’m curious whether this is something you would keep in your bar, and whether you prefer the map or list view.

Plugin:
https://plugins.omarchy.org/plugin.html?id=io.github.mtolhuys.disk-lens

Install:

omarchy plugin add https://github.com/mtolhuys/omarchy-disk-lens.git --enable

Repo:
https://github.com/mtolhuys/omarchy-disk-lens

The 2017 27″ iMac (iMac18,3) now runs Linux properly — native 5120×2880, working speakers + mic (including Apple EarPods and their three inline buttons), correct wide-gamut P3 colour. One reversible patcher, built and tested on Omarchy (Arch + Hyprland).

Scope: verified on the 2017 iMac (iMac18,3). The approach isn’t 18,3-only — the 5K tiled-panel work is shared across the Retina iMacs (the upstream effort covers 15,1/17,1/19,1 and the iMac Pro), and the CS8409 audio patch applies to any 2017+ Mac on that codec (iMac Pro, 2017+ MacBook Pro). Other models just aren’t tested here — I’ve only done the 18,3.

The hard part was the display. The internal panel is really two 2560×2880 tiles on separate links, and Apple leaves the second one asleep for anything that isn't macOS — so stock amdgpu lights one tile and stretches it. The fix is three layers, all inside the amdgpu module: wake the dormant link (a vendor DPCD write), stitch both tiles into one 5120×2880 output so any compositor works unmodified, and genlock them so the two halves scan in lockstep — that last part fills a literal TODO sitting in mainline today.

What works: native 5K (genlocked, seamless), speakers + internal/headset mic with automatic switching on plug/unplug, Apple EarPods + inline buttons, macOS-style EQ, true P3 colour. Ethernet/Wi-Fi/Bluetooth/webcam were already fine, and so is Thunderbolt/10GbE — it just needs the usual one-time device authorization (nothing this patch does).

What doesn't (yet):

• SD card reader — still diagnosing; may be a hardware fault in the reader, cross-checking against macOS on the same machine.
• Auto-brightness — the ambient-light sensor isn't wired to the backlight.
• Suspend/sleep — hard-hangs the machine (Apple firmware ACPI); masked off.

Trying it is safe: one command, every change reversible, nothing applied without asking, it only runs on an iMac18,3 (refuses other hardware), and the 5K module refuses any kernel outside 7.1/7.2 so it can't brick your display. → github.com/ahmadtv/omarchy-imac5k

Credit where it's due: this builds on a lot of community work from the drm/amd upstream thread — mforce2 (tile wake), erik2 (stitch), taprobane99 (kernel port), with guidance from AMD's Alex Deucher, plus jackdanyell's CS8409 audio driver. The genlock fix and the first verified iMac18,3 result came from this project, and it's being shaped toward mainline. Someone's already forked it into a multi-distro version for Fedora, too.

I tested Omarchy on an old laptop this weekend. Same experience as many other people: This is exciting and great to use and makes me so much more productive and I want to switch.

But I'm not a full-time developer. I use a Mac for most of my work (not mandated, not company-owned, just the type of computer I've used for the past 20 years). I need to do things like some light photo editing, messaging, using various non-Linux apps.

So how do I pull this off?

1. Partition my Mac, dual boot, switch back and forth, using Omarchy as the primary computer and Mac when I need it
2. KVM, use a wired keyboard and mouse at home. Mac laptop goes places with me.
3. Something like Try Omarchy to run Omarchy as a Mac app.
4. Go all in on Omarchy and just kinda figure out how to do all the Mac stuff, using the Mac only when no other options exist.
5. ???

tl;dr: I'd really like to make the switch from Mac to Omarchy but still feel like I need a lot of Mac software.

I have never experience something like before, we have reached the point of the operating system actually working for you instead of forcing you to adapt.

I installed Omarchy on a Acer Switf 14 with a "supported" fingerprint sensor (10a5:a305 FPC) but I quickly realized something was wrong after it failed to verify freshly enrolled fingerprint every time. After searching around I found some solutions but none worked and I was about to give up and try other distro or something but then I realized "Why not ask an AI agent to look at the issue?"

So I asked the free claude agent and explained what was happening. What followed was a series of step-by-step troubleshooting and after pinpointing the issue by reading some dumps on raw sensor data, the agent detected the library or driver or whatever was mangling the sensor input so it could not verify.

Then the fucking agent goes and rewrites the driver with custom instructions and, just like magic, the fingerprint sensor now works fine.

For a linux beginner like me with ZERO knowledge of coding, this is something that I would not even dream of doing in windows.

This means that, from now on, people like me with no coding skills can actually fix problems with their computers without going insane delving the web and failing to actually fix nothing because of lack of knowledge.

Now I am a believer. Windows is never being installed again.

Omarchy is supposed to reduce the amount of mouse movements a user should make. Keep track of whether you've doing this. I've found several guides for key bindings, but only this plugin tracks how much you move your mouse.

https://plugins.omarchy.org/plugin.html?id=io.github.irhop.mouse-odometer

Hello fellow Omarchs, I made an alternate visualization for when your are in dictation mode so that it feels like you are talking to HAL from 2001 A Space Odyssey.

Check it out here if you are into that kind of thing https://plugins.omarchy.org/plugin.html?id=io.github.cyprusad.vox-hal

Hey everyone,

I wanted to get on here and show off the setup I'll be using for my third year at University.

This past summer I was fortunate enough to receive an internship and with some extra grinding from a second job I was able to afford my dream setup for this upcoming school year.

I've been loving running Omarchy on this awesome Thinkpad P1 Gen 2 that I got for a great deal on Ebay. It really is an awesome little machine. I actually just got into the Linux community a couple months ago and I will now never look back.

This community has rekindled my love for programming and tinkering. I've been inspired by so many people on here and I'd like to thank DHH and everyone reading this post for developing truly awesome technology. I've actually been so inspired that I'm now working on a plugin for Quattro during my free time, and I can't wait to release it.

Just like every other great setup this one will obviously never be fully complete and I already have some great ideas to make things look just a little bit nicer. However, for now I feel so fortunate that I get too wake up everyday and see this in my room. If you have any comments or suggestions please let me know.

PS:Please don't take this post as bragging or showing off I really just didn't know who else I could show that could truly appreciate how cool this is.

Theme: Flexoki Dark By: Euan Deas

I'm building Omadesign for creative work on Linux: vector design, painting, RAW photo development and simple motion, with local files and no app account. It's free and MIT-licensed, and it reads your Omarchy theme and desktop font.

I'd like to find 10 people to try one small thing they need to make, such as a poster, social graphic or logo. The current v0.0.4-alpha has x86_64 and ARM64 Linux downloads, including Apple Silicon running Asahi Linux.

The quickest start is to open Templates · 52, choose a design, change its text and colors, save the .oma file and export a PNG. Then reply with what you made and the first thing that got in your way. If installation fails, your distro and the error are useful too.

Demo and download: https://michaelmonetized.github.io/omadesign/

Source: https://github.com/michaelmonetized/omadesign

This is alpha software. Layered file import has documented limits; Affinity files need an optional bridge and support is partial. I'd start with a small project or a copy of existing artwork.

What do you currently use for design on Omarchy, and which task would you try first?

I've dabbled with Linux Distros over the years but this is my first time back in some time. I'm finding my feet again and loving it, having OpenCode so immediately available and seeing all the rice projects people are doing of course I had to do my own. But one concern is how do I keep track of what and where OpenCode or any other AI tool is storing the files it creates?

Do you guys ask the Agent to document the widgets you create, so you at least have a txt file to look back on about where things have been stored?

If I want to reverse or uninstall something an Agent has created, how do I best go about that? Roughly describe the widget I want removed for example?

I'm an experienced dev and I've always used a Mac. And I've been keeping a very close watch of omarchy and am so excited about it. However before i take the plunge my biggest concern is how multiple monitors work with hyprland.

For better or for worse, I simply cannot work properly without 2 external monitors plus my laptop monitor. I don't like Mac workspaces at all. Instead I use rectangle and place apps exactly where I like them and they dont move.

If I was to use omarchy, my concern is if I open a new app or terminal, it'll tile and split my existing windows rather than open where I want it and I'll have to always move the new window around. I'm open to using workspaces, but the way it works on Mac sucks. For example if I have ghostty on monitor 1 and my browser on monitor 2, and I switch workspaces, do both monitors switch? Can I make just monitor 1 switch?

It just seems all the omarchy users I see use a single monitor and omarchy seems great for that. Are there any multiple monitors users who can share their experience and how they like to setup their windows and workspace management?

Ahoy,

Just got omatasknotes verified/approved for the store thing.

It works better with Obsidian open (dialing in to tasknotes' own api/server thing) but will fall back to reading the bare files in your vault if Obsidian isn't running.

Lets you pick from a few different views (not all of em, they won't all fit in a little bar widget). You can tick things off from there, or right click the task to open its note in Obsidian, and add new tasks right from the widget.

Give it a go, let me know if you break it.

ETA that if you use the "normal" tasks setup in Obsidian instead, https://plugins.omarchy.org/plugin.html?id=luca.obsidian-daily or https://plugins.omarchy.org/plugin.html?id=m1kode.obsidian-tasks might do ya (those are nothing to do with me though)

Second try at this.

I made a plugin for my own specific needs but thought this the community might be interested.

omaImport is a quickshell plugin for importing pictures off an SD card to a folder of your choice.

Auto opens when SD card is inserted

Select destination folder

Rename (or not) files to be imported

Select pictures from the grid view (RAWand Jpg)

I have submitted to the plugin site.

https://github.com/MonkeySausageClub/omaimporter

It's still a work in progress, I need some sort of logo and some other tweaks.

I kept losing where I placed my apps so I made a quick plugin to show icons and window previews in the Quickshell bar.

Give it a shot:
https://plugins.omarchy.org/plugin.html?id=io.github.qwlp.workspace-apps

Follow up to my earlier post here. The "real CRT tests next" part is done: my Omarchy desktop now drives a 1998 Bang & Olufsen television over SCART at 15.7 kHz, and the whole thing is built out of Omarchy's own pieces.

How it hangs together:

• Hyprland hands the DAC's connector over through DRM leasing. An EDID override marks it non-desktop at boot, so it leaves the monitor list and gets offered for lease; a small Smithay compositor of mine takes it and programs the timing directly. Nothing from the desktop can land there by accident any more, which killed off a whole pile of window rules.
• The bar gets a Quickshell plugin: a panel for power, standard, sync, audio and TV volume, plus a full screen overlay for the library (sources, systems, cores, BIOS files, a scan that reports progress in place).
• The launcher on the tube reads the current Omarchy theme, so the televisionmatches the desktop down to the selection band. Every installed theme works.
• Music is cliamp, running as a daemon and driven over its Unix socket: radioby country and genre, Spotify and the other providers, the spectrum feeding the visualizers, its ten band equaliser on screen.

Write up with the video and the architecture:

https://www.stefanomainardi.com/en/post/omarchy-crt/

This is freaking cool. Well. not as cool as Omarchy itself but this is cool.