Is Omarchy Any Good...?
Source: Dev.to
Overview
If you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard the buzz about Omarchy Linux – a relatively new distro created by 37signals co‑founder David Heinemeier Hansson. I’ve been rolling it out across my home systems and documenting the experience as I go.
Look and Feel
The operating system’s visual design is superb. The team has clearly spent a lot of time making the UI minimal yet robust.
Keyboard‑Centric Interaction
All aspects of the system are accessed primarily via keyboard shortcuts, with mouse clicks needed only in a few cases. This works especially well for laptop users who spend a lot of time typing.
Software Availability
Because Omarchy is based on Arch Linux, you have access to thousands of packages. I’ve installed development environments, Docker containers, and retro games without any issues.
Performance on Older Hardware
Omarchy can breathe new life into aging machines. The desktop environment uses very few resources, window management feels snappy, and as long as you’re not running heavyweight applications the experience remains smooth.
Window Management
Keyboard shortcuts become natural after a short learning curve. On a large monitor they make a noticeable difference when juggling multiple windows. One improvement I’d like to see is the ability to hide a window without closing the application—a handy way to manage screen real‑estate.
Update Tool Reliability
My experience with the Omarchy update tool has been mixed:
- First update – bricked my desktop; I had to restore from backups.
- Second update – nearly bricked my laptop; I rescued it by booting from a USB, chroot‑ing into the system, and reinstalling the Linux kernel.
Conclusion
Despite these rough edges, Omarchy is a compelling experiment in thoughtful OS design. It feels opinionated in a good way: focused, fast, and built for people who live on their keyboards and value simplicity. If you enjoy tinkering, don’t mind getting your hands a little dirty when things go sideways, and want a Linux environment that feels both modern and intentional, Omarchy is well worth trying.
Further Reading
You can read more about my Omarchy journey at franklinstrube.com: