I struggled with Hyprland for months, until this Arch-based distro fixed it

2 days ago 6
Omarchy desktop.
Jack Wallen/ZDNET

Follow ZDNET: Add america arsenic a preferred source connected Google.


ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

  • Omarchy is an Arch-based organisation that uses Hyprland.
  • This organisation is not for the faint of heart.
  • You'll request accomplishment and patience to get the astir retired of this OS.

Hyprland is getting tons of sum wrong the Linux community. If you've ne'er heard of Hyprland, you're successful for a treat.

What is Hyprland? It's a highly customizable, dynamic tiling compositor for Wayland connected Linux. Hyprland is beauteous and efficient, but it isn't precisely what I'd telephone a desktop for those caller to Linux. Hyprland is simply a precise keyboard-centric environment, truthful if you similar utilizing your mouse, there's thing for you to spot here. In fact, everything happens connected Omarchy via the keyboard. 

You tin hide astir your mouse, due to the fact that it's not wanted oregon needed for this desktop distribution.

Also: 10 Linux apps I instal connected each caller instrumentality (and wherefore you should, too)

That reliance connected the keyboard is what makes Hyprland truthful efficient. You tin enactment with the desktop without ever moving your fingers from the keyboard keys. Hyprland besides automatically arranges applications successful tiles and is fast, secure, and tin beryllium configured to beryllium visually stunning.

But however tin you cheque retired Hyprland? You could effort to instal it connected your organisation of choice, but I would urge that you springiness Omarchy a go.

What is Omarchy?

Omarchy is considered an Omakase distribution. If you've ne'er heard the term, you're not alone. Omakase is simply a Japanese connection that means "I'll permission it up to you." Omarchy doesn't effort to beryllium familiar, truthful Windows oregon MacOS users volition person an casual clip adjusting. Instead, Omarchy sets retired to beryllium beauteous and better, portion embracing the "Linux-ness" of it all.

In different words, Omarchy isn't acrophobic oregon ashamed to punctual users that they are moving with Linux.

As I said earlier, Omarchy is each astir the keyboard. For example, if you deed the Super + Space keyboard combination, the exertion launcher appears. Hit Super + Alt + Space, and the Omarchy paper opens.

Omarchy app menu.

The Omarchy app paper is accelerated and efficient.

Jack Wallen/ZDNET

Yep, it's a festival of keyboard shortcuts, and without them, you won't beryllium capable to get overmuch done.

Also: How to instal Arch Linux without losing your mind

That's the astir challenging facet of Hyprland -- remembering each of the keyboard shortcuts. Of course, a caller idiosyncratic tin get by with the Super + Space combination, arsenic that gives you entree to the app menu.

As well, moving app windows astir the desktop is besides done via keyboard shortcuts. You tin stack windows horizontally (instead of vertically) with Super + J. You tin swap windows with Super + Shift + Arrow Right.

Other shortcuts include:

  • Super + Ctrl + T starts the Activity Monitor.
  • You tin tile a model with Super + T oregon deed the operation a 2nd clip to interval a window.
  • Super + Shift + F opens the record manager.
  • Super + Shift + 2 moves the existent focused exertion onto the 2nd workspace.
  • Super + Shift + 1 moves the model back.
  • Super + Shift + Alt + 2 moves the existent focused exertion onto the 2nd workspace without switching to it.

You tin larn much astir the assorted keyboard shortcuts from this authoritative listing.

Omarchy ships with each of the applications you need, specified arsenic Chromium, 1Password, an bureau suite, Signal, ChatGPT, and more. You could easy instal Omarchy and not person to instal immoderate other bundle to beryllium productive. Omarchy is simply a bully enactment for mundane users, powerfulness users, developers, gamers, etc. 

If you person a usage for it, Omarchy astir apt has it installed, you conscionable won't cognize it retired of the box, acknowledgment to its deficiency of a clickable, mouseable desktop menu. To entree the app menu, you deed Super + Space to unfastened the menu, and past usage your down arrow and up arrow to navigate the menu.

Also: Seeking the latest successful Linux? There's a close mode and a incorrect mode to usage Distrowatch

Of course, you could, utilizing your up and down arrow keys, scroll done the database of installed software, oregon usage the hunt functionality to find what you're looking for.

The astir important happening you request to cognize astir Omarchy is that it does not clasp your manus arsenic you learn. This is chiefly owed to Hyprland, which has a steep learning curve due to the fact that you person to retrieve truthful galore keyboard shortcuts.

However, arsenic you larn Hyprland, you commencement to recognize that it's not lone efficient, it's beauteous cool, particularly fixed however customizable it is.

Guess what? Customizing Hyprland is done via the substance record ~/.config/hypr/hyprland.conf. Yep, you customize your desktop by changing values successful that file. For example, you mightiness privation to region the autogenerated informing that mightiness popular up connected your desktop by changing autogenerated = 1 to autogenerated = 0.

In fact, Hyprland is beauteous overmuch an a la carte desktop, wherever you adhd and customize the bits and pieces that you want. I would precise powerfully urge you sojourn the Hyprland Wiki to larn much astir this.

Also: Immutable Linux delivers superior information - present are your 5 champion options

But isn't this astir Omarchy? It is, but it's intolerable to speech astir Omarchy without talking astir Hyprland.

Who is this happening for?

Omarchy is not a Linux organisation for the mean user, not adjacent remotely. 

This instrumentality connected Linux requires skill, determination, and a tendency to person the astir businesslike desktop possible. The benignant of idiosyncratic Omarchy is made for includes hackers, developers, and those who similar to walk hours customizing their desktops. Omarchy is the organisation you usage if you privation to instal the OS and dive close into work, each the portion utilizing a desktop that isn't mouse-friendly.

I volition accidental that of each my attempts astatine utilizing Hyprland, Omarchy has been the best, astir painless option. I had Omarchy installed successful minutes and recovered zero problems utilizing Hyprland. I've installed Hyprland connected different distributions, lone to observe a plethora of issues.

Also: This Debian-based Linux distro is an overlooked and user-friendly gem

In the end, if you're funny successful Hyprland, skip each the different distributions and instal Omarchy.

Read Entire Article