How to install Omarchy: from download to first boot
Choose a disk and device plan, download the official ISO, prepare UEFI settings, install Omarchy and diagnose first-boot problems.
Based on public documentation; not hardware-tested. Match the instructions to your version and hardware.
Installation begins with three decisions: which computer will run Omarchy, what existing data must remain, and how you will recover if the first boot fails. This page is the main installation route; the linked chapters expand firmware settings, dual boot and failure diagnosis without making you repeat the full procedure.
Choose your installation route
Section titled “Choose your installation route”| Situation | Plan first | Follow next |
|---|---|---|
| Dedicated computer or disk | Confirm which whole disk can be replaced | The numbered ISO procedure below |
| Keep Windows on the same disk | Back up Windows and prepare actual unallocated space | Dual-boot installation |
| Try a VM | Confirm host/guest architecture, firmware and graphics support | VirtualBox, VMware and Parallels decisions |
| Mac or another unusual target | Identify the exact hardware and supported route | Intel, T2 and Apple Silicon |
| USB or first boot already fails | Identify the last successful stage | Installation and boot troubleshooting |
Hardware requirements are more than a RAM number
Section titled “Hardware requirements are more than a RAM number”Use the requirements and preflight guide to inventory architecture, graphics, early input and recovery. For image verification and writing-stage failures, use download, ISO and USB preparation.
Before choosing an image, record CPU architecture, disk model and capacity, available storage plan, graphics hardware and the network/input devices needed during setup. Then test the actual work you depend on: documents, meetings, external displays and specialist software.
This guide does not invent a universal minimum specification. Check current official installation guidance and device support. A machine booting the installer does not prove that sleep, audio and all peripherals will work. Use the hardware checklist after installation.
A VM proves the guest workflow, not physical-device support
Section titled “A VM proves the guest workflow, not physical-device support”Identify the hypervisor and host CPU architecture before selecting a guest image. Keep its disk separate from host disks, understand which key reaches the guest, and check network, clipboard and graphics integration using the hypervisor’s own documentation. Parallels, VMware and VirtualBox instructions cannot be exchanged blindly.
There is also a different task: running Windows inside an already installed Omarchy host. That is covered by the official Windows VM guide; it is not the same as testing Omarchy as a guest.
Download, firmware and storage: how they connect
Section titled “Download, firmware and storage: how they connect”The ISO supplies the installer. Writing it creates the USB boot media. Firmware selects a boot target; the installer then modifies the chosen destination disk. These are separate devices and stages. A successful image write does not prove the intended installation disk was selected.
Use Secure Boot and UEFI for firmware decisions and dual boot for Windows storage preparation. Keep those notes available on another device before starting.
1. Choose your storage plan
Section titled “1. Choose your storage plan”This guide follows the official ISO route. For a dedicated disk, the full-disk option replaces its contents. To keep Windows on the same disk, prepare unallocated space and follow the dual-boot guide. Free space inside a Windows partition is not unallocated space.
For a VM, use a virtual disk dedicated to the guest and check host/guest architecture support first. A VM does not validate physical hardware. Mac users should consult official Mac support before choosing an image.
2. Prepare the computer
Section titled “2. Prepare the computer”Back up important files to another device and open a few to check the copy. Record the target disk’s model and capacity. Keep another device available for instructions and keep the computer powered.
Use a wired keyboard or a keyboard with a USB receiver for early disk unlock. Read Secure Boot and UEFI before changing firmware settings.
3. Download and write the ISO
Section titled “3. Download and write the ISO”Follow the download link on the official installation page. Record the image version. If the release provides a checksum, compare it before writing.
The official guide lists balenaEtcher on macOS/Windows and caligula on Linux. In the image writer:
- Select the downloaded ISO.
- Select the USB stick by device name and capacity.
- Confirm that nothing on that stick needs keeping; image writing replaces its contents.
- Start writing, then wait for completion and any offered verification.
Copying the ISO into an ordinary folder on the USB does not perform this operation. Resolve a writing failure before continuing.
4. Boot the installer
Section titled “4. Boot the installer”Restart into the manufacturer’s one-time boot menu. Select the USB’s UEFI entry. Follow the installer questions for keyboard layout and personal setup, then review the answers.
Check that your password uses the intended keyboard layout. Store it securely somewhere you can retrieve it; the normal installation uses disk encryption.
5. Review the disk choices
Section titled “5. Review the disk choices”Match the displayed target with the disk you recorded. Use full-disk installation only when replacing that entire disk. For Windows on the same disk, follow the free-space branch in the dual-boot procedure.
Read the final storage summary. Cancel before confirmation if it would erase anything you want to keep. Wait for installation to finish; a short pause in progress is not a reason to interrupt disk operations.
6. Complete first boot
Section titled “6. Complete first boot”Follow the completion prompt. If restarting opens the installer again, choose the installed system instead of the USB. Enter your disk-unlock password when prompted.
At the desktop:
- Open the menu with Super + Space.
- Connect to Wi-Fi or check the wired connection.
- Test typing, audio, and a familiar website.
- Save your work and check one restart.
Continue with your first 30 minutes. If blocked, use installation and first-boot troubleshooting with the ISO version and exact failure stage.
Confirm installation with a real task
Section titled “Confirm installation with a real task”Before adding cosmetic changes, join the intended network, type in your browser and editor, play sound and read a document at a comfortable scale. Record unresolved hardware problems. Continue with your first 30 minutes and establish a backup and recovery plan.
If startup stalls, describe the stage: USB not listed, installer fails, disk unlock rejected, or desktop unavailable. These require different evidence. Keep the image version, computer model and first meaningful message; the boot guide helps organize them.
Common installation questions
Section titled “Common installation questions”Where should I download Omarchy? Follow the current official installation page. Do not substitute an unofficial mirror merely because a tutorial’s direct version link is old.
Can I keep Windows? The storage plan matters: unallocated space is different from free space inside a partition. Read the dual-boot chapter before confirming any disk operation.
Can I use any online Hyprland configuration afterward? Match the syntax and Omarchy generation first. Some tutorials on this site use a pinned Lua snapshot; an older .conf installation needs its own configuration route.