# What Is the Purpose of the Seed Layer in Omarchy's Home Directory? > Discover the purpose of the Seed layer in Omarchy's home directory. This initial phase copies static config files to new user accounts, ensuring a consistent setup. - Repository: [37signals/omarchy](https://github.com/basecamp/omarchy) - Tags: deep-dive - Published: 2026-08-22 --- **The Seed layer is the first phase of Omarchy's three-step home directory initialization, responsible for copying static configuration files from `/etc/skel/` to a new user's `$HOME` exactly once during account creation.** Omarchy uses a sophisticated architecture to populate user home directories with consistent defaults through three distinct phases. The **Seed layer** establishes the foundational configuration by deploying baseline dotfiles and resources before any user-specific processing occurs. According to the repository's documented file layout, this initial phase ensures every fresh account starts with identical settings required for the desktop environment to function immediately upon login. ## How the Seed Layer Works in Omarchy The Seed layer operates through a specific mechanism tied to standard Linux user creation tools. It functions as a one-time injection of defaults that cannot handle runtime variables or hardware detection. ### Static Defaults via the omarchy-settings Package Configuration files ship as part of the `omarchy-settings` package installation. These static files reside in the system skeleton directory at **`/etc/skel/`**, including paths like `/etc/skel/.config/omarchy/` and `/etc/skel/.local/state/omarchy/`. The repository stores these templates in the `default/` directory, which the package installs to the skeleton location. ### User Creation Trigger The Seed layer activates automatically when creating a new user account. When administrators run `useradd -m`, Arch Linux copies the entire `/etc/skel/` tree into the newly created `$HOME`. This represents the **only moment** the Seed layer interacts with the home directory, as documented in [`docs/file-layout.md`](https://github.com/basecamp/omarchy/blob/main/docs/file-layout.md). ### Limitations and Constraints Because execution occurs before the user first logs in, the Seed layer cannot reference the actual `$HOME` path, live environment variables, or perform hardware detection. These dynamic operations remain the responsibility of the **Finalize** and **Resync** layers, which execute after the initial seeding completes. ## Technical Implementation and Source Files The architecture is documented in **[`docs/file-layout.md`](https://github.com/basecamp/omarchy/blob/main/docs/file-layout.md)**, which defines the three population layers: Seed, Finalize, and Resync. The actual skeleton files live in the repository's `default/` folder, containing dotfiles and application launchers that define the initial desktop experience. After the Seed layer completes, the **`install/provisioning/`** scripts handle the Finalize phase, performing user-specific adjustments that require runtime context. For existing users needing to restore defaults, the **`bin/omarchy-reinstall-configs`** command implements the Resync layer, effectively re-applying seeded configurations. ## Practical Examples: Working with the Seed Layer The following commands demonstrate how the Seed layer behaves during user creation and maintenance. Create a new user and observe the Seed copying: ```bash # Add a new user named "alice"; the -m flag triggers the skeleton copy sudo useradd -m alice # Show a few seeded files in alice's home directory ls -1 /home/alice/.config/omarchy ls -1 /home/alice/.local/state/omarchy ``` Inspect what is shipped in the skeleton: ```bash # List the contents that the Seed layer provides ls -R /etc/skel/.config/omarchy ls -R /etc/skel/.local/state/omarchy ``` Re-apply the seeded defaults to an existing user via the Resync layer: ```bash # For an existing user "bob", restore the original defaults sudo -u bob omarchy-reinstall-configs ``` ## Summary - The **Seed layer** provides baseline configuration files through the `/etc/skel/` mechanism during account creation. - It executes **exactly once** when running `useradd -m`, copying static files from the `omarchy-settings` package. - The layer handles only environment-agnostic defaults, while the **Finalize** layer manages runtime-specific configurations. - Seeded files originate from the repository's `default/` directory and install to `/etc/skel/`. - Existing users can restore Seed defaults using the **`omarchy-reinstall-configs`** command, which triggers the Resync layer. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What exactly does the Seed layer copy into the home directory? The Seed layer copies all files from `/etc/skel/` into the new user's `$HOME`, including dotfiles in `.config/omarchy/`, state directories like `.local/state/omarchy/`, theme resources, and application launchers. These files originate from the `default/` directory in the Omarchy repository and ship via the `omarchy-settings` package. ### When does the Seed layer run during user setup? The Seed layer executes **once during account creation** when the administrator runs `useradd -m` or equivalent commands that trigger the skeleton copy mechanism. This occurs before the user first logs in, making it impossible for the Seed layer to access runtime environment variables or perform hardware detection. ### How is the Seed layer different from Finalize and Resync? The **Seed** layer handles static defaults via `/etc/skel/` at creation time, while **Finalize** runs post-creation scripts from `install/provisioning/` to adjust configurations based on actual hardware and environment variables. **Resync**, implemented through `bin/omarchy-reinstall-configs`, allows existing users to overwrite their current configs with the original seeded defaults. ### Can I update the Seed defaults after installation? While you cannot re-run the Seed layer on existing users (since it only triggers during `useradd`), you can update the skeleton files in `/etc/skel/` for future users. For existing users, use the `omarchy-reinstall-configs` command to force the Resync layer, which restores the current seed defaults to that user's home directory.