Omarchy Hardware Detection Commands (hw-*): Complete Reference

Omarchy ships lightweight Bash utilities prefixed with omarchy-hw- that probe hardware via cached sysfs data, exiting with status 0 when hardware is present and 1 otherwise.

The omacom/omarchy repository maintains a comprehensive suite of hardware detection scripts in the bin/ directory. These Omarchy hardware detection commands identify specific hardware capabilities—from NVIDIA GPUs to laptop lid states—enabling dynamic system configuration without invoking expensive tools like lspci.

Complete List of Omarchy Hardware Detection Commands

All detection scripts follow the naming convention omarchy-hw-* and reside in the bin/ directory of the quattro branch. Each script includes an omarchy:summary header describing its specific detection target.

Laptop and Vendor Detection

• omarchy-hw-asus-rog – Detects Asus ROG laptops including ROG Strix G14
• omarchy-hw-asus-zenbook-ux5406aa – Detects Asus ZenBook UX5406AA
• omarchy-hw-asus-expertbook-b9406 – Detects Asus ExpertBook B9406
• omarchy-hw-dell-xps13-sidecar-amps – Detects Dell XPS 13 Sidecar AMPs configuration
• omarchy-hw-dell-xps-oled – Detects Dell XPS OLED panel
• omarchy-hw-dell-xps-haptic-touchpad – Detects Dell XPS haptic touchpad
• omarchy-hw-framework16 – Detects Framework Laptop 16 for special RGB key handling
• omarchy-hw-surface – Detects Microsoft Surface devices
• omarchy-hw-laptop – Detects any portable laptop device
• omarchy-hw-laptop-closed – Detects when the laptop lid is currently closed
• omarchy-hw-clamshell – Detects clamshell mode operation (lid closed)

GPU and Display Detection

• omarchy-hw-nvidia – Detects NVIDIA GPU presence
• omarchy-hw-nvidia-gsp – Detects NVIDIA GPUs with GSP firmware (Turing or newer)
• omarchy-hw-nvidia-without-gsp – Detects NVIDIA GPUs without GSP firmware (pre-Turing)
• omarchy-hw-hybrid-gpu – Detects laptops with both integrated and discrete GPUs
• omarchy-hw-intel – Detects Intel CPUs for generic Intel-specific tweaks
• omarchy-hw-intel-ptl – Detects Intel P-state TL performance-tuning logic
• omarchy-hw-vulkan – Detects Vulkan support availability (GPU driver and loader)
• omarchy-hw-display – Identifies the primary display device used by the UI
• omarchy-hw-external-monitors – Detects external monitors connected via HDMI or DisplayPort

Input Devices and Peripherals

• omarchy-hw-touchscreen – Detects touch-capable screens
• omarchy-hw-touchpad – Prints the Hyprland touchpad device name when available
• omarchy-hw-fingerprint – Detects fingerprint sensors on modern laptops
• omarchy-hw-webcam – Checks webcam availability via omarchy-capture-webcam-list
• omarchy-hw-elgato-camlink-4k – Detects Elgato Cam Link 4K capture devices

Audio and System State

• omarchy-hw-intel-sof – Detects Intel Sound Open Firmware (SOF) audio devices
• omarchy-hw-recover-internal-monitor – Detects whether the internal monitor needs recovery after suspend
• omarchy-hw-match – Generic helper script used by other hardware detection routines

How Omarchy Hardware Detection Works

The detection scripts are designed for minimal overhead. Rather than invoking expensive enumeration tools like lspci, they read cached sysfs information whenever possible. This approach ensures rapid execution during system initialization or hotplug events.

Each command follows a consistent exit code contract:

• Exit 0 – Hardware is present or condition is true (some scripts print values to stdout)
• Exit 1 – Hardware is absent or condition is false

For example, omarchy-hw-touchpad returns the Hyprland device name on stdout when a touchpad is detected, while omarchy-hw-laptop-closed simply returns a boolean state via exit code.

Practical Usage Examples

Use these detection utilities in shell scripts to conditionally apply hardware-specific configurations.

Conditional GPU Configuration

if omarchy-hw-nvidia; then
    echo "NVIDIA GPU detected – applying driver optimisations"
    # Insert NVIDIA-specific configuration here

fi

Enable Touchscreen Mode

if omarchy-hw-touchscreen; then
    omarchy-toggle-touchscreen enable
fi

Capture Touchpad Device Name

touchpad=$(omarchy-hw-touchpad)
[[ -n $touchpad ]] && echo "Touchpad device: $touchpad"

Hybrid GPU Laptop Detection

if omarchy-hw-laptop && omarchy-hw-hybrid-gpu; then
    omarchy-toggle-hybrid-gpu switch
fi

Webcam-Dependent Operations

if omarchy-hw-webcam; then
    omarchy-capture-webcam-snapshot /tmp/webcam.png
fi

Implementation and Testing

The hardware detection suite is implemented as individual Bash scripts located at bin/omarchy-hw-*. According to the repository structure documented in docs/file-layout.md, these scripts are grouped under the bin/ directory alongside other Omarchy utilities.

Automated test coverage ensures reliability across different hardware configurations. Test suites reside in test/shell.d/hw-*.sh and verify that each command returns the correct exit status under various mock environments. The docs/testing.md file describes the shell-testing framework used to validate these scripts.

For developers working with the Omarchy codebase, AGENTS.md documents the agent-based development workflow that governs how these hw-* scripts are maintained and extended.

Summary

• Omarchy hardware detection commands use the omarchy-hw-* naming prefix and live in the bin/ directory
• Commands probe sysfs directly rather than using expensive tools like lspci, ensuring fast execution
• Exit code 0 indicates hardware presence or true condition; exit code 1 indicates absence
• The suite covers laptops, GPUs (NVIDIA/Intel), displays, input devices, and system states like clamshell mode
• Automated tests in test/shell.d/hw-*.sh validate detection logic across mock environments

Frequently Asked Questions

What exit codes do Omarchy hardware detection commands return?

The commands return standard Unix exit codes: 0 when the target hardware is detected or the condition is true, and 1 when absent or false. Some commands like omarchy-hw-touchpad additionally print the device name to stdout on success.

Where are the hardware detection scripts located in the Omarchy repository?

All detection scripts are located in the bin/ directory of the quattro branch, following the naming pattern bin/omarchy-hw-*. Documentation regarding the repository layout is available in docs/file-layout.md.

Can I use these commands in my own shell scripts?

Yes, the commands are designed for composability. You can use them directly in if statements or command substitution, as shown in the examples above. They require no arguments and depend only on standard sysfs entries available in the Linux kernel.

Do these detection scripts require root privileges?

Most scripts read from sysfs and typically do not require root privileges when accessed by a user with standard hardware enumeration permissions. However, specific hardware or security policies may restrict access to certain sysfs nodes.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "instagit": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "instagit@latest"]
    }
  }
}