Omarchy Install Scripts: Pre‑install Hardware Fixes and Service Setup Explained

Omarchy install scripts automate hardware‑specific pre‑install fixes, package installation, user‑level configuration, and systemd service enablement to ensure a deterministic first boot without starting services during the installation process.

Omarchy provides a structured Arch Linux installation framework that separates system preparation into distinct pre‑install and service‑setup phases. These scripts reside in the omac/omarchy repository and handle vendor‑specific hardware quirks, essential package provisioning, and systemd unit orchestration before the system reboots. Understanding the exact scope of these scripts allows administrators to debug installation failures or extend the framework for custom hardware.

Pre‑install Phase: Hardware, Packages, and User Configuration

The pre‑install phase runs before the main system configuration is copied, targeting hardware detection, package installation, and user‑level customizations.

Hardware‑Specific Fixes

Scripts under install/hardware/ detect the platform and apply vendor‑specific kernel module adjustments, firmware updates, and udev rules. According to the omac/omarchy source code, these fixes resolve issues such as broken AMD audio inputs on Framework laptops, missing Wi‑Fi regulatory domains, and NVIDIA driver quirks.

Individual vendor directories contain targeted scripts—for example, install/user/hardware/framework/fix-f13-amd-audio-input.sh addresses specific audio input failures on Framework 13 AMD models. The aggregate script install/hardware/all.sh sources each hardware‑specific fix in the correct order to ensure comprehensive coverage for Asus, Dell, Apple, and other supported platforms.

Package Preparation

Before the main configuration phase, install/hardware/pacman.sh installs the essential package set using the omarchy-pkg-add helper. This approach keeps the installation process distro‑agnostic while ensuring core utilities, drivers, and optional tools are present. The script handles pacman repository synchronization and AUR helper setup if required by the target environment.

User‑Level Configuration

The install/user/all.sh script aggregates one‑time user customizations that must occur before the desktop environment is fully configured. These adjustments include theme file deployment, SSH keep‑alive settings, and Chromium policy tweaks. By running these scripts as the target user rather than root, Omarchy ensures proper ownership and permissions for dotfiles and browser configurations.

Service Setup Phase: Systemd Unit Management

After hardware and user preparation, the service‑setup phase configures systemd units to start automatically on the next boot.

Enable‑Only Strategy

The install/config/enable-services.sh script enables required systemd services using systemctl enable without immediately starting them. This design prevents interference with the ongoing installation process while ensuring that core daemons such as cups, avahi-daemon, power-profiles-daemon, and the sddm display manager are active after the first reboot.

Service Masking and Ancillary Sockets

To prevent boot stalls, the script masks NetworkManager-wait-online.service, which would otherwise block the boot target while waiting for network configuration. Additionally, it enables ancillary components such as docker.socket for container runtime availability and systemd-oomd.service to protect user sessions from runaway memory usage once the system boots.

Running the Scripts Manually

While the main omarchy-install entry point executes these scripts automatically, administrators can invoke them directly for debugging or partial reconfiguration.

Run all hardware fixes as root:

sudo bash /usr/local/omarchy/install/hardware/all.sh

Apply user‑level configurations as the target user:

bash /usr/local/omarchy/install/user/all.sh

Enable systemd services after configuration changes:

sudo bash /usr/local/omarchy/install/config/enable-services.sh

Summary

• Hardware fixes reside in install/hardware/ and target specific vendors such as Framework, AMD, and Intel to resolve kernel module and firmware issues.
• Package installation occurs via install/hardware/pacman.sh using the omarchy-pkg-add helper to maintain distro compatibility.
• User configuration is handled by install/user/all.sh, applying themes, SSH settings, and browser policies before the desktop environment loads.
• Service setup uses install/config/enable-services.sh to enable—but not start—systemd units, while masking NetworkManager-wait-online.service to prevent boot delays.
• Key services enabled include sddm, cups, avahi-daemon, power-profiles-daemon, docker.socket, and systemd-oomd.service.

Frequently Asked Questions

What hardware vendors does Omarchy support with pre‑install scripts?

Omarchy includes hardware‑specific scripts for vendors such as Asus, Dell, Apple, and Framework. These scripts reside in install/hardware/ and address issues like Intel VA‑API acceleration via install/hardware/intel/video-acceleration.sh, NVIDIA driver quirks, and AMD audio input fixes on specific laptop models.

Why does the service setup script use systemctl enable instead of start?

The install/config/enable-services.sh script only enables services to ensure they activate on the next boot. Starting services during installation could interfere with the setup process or cause resource conflicts before the system is fully configured.

How can I add custom hardware fixes to an Omarchy installation?

Create a new shell script in the appropriate install/hardware/ subdirectory following the naming conventions of existing fixes, then ensure it is sourced by install/hardware/all.sh. The script should use standard bash utilities to modify kernel modules, udev rules, or firmware configurations.

What prevents the system from hanging during boot after Omarchy installation?

The service setup script masks NetworkManager-wait-online.service, which prevents the boot sequence from stalling while waiting for network connectivity. Additionally, it enables systemd-oomd.service to mitigate memory pressure that could otherwise freeze the system during the first boot.

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