Omarchy Arch Packages: The Two Core Packages for Installation (`omarchy` and `omarchy-settings`)

The two main Arch packages for Omarchy are omarchy (runtime binaries and core configuration) and omarchy-settings (default themes, colour schemes, and UI settings), both required for a complete installation.

Omarchy is a personal experience configuration system for Linux desktops designed to provide curated tools, themes, and ergonomic defaults. According to the Omarchy source repository (omacom/omarchy on the quattro branch), the project's functionality is intentionally split across two distinct Arch packages to separate runtime logic from user-facing presentation.

The Two Core Omarchy Arch Packages

omarchy – Runtime and Core Configuration

The omarchy package contains the essential runtime components that power the Omarchy environment. This includes:

• The main omarchy command-line entry point
• Core configuration files and system scripts
• Shell utilities under the omarchy-* namespace
• Configuration migration tools for safe upgrades

In the repository's README.md, this package is described as containing "the runtime binaries and core configuration" that drive the desktop-first experience.

omarchy-settings – Themes and UI Defaults

The omarchy-settings package provides the visual and interactive layer:

• Default UI theme customisations
• Colour palettes and scheme definitions
• User-facing settings and ergonomics
• Desktop environment integrations (KDE, GNOME, i3, Hyprland)

As documented in the same source file, this package "provides the default theme, colour scheme and UI settings."

Installing Both Omarchy Packages

Both packages must be installed together for full functionality. The repository provides standard Arch installation commands:

# Install from the AUR using aurman

aurman -S omarchy omarchy-settings

# Or using yay

yay -S omarchy omarchy-settings

After installation, initialise the environment with:

# Set up config, copy defaults, and launch the custom shell

omarchy init

# Verify installed version

omarchy version

How the Packages Work Together

The separation between omarchy and omarchy-settings follows a clean architecture principle: runtime logic remains independent of presentation defaults. This enables:

1. Independent updates – Core fixes can ship without touching user themes
2. Custom settings forks – Users can maintain personal omarchy-settings variants
3. Minimal base installs – System administrators can deploy omarchy alone for headless configurations

The omarchy command spawns a customised shell that serves as the daily command-line interface, pulling its visual configuration from files supplied by omarchy-settings.

Key Source Files and Documentation

Based on the Omarchy repository structure:

Path	Purpose
bin/omarchy	Main entry-point script that starts the Omarchy environment
bin/omarchy-version	Version display utility for installed packages
docs/installation.md	Detailed installation procedures
docs/file-layout.md	Directory structure and package integration
docs/cli.md	Command-line reference

Summary

• Two Arch packages are required: omarchy (runtime) and omarchy-settings (themes/UI)
• Neither is optional for a full-featured desktop experience per the official documentation
• Install via AUR helpers like aurman or yay using the combined command
• Architectural separation allows flexible deployment and customisation

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if I only install the omarchy package without omarchy-settings?

You will have the runtime binaries and core configuration, but lack the default themes, colour palettes, and UI settings. The system may function in a degraded or unstyled state. The README explicitly states that "both are required for a full-featured installation."

Can I replace omarchy-settings with my own custom settings package?

Yes. The package separation is designed to allow this. As long as your custom package provides the expected theme files and configuration structure in the correct locations, the omarchy runtime will consume them. Refer to docs/file-layout.md for the expected directory structure.

Where are the omarchy and omarchy-settings packages hosted?

The packages are available from the AUR (Arch User Repository). The repository also contains local PKGBUILD files for manual building. The source repository at github.com/omacom/omarchy contains the build definitions and documentation.

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