I Struggled With Hyprland For Months, Until This Arch-based Distro Fixed It

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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• Omarchy is an Arch-based distribution that uses Hyprland.
• This distribution is not for nan faint of heart.
• You'll request accomplishment and patience to get nan astir retired of this OS.

Hyprland is getting tons of sum wrong nan Linux community. If you've ne'er heard of Hyprland, you're successful for a treat.

What is Hyprland? It's a highly customizable, move tiling compositor for Wayland connected Linux. Hyprland is beautiful and efficient, but it isn't precisely what I'd telephone a desktop for those caller to Linux. Hyprland is simply a very keyboard-centric environment, truthful if you for illustration utilizing your mouse, there's thing for you to spot here. In fact, everything happens connected Omarchy via nan keyboard. 

You tin hide astir your mouse, because it's not wanted aliases needed for this desktop distribution.

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That reliance connected nan keyboard is what makes Hyprland truthful efficient. You tin activity pinch nan desktop without ever moving your fingers from nan keyboard keys. Hyprland besides automatically arranges applications successful tiles and is fast, secure, and tin beryllium configured to beryllium visually stunning.

But really tin you cheque retired Hyprland? You could effort to instal it connected your distribution of choice, but I would urge that you springiness Omarchy a go.

What is Omarchy?

Omarchy is considered an Omakase distribution. If you've ne'er heard nan term, you're not alone. Omakase is simply a Japanese connection that intends "I'll time off it up to you." Omarchy doesn't effort to beryllium familiar, truthful Windows aliases MacOS users will person an easy clip adjusting. Instead, Omarchy sets retired to beryllium beautiful and better, while embracing nan "Linux-ness" of it all.

In different words, Omarchy isn't acrophobic aliases ashamed to punctual users that they are moving pinch Linux.

As I said earlier, Omarchy is each astir nan keyboard. For example, if you deed nan Super + Space keyboard combination, nan exertion launcher appears. Hit Super + Alt + Space, and nan Omarchy paper opens.

The Omarchy app paper is accelerated and efficient.

Jack Wallen/ZDNET

Yep, it's a show of keyboard shortcuts, and without them, you won't beryllium capable to get overmuch done.

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That's nan astir challenging facet of Hyprland -- remembering each of nan keyboard shortcuts. Of course, a caller personification tin get by pinch nan Super + Space combination, arsenic that gives you entree to nan app menu.

As well, moving app windows astir nan desktop is besides done via keyboard shortcuts. You tin stack windows horizontally (instead of vertically) pinch Super + J. You tin switch windows pinch Super + Shift + Arrow Right.

Other shortcuts include:

• Super + Ctrl + T starts nan Activity Monitor.
• You tin tile a model pinch Super + T aliases deed nan operation a 2nd clip to float a window.
• Super + Shift + F opens nan record manager.
• Super + Shift + 2 moves nan existent focused exertion onto nan 2nd workspace.
• Super + Shift + 1 moves nan model back.
• Super + Shift + Alt + 2 moves nan existent focused exertion onto nan 2nd workspace without switching to it.

You tin study much astir nan various keyboard shortcuts from this charismatic listing.

Omarchy ships pinch each of nan applications you need, specified arsenic Chromium, 1Password, an agency suite, Signal, ChatGPT, and more. You could easy instal Omarchy and not person to instal immoderate other package to beryllium productive. Omarchy is simply a bully action for mundane users, powerfulness users, developers, gamers, etc. 

If you person a usage for it, Omarchy astir apt has it installed, you conscionable won't cognize it retired of nan box, acknowledgment to its deficiency of a clickable, mouseable desktop menu. To entree nan app menu, you deed Super + Space to unfastened nan menu, and past usage your down arrow and up arrow to navigate nan menu.

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Of course, you could, utilizing your up and down arrow keys, scroll done nan database of installed software, aliases usage nan hunt functionality to find what you're looking for.

The astir important point you request to cognize astir Omarchy is that it does not clasp your manus arsenic you learn. This is chiefly owed to Hyprland, which has a steep learning curve because you person to retrieve truthful galore keyboard shortcuts.

However, arsenic you study Hyprland, you commencement to recognize that it's not only efficient, it's beautiful cool, particularly fixed really customizable it is.

Guess what? Customizing Hyprland is done via nan matter record ~/.config/hypr/hyprland.conf. Yep, you customize your desktop by changing values successful that file. For example, you mightiness want to region nan autogenerated informing that mightiness popular up connected your desktop by changing autogenerated = 1 to autogenerated = 0.

In fact, Hyprland is beautiful overmuch an a la carte desktop, wherever you adhd and customize nan bits and pieces that you want. I would very powerfully urge you sojourn nan Hyprland Wiki to study much astir this.

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But isn't this astir Omarchy? It is, but it's intolerable to talk astir Omarchy without talking astir Hyprland.

Who is this point for?

Omarchy is not a Linux distribution for nan mean user, not moreover remotely. 

This return connected Linux requires skill, determination, and a desire to person nan astir businesslike desktop possible. The type of personification Omarchy is made for includes hackers, developers, and those who for illustration to walk hours customizing their desktops. Omarchy is nan distribution you usage if you want to instal nan OS and dive correct into work, each nan while utilizing a desktop that isn't mouse-friendly.

I will opportunity that of each my attempts astatine utilizing Hyprland, Omarchy has been nan best, astir painless option. I had Omarchy installed successful minutes and recovered zero problems utilizing Hyprland. I've installed Hyprland connected different distributions, only to observe a plethora of issues.

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In nan end, if you're willing successful Hyprland, skip each nan different distributions and instal Omarchy.