Request: Official Guidance on Updating Omarchy’s UKI, Kernel, and Limine Boot Pipeline

[conree]

Summary (TL;DR)

After a fresh Omarchy install, my /boot contains only a unified kernel image (UKI):

/boot/EFI/Linux/omarchy_linux.efi

There is no separate vmlinuz-linux or initramfs-linux.img.
/etc/mkinitcpio.d/ is empty.
Limine handles booting and snapshot entries.

Before making any changes to the boot pipeline, I need official guidance on how Omarchy intends the UKI to be rebuilt and maintained.

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Key Questions

1. What is the supported method to regenerate the UKI?
   Should users rely on:

   • mkinitcpio
   • ukify
   • limine-mkinitcpio
   • an Omarchy-provided workflow?

2. Is /boot intentionally designed to be UKI-only?
   My installation contains:

   • no vmlinuz-linux
   • no initramfs-linux.img
   • no /boot modules directory

3. Where should rebuild tools reference the kernel image?
   My installed kernel is located at:
   /usr/lib/modules/6.17.9-arch1-1/vmlinuz

   Is this the intended source when generating a new UKI?

4. What kernel command line should the UKI embed for encrypted Btrfs systems?
   My system uses:

   • ESP PARTUUID: 43eb4894-2490-4f7d-b066-2be4bbe3576b
   • LUKS PARTUUID: 03f2dd92-7ea1-48aa-939a-862790aac569
   • Btrfs UUID: 010360b0-3391-4086-bf6b-e95ef97213ec

5. Should UKI rebuilds preserve the original timestamp?
   I’ve seen indications that something expects timestamps to remain intact — clarification needed.

6. How should Limine snapshot boot entries integrate with UKI updates?
   Specifically:

   • maintaining snapshot entries
   • regenerating snapshot UKIs (if needed)
   • avoiding breaking snapshot bootability

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Full Context

This is a Omarchy installation on an encrypted Btrfs root (@, @home, @pkg, @log).
Limine is installed on the Omarchy ESP (nvme2n1p1 → /boot).
The system boots normally, using the UKI at:

/boot/EFI/Linux/omarchy_linux.efi

No manual modifications have been made to the installed UKI.

Before attempting any update process (kernel updates, initramfs updates, or UKI regeneration), I want to ensure I am following the intended Omarchy design rather than reverse-engineering the workflow.

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Why I’m Asking

Omarchy uses a distinctive boot pipeline:

• Limine
• UKI-only /boot
• Encrypted Btrfs root
• Automatic snapshot boot entries

Because this differs significantly from conventional Arch systems, I want to avoid:

• breaking UKI boots
• regenerating UKIs incorrectly
• losing snapshot boot entries
• diverging from Omarchy’s expected maintenance workflow

Clear guidance would help both myself and other Omarchy users maintain the system safely.

---

Thank You

I appreciate the work behind Omarchy — it's fast, elegant, and unique.
With the right direction, I’m happy to help turn your answers into wiki documentation for the community.typ

[olsonjeffery]

Yes, I second this. I have noticed significantly decreased performance on my omarchy install atop vanilla arch for similar workloads I did in manjaro previously. The first place I want to look for tuning is my kernel, but changing it or selecting a different one is a real headscratcher.

[conree]

I'm in favor of keeping the UKI mechanism as it is about the only way I've found to successfully protect boot mechanics against random drive reassignments that Linux throws at us and against the hijacking strategies MacOS employs to claim all EFIs as its own. I run MacOS and Omarchy on separate SSDs but on the same machine, so this is critically important to me. We just need guidance here so what I set up follows your design ethos. Best regards, Stephen

…

________________________________ From: Jeff Olson ***@***.***> Sent: Sunday, November 30, 2025 2:16:31 PM To: basecamp/omarchy ***@***.***> Cc: conree ***@***.***>; Author ***@***.***> Subject: Re: [basecamp/omarchy] Request: Official Guidance on Updating Omarchy’s UKI, Kernel, and Limine Boot Pipeline (Discussion #3700) Yes, I second this. I have noticed significantly decreased performance on my omarchy install atop vanilla arch for similar workloads I did in manjaro previously. The first place I want to look for tuning is my kernel, but changing it or selecting a different one is a real headscratcher. — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub<#3700 (comment)>, or unsubscribe<https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AYRIFS2GHWFVSFGBJB4EPYL37NNC7AVCNFSM6AAAAACNR3CTRWVHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43URDJONRXK43TNFXW4Q3PNVWWK3TUHMYTKMJRHA3DAMA>. You are receiving this because you authored the thread.Message ID: ***@***.***>