Guide: Install Omarchy using CachyOS base install

[inffy]

Some people like to use CachyOS as their selected Arch distro. Luckily CachyOS has a base install that isn't that much different from the Arch installation and can be easily used with few caveats during the installation process of CachyOS

FYI! I have only done this with AMD hardware, Nvidia gpus might need more intervention

This is a "quick and dirty" guide how to use CachyOS as your base and add Omarchy on top of it, without issues or conflicts.

First just download the newest ISO from CachyOS website and burn it to USB stick/drive like you normally would.

Then boot the installer ISO from the USB drive. Once you are booted to the Live KDE enviroment, the CachyOS Hello application will be automatically launched. At this point make sure you are connected to Internet, either Wifi or Ethernet. For Wifi just click the Wifi icon in the dock and connect to your network.

Then we will launch the installer by clickin "Launch installer" button in CachyOS Hello.

First you will be asked to select your bootloader. I recommend either systemd-boot (which is the default) or Limine is another good option (has support for btrfs snapshots.

Go through the language and keyboard layout selection based on your preferences / location.

After those you will arrive to the disk partition section of the install:

Here I select erase disk and select the filesystem (btrfs is recommmended). Also remember to click "Encrypt system" and input your decryption password twice. Then click "Next".

Next, the installer will ask you about your preferred Desktop environment:

And just like with the stock Arch installation instruction with Omarchy, select the "No Desktop" option as we want the clean base installation.

Next up, is the extra package selection screen:

To avoid few package conflicts, untick the "CachyOS shell configuration" box (secon from the top of the list). This makes sure we don't install CachyOS' shell configs. If you forgot to disable this option you will get package conflict from tealdeer vs tldr package during the Omarchy install.

Then continue with "Next".

Go through the rest of the installer, it will ask you about your user so just fill the boxes with your name, username and password for your user. Your user will also be added to the sudoers by default.

Then just let the installer run through and at the end you are asked to reboot (tick the box in the window). Now we are done and we have a working CachyOS base install without a desktop environment.

Once you have rebooted, login with your username and password and you are in the command line.

After that you just follow the rest of the Omarchy guide and just type:

wget -qO- https://omarchy.org/install | bash

Run through the Omarchy installer and when the next boot comes you should be running Omarchy on CachyOS base.

If you forgot to untick the "CachyOS shell configuration" box during the CachyOS installer, the Omarchy install will fail at somepoint complaining about a package conflict between tealdeer (which CachyOS uses) and tldr (that Omarchy uses). Just remove the CachyOS tealdeer package with sudo pacman -Rns tealdeer and run the installer again.

[inffy]

For Nvidia users (from Omarchy discord - i do not have nvidia hardware):

After installing CachyOS:

1. clone the git of omarchy
2. edit the installatioon script and disable line:
   source $OMARCHY_INSTALL/config/nvidia.sh

[Doc-4]

For Nvidia users (from Omarchy discord - i do not have nvidia hardware):

After installing CachyOS:

1. clone the git of omarchy
2. edit the installatioon script and disable line:
   source $OMARCHY_INSTALL/config/nvidia.sh

Pardon the dumb questions, do you disable that line because base CachyOS already has nvidia stuff configured by default?

Also I haven't yet tested Omarchy but it seems very to my liking. DHH mentioned something about using disk encryption being important because Omarchy doesn't do authentication itself which to me implies no login screen to choose session type. Would that make it difficult to install and use plasma as a fallback session for the rare app that won't behave in Hyprland, or is there a better way?

[inffy]

Cachy uses its own built Nvidia drivers which conflicts with the default Arch ones.

Omarchy is meant to be used as standalone, zero support to have gnome or kde installed. You can probably make it work something like sddm and disable the auto login but I would expect breakage at some point

[Doc-4]

Yeah, sounds about right. I'd try to avoid sddm (if it's not a hard plasma dependency by now) and change as little of the base config of Omarchy as possible, instead just using another TTY to end Hyprland and start Plasma, then do the inverse when going back.

Don't know how well that will work, but probably better than messing with login and slapping sddm in.

[Gaetner84]

Question ... you say :

 For Nvidia users (from Omarchy discord - i do not have nvidia hardware):

    After installing CachyOS:

        clone the git of omarchy
        edit the installatioon script and disable line:
        source $OMARCHY_INSTALL/config/nvidia.sh

Ok when i need CachyOS only with bash i tell me i must edit the install scxript and change this one to #$OMARCHY_INSTALL/config/nvidia.sh ... That is one problem before it was the problem with the shell configuration. my question is why d you not make a perfect image for all that stuff? or only better idea is make dotfiles! ISO Image the best way and yes i now it is work... so i come back when it gives a good way to install it with a ISO. i wish you all the best. best regards and when everyone will check a nice ISO look at AXOS! that is the better way to do it!

[inffy]

CachyOS is not officially supported as a base distro for Omarchy. You do it at your own risk.

I don't have any nvidia hardware (and propably never will) so this was just a comment i saw from our discord.

You can make your own ISO or dotfiles if you want.

[revan1611]

What about a different scenario: Install Omarchy as usual, then install CachyOS repos and kernel?

[AlJohri]

Related: #1247

[paulinoe01]

I’m sorry to add even more complication to this lol
What if I run the cachyos handheld ISO on my ally x? Should I just follow the steam deck guide instead or this one?