Omarchy ISO Install: Create a USB on Windows or Mac

This Omarchy ISO install path creates a bootable USB on Windows, macOS, or Linux. Use full-disk mode only when the entire target disk may be erased. To retain Windows, follow the Windows partition guide. The current installer enables disk encryption by default, and full-disk mode removes every partition on the selected disk.

Preparation checklist

• Restore-tested personal files, password vault, SSH/GPG keys, and projects;
• another internet-connected device and recovery media for the old OS;
• a disposable USB drive;
• a wired or 2.4 GHz receiver keyboard, because pre-boot disk unlock cannot use Bluetooth;
• AC power and the target disk's vendor and capacity.

1. Download and identify the ISO

Download the current release through the ISO button on omarchy.org; do not copy a fixed version from a tutorial. Then inspect the file:

cd ~/Downloads
ls -lh omarchy-*.iso

If an official signature file was downloaded alongside it, substitute the real filenames:

gpg --verify omarchy-<version>.iso.sig omarchy-<version>.iso

Proceed only when the signature came from an official channel and GPG reports Good signature. Do not compare a new ISO with an old blog checksum, and do not mistake a locally calculated hash for an official reference value.

2. Create the USB installer

Windows or macOS: balenaEtcher

1. Install balenaEtcher.
2. Use Flash from file to select the Omarchy ISO.
3. Use Select target and re-check the disposable USB's capacity.
4. Choose Flash, wait for both imaging and validation, then eject safely.

Windows users may use Rufus instead. Select the ISO and target USB and retain the UEFI/GPT direction; do not change persistence, partition, or compatibility options without understanding them.

Community project Bootable adds a cross-platform GUI/TUI, publisher-checksum checks, and write read-back verification. Its current binaries are unsigned and this site has not completed a real-USB test. It does not remove the need to identify the target independently, keep backups, and use the official ISO.

Linux: Caligula

On Arch or Omarchy, install the official repository package and start an interactive burn:

sudo pacman -S caligula
caligula burn ~/Downloads/omarchy-<version>.iso

Caligula discovers disks, confirms the target, and validates the write. Avoid --force and avoid manually supplying -o /dev/... unless you independently confirmed it with lsblk -o NAME,SIZE,MODEL,TRAN,RM,MOUNTPOINTS.

Can you install Omarchy without a USB?

The official physical-computer path uses an ISO written to a USB drive. A VM can attach the ISO as a virtual disc, and a clean Arch test system can inspect the official bootstrap script without physical USB media. Those are different environments, not a universal way to install onto a blank PC. Compare the supported boundaries in Arch script and no-USB options.

3. Configure UEFI and boot the USB

1. Shut down fully.
2. Open the one-time boot menu during power-on (F12, F10, or Esc are common; check the hardware manual).
3. Select the USB entry marked UEFI.
4. If firmware blocks it, follow the current official installation page to disable Secure Boot and, where required, TPM support.

Disabling TPM is not clearing it. Do not choose Clear TPM / Reset security processor. On Windows hardware, save the BitLocker recovery key first. Do not casually change SATA/AHCI/RAID mode.

Intel Mac: install directly from USB

Omarchy currently has built-in support for Intel Macs, but it does not directly support Apple Silicon Macs such as M1, M2, or M3 models. Confirm the processor in About This Mac or System Information rather than guessing from the model year.

After downloading the ISO and writing it with balenaEtcher as described above:

1. Shut down the Intel Mac.
2. Turn it on and immediately hold Command + R to enter macOS Recovery.
3. Open Utilities → Startup Security Utility from the menu bar. After authenticating, select No Security and allow booting from external or removable media.
4. Shut down and insert the Omarchy USB drive.
5. Turn the Mac on and immediately hold Option (Alt) until the boot-device screen appears.
6. Select the orange EFI Boot icon.
7. Continue with the installer configuration and disk confirmation below.

The installer detects Mac hardware and applies Broadcom Wi-Fi firmware, an SPI keyboard driver on MacBook models that need it, and an NVMe suspend fix where required. T1 and T2 models can still have Touch Bar, audio, or other limitations. Check the current model notes on the official Mac support page before installation.

4. Complete installer questions

The wizard asks for keyboard, user, password, hostname, timezone, and related settings. On the confirmation screen verify that:

• the keyboard layout can type every password character correctly;
• username, hostname, and timezone are correct;
• the intended installation mode is selected;
• the encryption password is stored safely.

For a machine intended for someone else, press Ctrl + C on the first keyboard screen and choose the prepare-for-another-owner flow. Personal settings are then deferred to the owner's first boot.

5. Select the target and install

Keep default encryption, read the formatting confirmation, and start installation. The official guide notes that this may complete in under a minute on very fast hardware and normally within minutes on older hardware; USB, network, and disk speed vary. Do not force power off merely because five minutes elapsed. Record a persistent error before troubleshooting.

For a disposable VM or protected machine that explicitly contains no sensitive data, Ctrl + C on the disk-format confirmation offers an unencrypted install. This is not recommended for an everyday computer.

6. First boot and acceptance check

1. Reboot only after the installer reports completion and remove the USB.
2. If the installer returns, choose the internal disk from UEFI.
3. Unlock with the encryption password created during installation.
4. In the desktop, run:

omarchy --help
omarchy debug

Test network, audio, displays, input, suspend, and reboot, then follow the first-day checklist. System snapshots exclude /home, so establish a separate user-data backup. If the USB, installer, formatting, or first boot stops, use the installation troubleshooting guide before repeating disk operations.

Sources: Omarchy Getting Started, Omarchy Mac support, and the Caligula README.