Install Apps and Development Tools on Omarchy

Prefer software sources in this order: an integrated option in the Omarchy menu, the official Arch repository, an installation path explicitly supported upstream, and only then the AUR or an external script. Each step away from the default adds maintenance responsibility.

Install through the Omarchy menu

Press Super + Space. The Install tree groups editors, terminals, development environments, AI, games, services, and other applications. These integrations can also update default-app, theme, or hotkey settings.

Search normal Arch packages under Install → Package, or use:

omarchy pkg add <package>

Remove one through Remove → Package or:

omarchy pkg drop <package>

Read the proposed package list before confirming. Removal can include configuration and unneeded dependencies, so preserve important configuration first.

Official repositories versus AUR

Official repository packages are packaged and signed within Arch's process. The AUR contains community build recipes and is not an Arch security review. Before using Install → AUR, inspect:

• what the PKGBUILD downloads and executes;
• upstream domains, signatures, and checksums;
• maintainer and last update;
• whether an official package already exists;
• reports of abandoned or taken-over packages.

Avoid third-party “install everything” commands built around an opaque curl | sh pipeline.

Editors, terminals, and daily applications

The default setup includes Foot, Neovim/LazyVim, and several TUIs. The menu offers Ghostty, Alacritty, Kitty, VS Code, Cursor, Zed, Sublime Text, Helix, Vim, and Emacs. Choose installed defaults under Setup → Defaults.

Validate office, writing, browser, password-manager, media, and gaming software one workflow at a time. Pay special attention to:

• Office macros, advanced layout, and collaborative comments;
• browser acceleration, conferencing, and screen sharing;
• vault recovery and two-factor authentication;
• Steam anti-cheat and graphics drivers;
• audio/video devices in Spotify, VLC, OBS, and Kdenlive.

An application launching successfully does not prove that a production workflow is compatible.

Official software links

Prefer the Omarchy menu to preserve its integrations. Use upstream sites to verify licensing, requirements, and release provenance; do not copy Ubuntu or Debian installation commands into Arch unchanged.

Language environments with mise

Install → Development covers Node.js, Bun, Deno, Ruby, Python, Go, Rust, Java, PHP, Elixir, .NET, and more. Many runtimes are managed by mise, which supports multiple versions.

Typical commands are:

mise use -g node@lts
node --version
npm --version

mise use -g python@latest
python --version

mise use -g ruby@latest
ruby --version
mise current

Use global versions for general tools and pin a project version from its root:

cd ~/Work/example-project
mise use node@22
mise install
mise current

This writes the project's mise configuration; inspect git diff before committing. Before opening an older repository, inspect .tool-versions, mise.toml, lockfiles, and its README instead of silently replacing its runtime.

Docker's permission model

Omarchy does not add the user to the docker group by default because that group is effectively passwordless root. The default workflow is:

sudo docker ps
sudo docker compose up
sudo docker compose ps
sudo docker compose logs --tail=100

If you accept the risk, Setup → Security → Sudoless Docker enables the convenient mode. Do not trade away the boundary without understanding that a malicious dependency could mount and alter the host filesystem.

GitHub and project recovery

The first gh invocation lazy-installs GitHub CLI. Authenticate and verify it:

gh auth login
gh auth status
gh repo clone OWNER/REPOSITORY

Replace the placeholders and never put a token in the command. Use the current Git, Docker, and mise documentation as upstream references. Restore private keys, signing keys, and credentials through their dedicated procedures. Do not copy an entire old .ssh or vault directory without reviewing ownership and permissions.

Finally, clone a non-critical project and run dependency installation, tests, build, and a Git push. That proves the toolchain, not just the installer, works. Continue with the Foot, Tmux, and LazyVim workflow.

Sources: Omarchy Development Tools, Other Packages, and Terminal.