Omarchy Web App and PDF Tips for Links, Forms, and Signatures

Many everyday Linux tasks do not require a native client. Omarchy can wrap a website as a focused web app and offers both lightweight PDF viewing and an Xournal++ annotation workflow. The useful test is not merely whether a window opens, but whether login, links, export, and privacy remain under control.

Create a web app

Press Super + Space, open Install → Web App, and provide:

1. an application name;
2. the complete HTTPS URL;
3. a PNG icon URL if Omarchy cannot retrieve a suitable favicon.

The result appears in the app launcher and runs in a frameless web-app window. Dashboard Icons is one possible reviewable icon source, but verify that the image matches the service and may be used in your context.

Log in through a full browser first

The official manual recommends authenticating in the regular browser before launching a web app. The slim wrapper does not interact with extensions such as 1Password as reliably as a full browser. Return to the browser when authentication, passkeys, downloads, or popups do not complete.

Do not disable multi-factor authentication or place a password in launch arguments merely to save a login step. For a work account, also check device compliance, SSO, and data-handling requirements.

Copy the current page URL quickly

In an Omarchy Chromium-family browser or web app, press:

Alt + Shift + L

The current URL enters the system clipboard and can be selected again from Super + Ctrl + V history. Before sharing it, check for search text, file paths, session identifiers, or private-document parameters.

This native messaging integration is not available in Firefox or Zen. If you changed browser families, copy from the address bar or verify support in the current release.

Choose the default browser

Installing another browser does not make it the default. Choose one under Setup → Defaults → Browser, or run:

omarchy default browser firefox

Run the command without an argument to display the current default. It updates the XDG URL handler, so links from chats, terminals, and desktop entries follow the same choice.

Remove a web app cleanly

Use Remove → Web App instead of deleting only its desktop icon. Check for unsynchronized drafts stored only in browser local storage first. Removing the local entry does not sign out the website, revoke sessions, or delete cloud data.

Identify the kind of PDF first

Double-clicking a PDF opens Document Viewer by default. It is a good reader and can fill a PDF that already contains AcroForm fields.

For a scanned document, a page without form fields, or a document that needs free-positioned text or a signature:

1. right-click the PDF in the file manager;
2. choose Open With…;
3. select Xournal++.

Selectable text does not prove that the page has fillable fields. Test one field in a copy before committing to a tool.

Fill and sign with Xournal++

• Use the T tool to type anywhere on a page.
• Use the Image tool to insert and resize a signature image.
• Finish with File → Export as PDF.

Keep the original PDF, an editable working file, and the final export. Reopen the final PDF and inspect every page for position, pagination, fonts, signature clarity, and accidental overlap.

A signature image is sensitive identity material. Store it in a permission-controlled location, not a public sync folder, tutorial screenshot, or Git repository. For contracts, tax, medical, or financial forms, verify whether the recipient accepts an image signature or requires certificate-based signing or a specific platform.

A reliable delivery checklist

1. Download from a trusted source and preserve the original.
2. Determine whether it is a form PDF or a flat page.
3. Fill a copy, using Xournal++ when needed.
4. Export a new PDF rather than overwriting the original.
5. Reopen it and inspect every page.
6. Check filename, metadata, and sensitive content before sharing.
7. Send it through the required channel and confirm the recipient can open it.

See Omarchy 4 hidden tips for more browser, clipboard, and workspace combinations.

Sources: Omarchy Web Apps, Browsers, Filling out PDFs, and the v4.0.2 release.