try omarchy
The full Omarchy Linux desktop, running in a window on your Windows 11 PC. No partitions touched, no dual boot, nothing to undo later. When you're done, you delete one file.
Your disk stays exactly as it is. No new partitions, no bootloader, no settings changed. The whole Linux system lives in a single file, and deleting that file is the entire uninstall process.
This is the full Omarchy desktop, not a video or a demo. Every theme, every screensaver, the whole experience, running live on your machine.
It draws with your actual graphics card, so the desktop feels snappy and video plays smoothly. It boots to the desktop in seconds.
Under the hood it's a lightweight virtual machine, using virtualization that Windows already includes (the same one WSL2 uses). A ready-made Omarchy system boots inside a normal app window. Your Windows apps keep working like always; the Linux desktop just lives in its own window.
Want the technical details? They're all written up in FINDINGS.md.
This is a developer preview. There's no polished installer yet, so setup means pasting two commands into PowerShell. If that's not your thing, the friendly version is coming. From an elevated PowerShell:
> git clone https://github.com/tsouth89/try-omarchy-windows > cd try-omarchy-windows > powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File scripts\bootstrap.ps1 > powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File scripts\launch-omarchy.ps1
First run downloads about 1.4 GB and may ask to restart once. The first boot walks you through Omarchy's setup form; after that, every launch goes straight to the desktop. No sign-in screens, no console text.
For graphics acceleration, install WINQ-EMU first and the launcher will pick it up automatically. Without it, everything still works, just rendered on the CPU.
No. It's an unofficial project, not affiliated with Omarchy, Basecamp, DHH, or 37signals. Omarchy is their work. If you want the real project, that's omarchy.org.
No. It runs inside Windows' own virtualization, so it's contained. Your files, partitions, and settings are untouched, and the entire Linux system is one file you can delete.
No, Home works too. It uses the same Windows feature WSL2 runs on, so there's nothing special to enable.
If your PC can run WSL2, it can run this. On our mid-range Ryzen 5 test laptop, the desktop is up about seven seconds after launch.
That's the idea: try it here first. When you're ready for the real thing, Omarchy installs straight onto your machine. Head to omarchy.org.