try omarchy
Try Omarchy without installing it.
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.
The real thing, on Windows 11: the Omarchy menu, the welcome screen, the screensavers. All of it running live in the Try Omarchy window.
why try it here
Nothing to undo
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.
It's the real thing
This is the real Omarchy desktop, running on your machine. Every theme, every screensaver, the whole experience. Not a slideshow of someone else's screen.
It's fast
It draws with your actual graphics card, so the desktop feels quick and video plays smoothly. It boots straight to the desktop in seconds.
It behaves like an app
It runs in a normal window, not a VM console. The Windows key drives Omarchy while the window is focused and Windows everywhere else, copy and paste crosses both ways, and every launch after the first goes straight to the desktop.
how it works
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.
try it today
This is a developer preview, so there are two steps. First, get your PC ready. This one-time setup switches on the virtualization Windows already includes, installs QEMU, and pulls the Omarchy image (about 1.4 GB). If it asks to restart, restart and run it once more. From a PowerShell run as Administrator:
> irm https://tryomarchy.com/bootstrap.ps1 -OutFile bootstrap.ps1 > powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File .\bootstrap.ps1
Then download TryOmarchy.exe (7 MB) and double-click it. Omarchy sets itself up, and after that every launch goes straight to the desktop. No sign-in screens, no console text.
The app isn't signed yet, so SmartScreen may warn you. Click "More info", then "Run anyway". If you'd rather check the download first, the SHA256 is published next to it.
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.
questions
Is this official?
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.
Will it mess up my PC?
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.
Do I need Windows 11 Pro?
No, Home works too. It uses the same Windows feature WSL2 runs on, so there's nothing special to enable.
What kind of PC do I need?
If your PC can run WSL2, it can run this. On our mid-range Ryzen 5 test laptop, the desktop is up about six seconds after launch.
How do I actually install Omarchy?
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.