# What Omarchy Actually Is

Someone told you to look at Omarchy, or you saw a screenshot of a gorgeous desktop with no dock, no icons, and windows tiled edge to edge. Then you read "Arch, Hyprland, Quickshell" and every word was new. Before you wipe a drive, you want one thing: a clear picture of what this is and whether it is for you.

This guide gives you that picture. It names the layers, explains the four ways Omarchy will feel different from what you know, and helps you decide, with a safe way to try it. Checked against Omarchy 4.0.4.

## Prerequisite

None. If the word "Linux" itself still feels fuzzy, [Linux From Zero](/guides/linux-from-zero) is a gentle companion, but you can start here without it.

## How to read this

- **Deciding whether to install?** Read [Phase 3](03-is-it-for-you-and-how-to-try-it.md) first, then come back for the why.
- **Want it to finally make sense?** Read in order - each phase builds on the last.

## The phases

1. **[Distro, Desktop, Window Manager: The Layers](01-the-layers.md)** - what each name in "Arch + Hyprland + Quickshell" does, and what "omakase" means.
2. **[The Four Big Shifts](02-the-four-big-shifts.md)** - keyboard-first, tiling windows, configuration as text files, and a rolling release.
3. **[Is It for You, and How to Try It](03-is-it-for-you-and-how-to-try-it.md)** - who Omarchy suits, who it does not, and low-risk ways to find out.

Next in this category: [Installing Omarchy](/guides/installing-omarchy) walks through the install, and [Omarchy for Windows, macOS, and Ubuntu Users](/guides/omarchy-for-windows-macos-and-ubuntu-users) translates your old habits.