omacom/try-omarchy

Run Omarchy on MacOS without any setup.

What it solves

Try Omarchy is a macOS app that allows users to run the Omarchy desktop environment as a native, hardware-accelerated application on Apple Silicon Macs. It solves the problem of running a specific Linux-based desktop environment (Omarchy) with high performance and seamless integration into the macOS ecosystem, providing a hardware-accelerated ARM64 virtualization layer.

How it works

The project packages a project-built ARM64 Arch Linux image, a QEMU runtime using Apple's Hypervisor Framework (HVF), and a Swift/AppKit launcher into a single macOS app. It uses a graphics chain involving virglrenderer, ANGLE, and Metal to provide hardware acceleration for the guest OS, translating OpenGL ES commands to Metal for the Apple Silicon GPU. It also implements specific fixes for CPU idle usage, audio dropouts, and clipboard/camera sharing between the host and guest.

Who it’s for

Users with Apple Silicon Macs running macOS 15 or newer who want to experience the Omarchy desktop environment with native-like performance, hardware acceleration, and integrated Mac hardware (camera, audio, and shared folders).

Highlights

  • Hardware-accelerated ARM64 virtualization with VirGL graphics for smooth performance.
  • Seamless Mac integration: Includes two-way clipboard sharing (text and PNGs), shared Mac folders, and on-demand FaceTime HD camera access.
  • Optimized for Apple Silicon: Uses Apple's Hypervisor Framework and GICv3 to significantly reduce idle CPU usage.
  • Flexible Connectivity: Supports loopback-only TCP/UDP port forwarding and easy SSH access to the guest environment.
  • Native macOS Experience: Features a resizable native window with automatic resolution updates and HiDPI scaling.

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