I Almost Switched to Omarchy. Instead, I Omarchified Linux Mint.

E S Sahal Hussain — Sun, 04 Oct 2026 04:52:04 +0000

I was almost ready to install Omarchy.

The workflow looked great. Keyboard-first, fast workspaces, tiling, minimal mouse usage — pretty much how I wanted to use my computer.

But I stopped before switching.

I'm generally becoming more skeptical when a project or ecosystem starts getting surrounded by heavy marketing and Big Tech money or influence. That doesn't automatically make the software bad. It just makes me want to look twice before jumping onto the next hyped thing.

Then I had a much simpler thought:

Why replace Linux Mint when I already like Linux Mint?

So I started stealing the parts of the Omarchy workflow that I actually wanted.

My setup

The biggest change was workspaces.

Super + 1…9 → switch workspace

Super + Shift + 1…9 → move the current window there

This is probably the change that made Mint feel the most different.

For windows:

Super + F → fullscreen

Ctrl + Super + ← → ↑ ↓ → tile the window

And:

Super + Enter → terminal

Inside Brave, I use its keyboard shortcuts heavily too — switching tabs, closing tabs, reopening them, jumping to the address bar, etc.

That's basically it.

No massive customization project. No need to make Cinnamon look exactly like Hyprland. I just wanted the workflow.

And surprisingly, that was enough.

A small Doikayt connection

learn more here -> https://doikayt.org

This is also why I find the idea behind Doikayt interesting.

Technological independence doesn't have to mean constantly finding a new platform to depend on.

Sometimes it's much simpler:

Keep what works. Take what you like. Change what you don't.

Instead of changing my entire operating system because somebody built a workflow I liked, I made that workflow work on my existing system.

Maybe that's a small form of de-big-techifying too.

Not chasing the next ecosystem.

Just making your computer yours.

My first hacktoberfest

E S Sahal Hussain — Mon, 23 Oct 2023 06:19:39 +0000

Introduction

This October, I took my first step into the world of open source by participating in Hacktoberfest. It was an exciting and rewarding experience that I'd like to share with you all.

Why I Participated

Before Hacktoberfest, I was a bit hesitant about contributing to open-source projects. I had some misconceptions, like it's only for experts or it's too complicated. But I decided to give it a shot, and I'm so glad I did!

My Contributions

I contributed to several projects during Hacktoberfest, fixing bugs, adding features, and even improving documentation. Here are some of the highlights:

CONTRIBUTING GUIDELINES: Link to Project 1
- This is my very first PR in Github. Basically this was just simple markdown file which had guidelines for internship program.
DECENTRALIZATION OF FINANCE SYSTEM: Link to Project 2
- I gave an idea to Idea template of a company.
NUMBER EIGHT TO BOOMER FONT: Link to Project 3
- I made character 8 to a custom font told by the maintainer.
WEATHER APP USING OPEN WEATHER: Link to Project 4
- Simple weather app using API and Tkinter.
README UPDATED: Link to Project 5
- Change in tabular data as told by the maintainer.

What I Learned

Hacktoberfest taught me a lot:

The open-source community is welcoming and diverse.
You don't need to be an expert to contribute.
The satisfaction of helping others and improving software.

Tips for Future Participants

If you're thinking about participating in Hacktoberfest, here are some tips:

Start with issues labeled "good first issue" or "beginner-friendly."
Read project guidelines and follow coding standards.
Be patient and don't be afraid to ask for help.

Conclusion

Hacktoberfest was an amazing journey for me, and I encourage everyone to participate. It's a great way to learn, connect with others, and give back to the open-source community.

I hope in next year I will upgrade myself to contribute to more code intensive projects.

Let's continue the conversation in the comments. Share your Hacktoberfest experiences and tips!

DEV Community: E S Sahal Hussain