I Wrote a Free Omarchy Course, From Zero to Hero

Stepan Manookian — Tue, 20 Oct 2026 02:16:39 +0000

So here is why this course exists.

I started using Omarchy recently. I wanted to learn how to use it properly, and what I actually get out of it.

From there I kept thinking about other people. People who are thinking about starting with Omarchy and are not sure yet. People who installed it and are somehow lost. And people who have used it for years but want good step-by-step instructions to deepen what they know.

So I wrote the course I would have wanted. It is free, and it stays free.

What is in it

25 modules and a capstone, in ten parts. Over 120,000 words in total, each module broken into short, numbered sections with one idea each.

Part	Modules	What you get
I · Build It	00	From bare metal to a working Omarchy install: drives, dual boot, UEFI, encryption, first boot.
II · Understand It	01–02	What Omarchy actually is, and the Linux concepts a developer really needs.
III · Operate It	03–05	The desktop from the keyboard, the terminal, and tmux.
IV · Build Software	06–08	Runtimes with mise, Git and GitHub, and the editor.
V · AI-Native Development	09–10	Coding agents on Omarchy, and a workflow that keeps their changes reviewable.
VI · Customize It	11–14	Hyprland config, keybindings, themes and fonts, hooks and automation.
VII · Control the System	15–17	Audio, Bluetooth, network, displays, toggles, and default apps.
VIII · Keep It Healthy	18–20	Updates, recovery, and the boot chain.
IX · Own It	21–22	Security, and a workstation you can rebuild from your own config.
X · Master It	23–24	Troubleshooting by layer, and the full stack you built.

The capstone puts it all together: build and prove your own AI and software-development workstation.

How it teaches

The rule running through the whole course: verify, don't memorize. Omarchy changes. So instead of asking you to trust a list, every module shows you how to check the current state on your own machine.

Each lesson unlocks in parts. You read a short stage, answer a quick knowledge check in most lessons, and mark it done. Progress stays in your browser. There are real screenshots from an Omarchy desktop throughout and diagrams where a picture explains the idea better.

What comes with it

All free, no account:

Handbook PDFs — the whole course as two print-ready volumes: Volume I (modules 00–12) and Volume II (13–24).
Keybindings cheat sheet — every shortcut the course teaches, on three pages.
Shortcut Trainer — the cheat sheet in your browser, with flashcards and a 60-second sprint.
Verify script — checks your actual machine instead of a self-ticked checklist. Download it, read it, then run it.
Superkey — a desktop plugin where a small robot asks you to press a real shortcut and confirms it worked. Its lessons line up with Modules 3, 5, 8, and 15.

If you live in LazyVim, Lazynator does the same thing inside Neovim.

Who it is for

Thinking about Omarchy? Read Modules 00 and 01 first. You will know what you are getting into before you touch a drive.
Installed it and a bit lost? Start at Module 03. The desktop, terminal, and tmux modules are where Omarchy starts to make sense.
Using it for years? Jump to Parts VI to X: config, recovery, the boot chain, security, and troubleshooting.

Free means free

No paywall, no email gate, no "premium tier" for this course. You can sign up for the newsletter if you want to hear when new modules or courses ship, but nothing in the course depends on it.

Start here: stevinator.com/courses/omarchy

I hope to see you next time. Steve out. Tschau!

DEV Community: Stepan Manookian