{"slug": "bsd-users-can-now-enjoy-omarchy-flavor", "title": "BSD Users Can Now Enjoy Omarchy Flavor", "summary": "FreeBSD co-founder Jordan Hubbard released Daemonarchy v1.3.1, a FreeBSD-based distribution that ports the Omarchy Arch Linux desktop environment, built with help from OpenAI's GPT Astra 6 model. Hubbard said the first pass took under two hours, excluding Poudriere validation builds, and GPT also chose the project's name. The installer requires at least 40 GB of storage, installs everything on ZFS with rollback support and optional encryption, runs on FreeBSD 16.0-CURRENT, preinstalls Chromium, and ships a compatibility layer mapping pacman to pkg; the ISO is a little under 2 GiB.", "body_md": "Jordan Hubbard started [FreeBSD](https://www.freebsd.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) in 1993 with two others, and he has now built Daemonarchy with help from OpenAI’s GPT AI model. The name plays on [Omarchy](https://omarchy.org/?ref=itsfoss.com), with the BSD daemon taking the place of Arch as the base.\n\nAs for Omarchy, it has [grown considerably](https://itsfoss.com/news/omarchy-launches-omacom-foundation/) since we initially covered it as [a one-command script](https://itsfoss.com/news/omarchy/) for Arch. It now installs from an ISO and has managed to pull in massive amounts of funding.\n\nAnyhow, Daemonarchy is only a few weeks old and already has several releases, with v1.3.1 being released a few hours ago.\n\n## Why does this exist?\n\nA few people on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/johubbard_sometimes-the-dividing-line-between-good-share-7511493029736845312-_PRL/?ref=itsfoss.com) were pestering Jordan, saying FreeBSD should be as easy to set up and as pretty as Omarchy. That got him wondering, “*Why doesn’t that already exist?*”\n\nHe was testing [GPT Astra 6](https://openai.com/index/gpt-6-astra/?ref=itsfoss.com) at the time and used it to put the project together. **The first pass took under two hours**. That figure leaves out the [Poudriere](https://github.com/freebsd/poudriere?ref=itsfoss.com) builds used to validate it. GPT also picked the name for the project.\n\nThe ports this distro needed went upstream to FreeBSD’s ports tree for review. The [same ports](https://github.com/jordanhubbard/daemonarchy-ports/tree/omarchy?ref=itsfoss.com) also let you install Daemonarchy on top of an existing FreeBSD system.\n\nJordan also credits the ***Wayland***, *** Hyprland***, and *** Arch Linux*** projects for the layers the desktop sits on.\n\n## What does it offer?\n\nThe installer follows Omarchy’s own, and it asks for the usual basics like keyboard layout, account details, hostname, and timezone.\n\nDaemonarchy can take over a whole disk or settle into a partition or free space you pick, with a minimum of 40 GB of storage required. A whole-disk install wipes the drive, while partition mode overwrites only the partition you select.\n\nBecause the installer won’t shrink existing filesystems, anyone dual-booting has to make room from the other OS first. Everything lands on ZFS with rollback support, and encryption is optional.\n\n**The desktop is Omarchy itself**, ported over with only the changes FreeBSD requires, and it runs on [FreeBSD 16.0-CURRENT](https://www.freebsd.org/where/?ref=itsfoss.com#:~:text=FreeBSD%2016.0%2DCURRENT). Since `CURRENT` moves daily, each image is pinned to one snapshot.\n\nA [compatibility layer](https://github.com/jordanhubbard/omarchy-freebsd?ref=itsfoss.com) maps `pacman` to `pkg`, backs the Wi-Fi panel with `wpa_supplicant` instead of *NetworkManager*, and uses PipeWire to handle sound. Bluetooth also works for keyboards and mice via FreeBSD’s Bluetooth stack.\n\nApps come from FreeBSD’s own packages, installed with [OctoPkg](https://github.com/aarnt/octopkg?ref=itsfoss.com) under `Install > Packages` or with `pkg`, and **Chromium is preinstalled**. Linux-only apps are being held back until specific versions have been tested under the [Linuxulator](https://wiki.freebsd.org/Linuxulator?ref=itsfoss.com), FreeBSD’s Linux compatibility layer.\n\n**Jails** give you isolated FreeBSD environments that carry their own packages, and **bhyve**, the built-in hypervisor, runs virtual machines for guests like Linux and Windows.\n\nAnd, if you run an upgrade through Omarchy’s update, it applies `pkg upgrade` to your applications and leaves the FreeBSD base and kernel alone. Daemonarchy’s own packages come from a signed repository and fixes land between ISO releases.\n\nThe wallpaper, wordmark, and login theme are the project's own creations.\n\n## 📥 Get Daemonarchy\n\nThe latest [1.3.1 ISO](https://github.com/jordanhubbard/daemonarchy/releases/tag/daemonarchy-1.3.1?ref=itsfoss.com) release is a little under 2 GiB. Put it on a USB drive using `dd` or [a live USB tool](https://itsfoss.com/live-usb-creator-linux/) like *Fedora Media Writer*, then boot from that.\n\nAn **internet connection is required** during the installation while the installer downloads many packages as it progresses. The source code lives on [GitHub](https://github.com/jordanhubbard/daemonarchy?ref=itsfoss.com).\n\nEnjoyed this update? Support independent Linux news coverage\n\nIt's FOSS has been helping people use Linux for the past 14 years. Help us stay independent from big tech. Become a Plus member, enjoy ad-free reading and get 5 eBooks.\n\nSkip the AI slop and SEO spam in your Google results\n\nTell Google you prefer It's FOSS, and it will show our Linux news and tutorials, created by experienced Linux users, more often when you search. It takes just a click.\n\n[Set as preferred source](https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=itsfoss.com)\n\nGet FOSS Weekly in your inbox", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/bsd-users-can-now-enjoy-omarchy-flavor", "canonical_source": "https://feed.itsfoss.com/link/24361/17507094/daemonarchy-overview", "published_at": "2026-10-26 17:35:00+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-10-26 19:42:50.939536+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["artificial-intelligence", "generative-ai", "ai-tools", "developer-tools"], "entities": ["Jordan Hubbard", "FreeBSD", "Daemonarchy", "Omarchy", "OpenAI", "GPT Astra 6", "Arch Linux", "Hyprland"], "also_reported_by": [], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/bsd-users-can-now-enjoy-omarchy-flavor", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/bsd-users-can-now-enjoy-omarchy-flavor.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/bsd-users-can-now-enjoy-omarchy-flavor.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/bsd-users-can-now-enjoy-omarchy-flavor.jsonld"}}