Omarchifying Linux Mint

I was actually pretty close to switching from Linux Mint to Omarchy.

I really like the idea behind it — keyboard-first navigation, workspaces, tiling, minimal distractions, and generally getting around the computer without constantly reaching for the mouse.

But the amount of marketing around it, and my broader skepticism whenever Big Tech funding or influence enters projects and ecosystems, made me hesitate.

Then I realized: why switch at all?

Linux Mint already works extremely well for me. Instead of replacing the whole OS for a workflow, I could just bring the parts I liked into Mint.

So I started Omarchifying Linux Mint.

My setup is intentionally simple.

Workspaces

Super + 1…9 → switch workspace

Super + Shift + 1…9 → move the current window to that workspace

This alone changed how I use the desktop. I can mentally dedicate workspaces to different things and jump directly between them.

Windows

Super + F → toggle fullscreen

For tiling:

Ctrl + Super + ← → left
Ctrl + Super + → → right
Ctrl + Super + ↑ → top
Ctrl + Super + ↓ → bottom

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And I use the same idea for corner positioning with Super + Shift + Arrow.

Terminal

Super + Enter → terminal

Probably one of my most-used shortcuts.

Brave

I also lean heavily on Brave’s own keyboard shortcuts once I’m inside the browser — opening and closing tabs, jumping between tabs, reopening tabs, focusing the address bar, and so on.

The goal isn’t to make Linux Mint visually identical to Omarchy.

It’s to steal the workflow I liked.

And after using Mint this way, I’m not sure I actually need to change distributions anymore.

The Doikayt angle

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

This is also a tiny example of something I like about the philosophy around Doikayt: don’t assume the default answer is replacing one packaged ecosystem with another.

Take what is useful. Understand how it works. Configure it yourself.

Linux gives us that freedom.

For me, de-big-techifying isn’t only about which products I uninstall. It’s also about becoming less dependent on someone else deciding what my computing environment should look like.

My Linux Mint doesn’t need to become Omarchy.

It needs to become mine.