Omarchy 4.5 RC1 brings Arch to Snapdragon X and NVIDIA N1X laptops, plus per-monitor workspaces and a floating dock
The tiling-first Arch distro gets an aarch64 ISO tested on four named laptops, 50 languages and a rebuilt notification stack. It's a release candidate, so install it on a spare machine.
initial AArch64 support centered around Snapdragon X and NVIDIA N1X laptop support
Comprehensive take
The Arm port is the story, but the credible part is that the notes name four specific laptops and explain the firmware path. Treat it as a promising RC for spare hardware, and wait for the final release before trusting it as a daily driver.
Use cases
Snapdragon X and N1X laptop owners
A purpose-built aarch64 ISO and kernel for the Yoga Slim 7x, ThinkPad T14s, ProArt P14 and XPS 16.
Multi-monitor tiling users
Per-monitor workspaces that persist across replugging address a long-standing annoyance.
Developers who want an agent-ready Arch setup
The notes add dictation and extra agent options (Kimi, Grok, multiple Claude and Codex subscriptions).
Specs
| Release | v4.5.0-rc1, 20 Oct (pre-release) source |
|---|---|
| Arm hardware tested | Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x, ThinkPad T14s (Snapdragon X); ASUS ProArt P14, Dell XPS 16 (NVIDIA N1X) source |
| Languages | 50 source |
| Boot menu wait | About 6 s down to 1 s (Limine) source |
| Upgrade path | Update > Channel > RC, then Update > Omarchy source |
Insights
- This is a release candidate; the project itself says to test on non-critical hardware.
- Snapdragon X support relies on firmware copied from the Windows partition, like other Linux distributions.
- Apple Silicon is groundwork only: the Mac fork is merging, but upstream M-series support remains limited.
Axion Scorecard
Overall: 6.7
Not yet scored — no cited data
Not yet scored — no cited data
Not yet scored — no cited data
Per-monitor workspaces, floating dock and an aarch64 port in one release. source
Four named Arm laptops, x86_64 and aarch64 ISOs with published checksums, 50 languages. source
Release candidate only; final date not stated. source
Not yet scored — no cited data
Omarchy has been an x86_64 distribution since day one: an opinionated Arch Linux setup that boots into a tiling desktop with sensible defaults. Release 4.5, whose first release candidate landed on October 20, 2026, is the first to leave that comfort zone. Phoronix flags the headline: initial AArch64 support aimed at Snapdragon X and NVIDIA N1X laptops. The project's release notes are specific about hardware, and that is what makes this worth covering.
What's new
Arm laptops. The notes name the test machines. Snapdragon X: Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x and ThinkPad T14s, running their own aarch64 kernel, with setup pulling GPU and DSP firmware from the Windows partition, selecting the device tree at boot, enabling cameras and turning on hardware video decoding in mpv and Chromium. NVIDIA N1X: ASUS ProArt P14 and Dell XPS 16, on the aarch64 Omarchy kernel with NVIDIA's open driver. A separate aarch64 ISO is published. Apple Silicon is a footnote for now: the Omarchy Mac fork's hardware and desktop support has been merged in, leaving only boot setup in its own packages. Phoronix notes upstream Linux support for newer M-series Macs remains limited.
Desktop changes. Per-monitor workspaces mean Super + 1-0 acts on the monitor you're using, each bar shows only its own workspaces, and a replugged monitor gets its workspaces back. Super + L cycles a workspace between tiling, scrolling and floating layouts; floating workspaces gain a dock with pinned apps and an app grid, and Super + M minimizes to it. Notifications stack by sender with snooze, Do Not Disturb and history. There's a built-in world clock (Elsewhen), video wallpapers, a Super + Grave scratchpad terminal, and 50 languages. Boot waits about one second in the Limine menu instead of six.
Who should try it
If you have one of the four named laptops, this is the first time Omarchy's opinionated setup is an option on Arm, and the project does the unglamorous firmware and device-tree work for you. If you run x86, the per-monitor workspaces, floating dock and notification rework are the reasons to move. The release notes say plainly that this is a release candidate, not a final release: test on a non-critical machine or take a snapshot you can roll back to.
Install and gotchas
Existing installs switch with Update > Channel > RC, then Update > Omarchy. New installs use the x86_64 or aarch64 ISO, and the notes publish SHA256 checksums for both, so verify the download. Snapdragon users should expect the Windows-partition firmware step, which means keeping Windows on the disk or having the firmware files ready. Report bugs at omacom/omarchy on GitHub.
A short hands-on plan
1) Verify the ISO checksum. 2) Install on a spare partition or machine. 3) Check camera, suspend/resume, external displays and video playback first, because those depend most on the new Arm hardware work. 4) Try Super + L layout cycling and a two-monitor workspace replug. 5) File anything odd against v4.5.0-rc1.