I have been using linux since I was in highschool in the late 90s. I was mesmorized by it. Before it, all I knew for an operating system was DOS and Windows. I didn't even think any other operating system for the common user existed. I knew of Unix and even saw Novell Netware in that time. But could there possibly be something better?

Back then, it was super fun to mess with a computer down at that level. Learning how to program it to do what you wanted even closer to the hardware. Customizing the kernel to include functionality you never thought your computer could do. Taking your parents old work laptop and making it feel crazy fast by comparison to windows. KDE was my desktop of choice on gentoo. I was compiling apps from scratch, getting the maximum out of my processors potential. It had office apps, it had web browsers, video players, games (but limited), wine even existed. Amarok even existed as an iTunes equivalent.

Yet, after all these years, Linux never took hold as a Desktop solution. Why? The barrier was great. The barrier was a trophy to be proud of. You weren't just a mindless consumer buying a computer from your local store. You had the technical know how, to take that computer you built yourself, or even bought, and repurpose it to your needs on your own. No company telling you how you should be using it. This, if you think about it, is how even homebrew computers became a thing. Consumer computers started with people hacking electronic components together to create something you used to have to rent time to use!

And now, here we are in 2026. Omarchy, created by DHH, has become more popular than anyone ever expected. Why is it, someone who never had anything to do with operating systems or the history of linux development, made an OS so popular that even Michael Dell is willing to throw his hat in for it. Because, it bridges the gap.

I started my career in web development with early Ruby on Rails. Back when people were asking for 5 years of experience in the platform when it only existed for two. I loved it and it still is a treat to work in. I have since moved on, contributing to a Groovy and Grails ecosystem and co-founding Morpheus with my friend and colleague (story for another time). This is something new, something with legs growing faster than anything I have ever seen before. 

Accelerated by A.I. and a public disdain for what became of modern personal computing. Perhaps, in the interest of making computers approchable by literally anyone, we lost some of what made computers so fascinating. We lost the magic, the sense of accomplishment when we made the machine do things we didn't expect it could. And we made them do it on our own.

Omarchy bridges these worlds. It makes Linux approachable to anyone with its sub-second install times, a baseline configuration that feels delightful, and it's beautifully pleasing to look at. Yet, it is Infinately customizable. It shows an enthusiasm and drive, to move beyond the 2 main Operating Systems that dominate the world (Windows and MacOS).

This, Truly, Could work. And I hope it does.