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Hi friend,

At the end of the last issue I promised to talk about the applications you might miss. A bunch of you answered this is the thing keeping you from switching, more than installing, more than the keyboard shortcuts, more than the scary word "Linux." So I moved it up to this week. You asked, I listened. (The shortcuts cheat sheet is still coming. I promise it's worth the wait.)

Here's my honest take after a bit over a month on Omarchy: "But I'll lose my apps" is the number one reason people don't switch operating systems, however it's much less of a problem than it used to be.

Since I've been on Linux for several years already, I already have a lot of alternate, FOSS apps. What is FOSS, you say? That stands for Free Open Source Software. There are lots of alternatives available now, and more being written (or vibe coded) every day. So I can help you find replacements for just about anything you're used to. Omarchy has some apps pre-installed, but you can replace any of those with your own choices, too. I'm still working on that in my own setup, actually. It’s not a problem of scarcity. It’s a problem of over-abundance. How do you choose?

Why this used to be a real problem

For years, the big software companies built for Windows and Mac and treated Linux as an afterthought, if they thought about it at all. Linux folks got "use the website" or a clunky substitute. When I was on Manjaro I made peace with that. I used the browser for a lot, and I did without a few things.

Two things have changed. First, some big names now ship real Linux apps. Second, and this is the fun part, the Omarchy community has gone on a building spree. Spend ten minutes on X searching "built for Omarchy" and you'll see people making Linux versions of Mac and Windows favorites, sometimes in a weekend, often with an AI helper. Many are only weeks or even days old, so think of them as enthusiastic newcomers, not polished products.

Quick note: Omarchy already comes with a lot of the usual suspects (Chromium, LibreOffice, Obsidian, Spotify, 1Password, LocalSend, and a pile of web apps). I'm saving the full tour of those for a future issue (or several issues -- there are lots of them!). So today is about stuff that isn't there out of the box.

The apps

First, a caveat. I have not had time to dive into most of these in depth, or even at all. So use at your own risk, and do your own evaluations for your particular needs or wants.

The Crafting Apps from ArtCraft (free Adobe look-alikes)  ArtCraft is working on releasing a whole family of free, open-source apps, each one modeled on an Adobe program, with the menus, tools, and shortcuts you already know. They run natively on Linux, and they work on your own files with no subscription. They're brand new (out in the last couple of weeks) and labeled "early alpha" or "in development," so things will be missing and some buttons won't work yet. The lineup:

• PhotoCraft for Photoshop (it even opens layered PSD files)
• VectorCraft for Illustrator
• FilmCraft for Premiere Pro
• LightCraft for Lightroom
• PdfCraft for Acrobat
• EffectCraft for After Effects
• DesignCraft for InDesign

Install: each app's page on getartcrat.com has a Linux AppImage download (save it, mark it executable using chmod +x [app name], run it). The GitHub release pages for each app have the Linux downloads too. GitHub can look intimidating, but all you need is the Releases or download link.

I’ve looked at these briefly, and have been impressed with how close they are to the original Adobe products, which I’ve used since 1992. Be sure to read the installation instructions on the GitHub pages, and if you don’t completely understand them, ask an AI for help. Grok Bot, for instance, can install apps for you if you give it access.

An alternative to the ArtCraft suite is OmaDesign, which is also based (more loosely) on Adobe's offerings, but unlike ArtCraft everything is presented in one window, not separate apps.

I don't actually use ChatGPT or Claude desktop apps, since I prefer Grok and Grok Bot, but these are preinstalled, so I'll mention them. By the way, in the past week or so xAI has announced that Grok Bot can use a variety of agents from several companies automatically, selecting the one that’s best for the job, and you don’t necessarily need an API for each of them. So you don’t actually have to choose if you’re using Grok Bot.

This next one is one of my favorites. Voxtype (dictation) If you love Wispr Flow, Dragon, or your Mac's dictation, this one's for you. Hold a key, talk, and your words show up wherever you're typing. It runs on your own computer, so nothing goes to the cloud. Install: Install > AI > Dictation. Then hold F9 (or toggle with Super + Ctrl + X) to talk. You can select your own hotkey if you prefer. I’ve tried this one, and set up my own hotkey (Insert, which usually doesn’t get any use on my keyboard), but any key or combination of keys that isn’t already in use is fine. You do you.

OmaPhoto  Another free, Photoshop-style editor, this one made for Omarchy (it's a port of a Mac app called Compositor) and it matches your Omarchy theme. If PhotoCraft or OmaDesign isn't clicking for you, give this one a spin. Install: paste the one-line Arch/Omarchy command from its GitHub page into a terminal (Super + Return).

Blip (iMessage) Yes, really: iMessage on Omarchy, with blue bubbles, group chats, and a Messages-style window. The catch? You still need a Mac. Blip uses a Mac you own (signed in to Messages, awake, and on your network) as the go-between, and your Omarchy machine becomes the screen you chat on. Install: it's an Omarchy plugin (Setup > Plugins > Add, then paste the GitHub link), followed by a setup script. The author says to budget ten minutes and a trip to the Mac's settings. This is the most "tinker-y" pick on the list. I don’t currently have a working Mac, so I haven’t tried this one.

Teams for Linux Microsoft doesn't make a Teams app for Linux, so a volunteer did. It's an unofficial, well-loved app that wraps Teams with proper notifications and screen sharing. If your job runs on Teams, this is a relief. Install: Open the project's GitHub page (https://github.com/IsmaelMartinez/teams-for-linux), click Releases, and download the Linux file that matches your computer. The .AppImage is usually the easiest: save it, mark it executable, and run it. Again, not one in my workflow, since I’m retired and don’t work with a team like this is intended for.

Flea A speedy file manager built for Omarchy. Mac folks, this is the closest thing to Finder I've seen: column view, a Quick Look–style preview with Space, and a setting to use Mac-style (or Windows-style) keys. It also shows plugged-in phones and cameras. Install: if it's in Omarchy's own package list, use that first. In a terminal, run omarchy pkg add flea && flea --default (the second part makes it your default file manager). If it isn't there yet, open the Flea GitHub page (https://github.com/thisisgm/flea), click Releases, and download the file for your computer. I have this on my Omarchy computer, and find it’s useful, but I still default to Files, which is built-in, and comes up higher on the Omarchy Apps menu. But I use both.

OneDrive Client for Linux Microsoft doesn't make a OneDrive app for Linux either, and this free, long-running project fills the gap by syncing your OneDrive files to a folder. Setup happens in the terminal, but it's a one-time thing. (Prefer clicking? Insync is a paid app that syncs Google Drive, OneDrive, and Dropbox.) Install: Open the project's GitHub page (https://github.com/abraunegg/onedrive), click Releases for the download, or follow the install instructions in its docs for your Linux version. I haven’t tried this one yet since I’ve resisted most cloud-based storage except Dropbox, which has an easy to use menu bar icon in Omarchy, ready to set up, that also can sync to your hard drive so you don’t need to store all your data locally.

LibreOffice can mostly replace Microsoft 365, but it does default to its own file formats. You can save in the Microsoft versions, but it takes a bit more effort and isn’t 100% compatible. OpenOffice suite does the same and uses the same formats as Microsoft products, but it is still a bit rough around the edges on Omarchy. I prefer it, but have removed it after having some problems, although I will probably revisit it when I have time.

This just scratches the surface. Over time I’ll mention other applications you might find useful, but this week’s issue is full enough for now.

What's the AUR, anyway? It stands for Arch User Repository, a huge community catalog of extra software for Arch-based systems like Omarchy. Volunteers maintain it, not the official Arch team. That openness is why so many apps showed up there, and also why malware has become a problem lately, so Omarchy is moving away from the Install > AUR menu and pointing people to project pages on GitHub instead.

A friendly reminder: anything on GitHub is still made by volunteers, not checked by the Arch or Omarchy teams. Stick to projects with lots of users, and if a project is brand new, give it a few weeks. The Releases page on a project's GitHub is the safer default for these community apps, and it's where people on X usually link, so learn how to use GitHub (https://github.com) to find apps.

When there's no Linux version

Sometimes the app you love just isn't there. Don't despair. You have several options, including these:

• Make it a web app. Lots of "apps" are really websites in disguise. Install > Web App turns any site into its own window in your menu. Sign in with your regular browser first.
• Run Windows in a window. Install > Windows sets up a Windows virtual machine for things like genuine Microsoft Office. It needs plenty of disk space and your own Windows license, and it's not for gaming.
• Try an alternative. Search the menu's Install > Package for what the app does ("photo editor," "budget") instead of its name. You might find something you like even better.
• Ask on X. Join or follow one or more of the Omarchy-related accounts at X.com, and post a question about what's available. You'll likely be amazed at how friendly and helpful the community is!

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Now it's your turn. What's the one app you're most worried about losing? Hit reply and tell me. I read every message, and I'll go hunting for answers for a future issue. And if you've found a great "built for Omarchy" app, send it my way!

Warmly,
Katherine

Worth a follow

A few X accounts that help if you're learning Omarchy:

@omarchy — the official account
@SundayBuildClub — Sunday Builders Club — community Spaces (builds and hangouts)
@omarchyupdates — community-run, not official, but useful for catching what's changing

Coming next issue: Omarchy is a “beautiful, opinionated, agentic Linux”. What does that mean, and what are agents good for?