> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://itsfoss.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # BSD Users Can Now Enjoy Omarchy Flavor - URL: https://itsfoss.com/news/daemonarchy-overview/ - Published: 2026-10-26T17:35:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-26T17:35:00.000Z - Description: Daemonarchy keeps Omarchy’s installer and look, with FreeBSD handling the system underneath. - Author: Sourav Rudra - Tags: News, BSD 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. As 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. Anyhow, Daemonarchy is only a few weeks old and already has several releases, with v1.3.1 being released a few hours ago. ## Why does this exist? ![daemonarchy network demo](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2026/10/daemonarchy-network-demo.png) A few people on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/johubbard%5Fsometimes-the-dividing-line-between-good-share-7511493029736845312-%5FPRL/?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?*” He 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. The 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. Jordan also credits the ***Wayland***, ***Hyprland***, and ***Arch Linux*** projects for the layers the desktop sits on. ## What does it offer? The installer follows Omarchy’s own, and it asks for the usual basics like keyboard layout, account details, hostname, and timezone. Daemonarchy 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. Because 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. **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. A [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. Apps 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. **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. And, 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. The wallpaper, wordmark, and login theme are the project's own creations. ## 📥 Get Daemonarchy The 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. [Daemonarchy](https://github.com/jordanhubbard/daemonarchy/releases?ref=itsfoss.com) An **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).