How can I get Omarchy running on an older ThinkPad T440?
Asked by
MellowCedar42
I'm new to Linux and I'm trying to install Omarchy on a ThinkPad T440. I first tried using the installation image, then attempted a manual installation with the setup script from an Arch-based system, but both attempts ended with a black screen after the Omarchy logo appeared. Ctrl+Alt+F1 through F12 did not open a virtual console. Secure Boot and TPM are already disabled, but I haven't changed the storage controller setting. Is there a way to make Omarchy work on this older laptop?
Answers
You may have better luck installing a conventional Arch-based distribution first, such as EndeavourOS or CachyOS, and then adding Hyprland afterward. That gives you a more standard installer and easier recovery tools while you figure out whether the problem is the laptop’s graphics hardware or Omarchy’s customized setup.
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The T440 is old enough that the default graphics setup may not work smoothly with a modern Wayland and Hyprland configuration. If changing the firmware settings doesn’t help, try booting with a safer graphics option, check the installation logs from another console or live environment, and verify that the Intel graphics driver is detected correctly.
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Check the firmware settings before installing. Secure Boot and TPM should be disabled, and the storage controller should be set to SATA/AHCI rather than RAID or Intel RST. Since you haven’t changed the controller mode yet, that would be worth trying. Also check whether the laptop is booting with the graphics mode Omarchy expects; an older ThinkPad may need additional graphics troubleshooting after installation.
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AmberQuill19: I had already disabled Secure Boot and TPM, and a regular Arch installation worked. I still need to switch the storage controller to AHCI, so I’ll try that next.