How to Install WezTerm on Omarchy Linux (When the Standard Package Fails)

I tried installing WezTerm on Omarchy via the normal WezTerm package, but nothing happened when I went to lanuch it.

Well, it looks like I’m not the only one.

The standard wezterm package from Arch’s extra repository has compatibility issues with Hyprland (not specifically Omarchy).

The Problem

When you install WezTerm the normal way:

sudo pacman -S wezterm

It installs successfully, but launching it does nothing. No window appears, no error messages, nothing. This happens because the packaged version lags behind WezTerm’s latest release and lacks proper Wayland/Hyprland support.

The Solution: Install wezterm-git from AUR

The fix is to install the -git version from the Arch User Repository (AUR), which builds from the latest source and includes proper Hyprland support.

Step 1: Remove the Broken Package

First, remove the standard WezTerm package:

sudo pacman -R wezterm

Step 2: Install wezterm-git from AUR

Install the working version using yay:

yay -S wezterm-git

This builds WezTerm from source, which takes a few minutes but ensures you get the latest version with full Wayland/Hyprland compatibility.

Step 3: Launch WezTerm

After installation completes, launch WezTerm:

wezterm start --always-new-process

Setting WezTerm as Your Default Terminal

Now that WezTerm is working, you’ll want to set it as your default terminal so it launches when you press SUPER + RETURN. Check out my guide on how to set your default terminal in Omarchy.

Why This Works

According to the WezTerm documentation and confirmed in this GitHub issue, the version in Arch’s extra repository can lag significantly behind the latest WezTerm release. The -git version pulls from the main development branch, which includes:

• Latest Wayland compositor support
• Hyprland-specific fixes
• Recent performance improvements
• Up-to-date features

The tradeoff is a slightly longer installation time (since it compiles from source), but you get a terminal that actually works.

Keeping wezterm-git Updated

Since this is an AUR package, update it with:

yay -Syu wezterm-git

Or just run your regular system updates and yay will handle it.