MedievalOS (Day 8)

Date: August 8, 2026

Last modified: August 9, 2026 (07:30 UTC)

I began using Arch in January of this year once I received my Framework 16. Since my programming skills are close to non-existent but I wanted a tiling window manager, I followed a basic tutorial for setup and installed Hyprland. Truly the only visual difference since then is I have a Chiikawa background, but inspired about learning about the toxicity and transphobia of the creator of Hyprland, I’ve been inspired to remove it from my set-up and reevaluate my design at large. My goals for this design are:

1. Terminal focused. Using the terminal should be prioritized over any GUI.
2. Open-source. All applications should be open-source (the exception will be made for Obsidian).
3. Delightful. It should be genuinely delightful and fun to use and look at!

So why in the title do I call this MedievalOS? It’s quite simple! I’ve been inspired recently by the design of medieval illuminated manuscripts. I love the art style of this period and the flourish all over the designs, along with the strange little marginalia creatures. To give an example:

How can I emulate this design? My ideas are:

• Use of a parchment-color background
• Color palette consisting of gold leaf, malachite green, lapis lazuli blue, saffron yellow, cinnabar red, and oak gall black
• Use of intricate floral, rounded designs
• Depictions of animals in designs

I plan to utilize sway for the design, but I still need to figure out what more I want to add. One day I’ll get started on this…