Ryoku: customise the desktop and give AI agents useful context

What you are starting with

Ryoku combines a Linux desktop, settings Hub, applications and an optional AI layer called Rashin. The video covers Arch and stable CachyOS editions. It is a useful option to investigate if you like the idea of a prepared desktop but want to change its appearance and the way windows behave.

Luke has not installed or run Ryoku for this video. The explanations below follow the approved narration and Ryoku’s documentation. They are a route through the documented controls, not results from a hands-on test.

Change the wallpaper, palette and saved look

Ryoku uses matugen to derive a colour palette from a wallpaper and apply it to supported desktop surfaces. A rice is a saved collection of appearance choices, including the wallpaper, bar settings and widgets. Keep wallpaper changes and palette changes separate when you want a consistent colour scheme.

1. Press Super + W to open the wallpaper picker. Super is normally the Windows key on a PC keyboard.
2. The menu shown in the video uses Shift + S inside the picker, then Theme → Palette behaviour → Fixed palette. The live theming documentation checked on 4 November instead describes Settings → Appearance for themes and Settings → Shell → Match wallpaper for the colour behaviour. Follow the controls present in your version.
3. Choose the colours you want. Use the Rices tab to save a look, switch to another or export it for a second machine. Check which settings are included before relying on an export as a backup.

Choose how your windows work

Hyprland arranges windows in a tiling layout; niri uses scrolling columns. The Hub can switch between supported window managers without reinstalling the operating system. Try the same small task in each: a browser beside a terminal, then switching focus while typing.

1. In Hyprland, Super + Enter opens a terminal and Super + B opens a browser.
2. Use Super + an arrow to change focus, and Super + Shift + an arrow to move a window. Super + A floats the active window.
3. Use the Hub’s window-manager controls to try niri. Judge whether the scrolling arrangement suits your normal work; a different screenshot alone does not establish a better workflow.

Use the Hub before editing configuration files

Super + comma opens the Hub. It brings displays, shortcuts, animations, power and bar settings together. Search for blur to find the relevant control. Bar Studio handles the bar’s appearance and widgets.

RyoStore contains themes, plugins and software bundles. The video also introduces Ryotunes for music, Ryoport for virtual machines and remote connections, and RyoManager for processes and performance. Optional apps can be left out during installation; consult the current documentation before changing a machine you depend on.

Understand what Rashin gives an agent

Rashin builds a local vault of Markdown maps describing hardware, drivers, packages and desktop configuration, including changes from the supplied setup. Claude Code, Codex and other agents can read that context before deciding where a setting lives or how to reload it. A useful map is different from proof that an agent’s proposed change is correct.

The integrated route shown in the documentation is Settings → Rashin → Set up Hermes agent. Choose a provider and model, connect the agent to the vault, and use the local dashboard to inspect the maps and open a chat. This guide does not claim that Luke completed that setup.

The vault and dashboard are local. If you select a cloud model, requests still go to that provider and use its access and pricing. Inspect the context and intended change before allowing an agent to alter important settings.

Choose a machine or VM before downloading

Start at the official Ryoku site and its Install Ryoku documentation for the current ISO, signature and hardware requirements. The x86-64 image discussed in the video targets Intel or AMD PCs. On Apple Silicon, an x86-64 image requires emulation; it is not an ARM Linux guest or the download-and-launch Mac app shown in the Omarchy video.

The site and documentation have shown different version labels, defaults and hardware recommendations. Use the current instructions for the exact image you choose rather than treating a number or menu placement in this video as permanent.

1. Back up important files and choose a spare machine or suitable virtual machine for an initial trial. Confirm its architecture, firmware and graphics compatibility against the current official requirements.
2. Download the ISO and matching verification material from the official route. Follow the documented signature and fingerprint checks before writing it to USB or booting it in a VM.
3. Follow the installer’s current prompts and inspect the target disk carefully. The whole-disk option erases that target; do not choose it for a disk whose contents you need to retain.
4. After installation, remove the installation media and use the welcome tour. Make one small desktop change at a time so you can identify what changed.

Compare it with the work you actually do

For a useful comparison with Omarchy or your existing desktop, repeat the same few tasks: arrange your working windows, change a theme, find a setting and inspect what an agent knows about your machine. Record what feels easier, what needs manual repair and which optional components you actually need.

A full installation test and direct Ryoku-versus-Omarchy comparison remain future work for Luke. This guide is free and requires no email; the official product and documentation links below are the source for current downloads and setup details.

The takeaway

Pick the window workflow you want, learn the Hub’s controls and inspect the context an agent receives. Test those choices on a suitable machine before relying on the setup for daily work.