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Frequently Asked Questions

Common Questions About OMG

🚀 Getting Started​

What is OMG?​

OMG (Oh My God!) is a unified package manager that combines:

  • System packages (Arch Linux, Debian/Ubuntu)
  • Language runtimes (Node.js, Python, Go, Rust, Ruby, Java, Bun)
  • AUR support (Arch Linux)
  • Security auditing (vulnerability scanning, SBOM)

All in a single, blazing-fast Rust binary.

Why is it called OMG?​

Because of the reaction we want you to have when you see how fast it is. 22x faster than pacman for searches. Your jaw will drop.

What platforms are supported?​

PlatformStatusNotes
Arch Linux✅ FullAll features
Manjaro✅ FullSame as Arch
EndeavourOS✅ FullSame as Arch
Debian/Ubuntu🔶 ExperimentalNo AUR equivalent
Fedora/RHEL🔜 PlannedComing soon
macOS🔜 PlannedHomebrew integration
Windows🔜 PlannedChocolatey/Winget

How do I install OMG?​

# One-liner
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/PyRo1121/omg/main/install.sh | bash

# Or build from source
git clone https://github.com/PyRo1121/omg.git
cd omg && cargo build --release
cp target/release/omg ~/.local/bin/

🔒 Privacy & Telemetry​

Does OMG collect any data?​

By default, OMG collects anonymous usage data to improve the product:

  • One-time install ping (random UUID, version, platform)
  • Command usage statistics
  • Error reports

No personal data, package names, or file contents are ever collected.

How do I opt out of telemetry?​

During installation:

curl -fsSL https://... | OMG_NO_TELEMETRY=1 bash

After installation:

# Add to your shell config
export OMG_TELEMETRY=0

Where is data sent?​

Data is sent to api.pyro1121.com. The telemetry endpoint only accepts:

  • Install counts (for GitHub badge)
  • Anonymous command usage patterns
  • Error reports with stack traces (no user data)

⚡ Performance​

How is OMG so fast?​

  1. No subprocess overhead — Direct library integration (libalpm, rust-apt)
  2. Persistent daemon — In-memory package index with moka caching
  3. Pure Rust — No Python, no shell scripts
  4. Binary protocol — Bincode over Unix sockets for IPC

What are the actual performance numbers?​

OperationOMGpacmanSpeedup
Search6ms133ms22x
Info6.5ms138ms21x
Status7msN/A—
Explicit list1.2ms14ms12x

Does OMG need the daemon to be fast?​

The daemon provides maximum speed, but OMG works without it:

  • With daemon: 6ms searches (cached)
  • Without daemon: 50-200ms searches (direct libalpm)

📦 Package Management​

Does OMG replace pacman?​

No. OMG uses pacman/libalpm under the hood. It's a faster interface, not a replacement.

Does OMG replace yay/paru?​

Yes! OMG has built-in AUR support. You don't need a separate AUR helper.

Can I use OMG and yay together?​

Yes, they can coexist. They both use the same pacman databases.

How does AUR building work?​

OMG handles AUR builds with:

  • Parallel builds (configurable concurrency)
  • ccache/sccache support
  • Build caching
  • PGP verification

Configure in ~/.config/omg/config.toml:

[aur]
build_concurrency = 8
enable_ccache = true

🔧 Runtime Management​

What runtimes are supported?​

Native (Pure Rust implementations):

  • Node.js
  • Python
  • Go
  • Rust
  • Ruby
  • Java
  • Bun

Via built-in mise (100+ more):

  • Deno
  • Elixir
  • Erlang
  • Zig
  • Swift
  • .NET
  • PHP
  • And many more...

Does OMG replace nvm/pyenv/rustup?​

Yes, OMG can manage these runtimes directly. However, they can coexist if needed.

How does version detection work?​

OMG checks for version files when you change directories:

  • .nvmrc, .node-version (Node.js)
  • .python-version (Python)
  • rust-toolchain.toml (Rust)
  • .tool-versions, .mise.toml (Multiple)

The shell hook automatically updates PATH.

What is mise and why is it built-in?​

mise is a runtime version manager. OMG bundles it internally to provide access to 100+ runtimes without you needing to install mise separately.

When you omg use deno 1.40.0, OMG:

  1. Checks if deno is a native runtime (it's not)
  2. Downloads mise if needed
  3. Uses mise to install deno

🛡️ Security​

What security features does OMG have?​

  • Vulnerability scanning (ALSA + OSV.dev)
  • SBOM generation (CycloneDX 1.5)
  • PGP verification (Sequoia-OpenPGP)
  • SLSA provenance (Sigstore/Rekor)
  • Secret scanning (20+ credential patterns)
  • Audit logging (tamper-proof, hash-chained)
  • Policy enforcement (grade-based blocking)

What are security grades?​

GradeMeaning
LOCKEDCore packages with SLSA + PGP
VERIFIEDOfficial repo packages (PGP verified)
COMMUNITYAUR packages
RISKPackages with known CVEs

Is OMG safe to use?​

Yes. OMG:

  • Verifies PGP signatures on official packages
  • Runs without root (except for system package installs via sudo)
  • Uses HTTPS for all network requests
  • Maintains tamper-proof audit logs

🐚 Shell Integration​

Which shells are supported?​

  • Zsh (recommended)
  • Bash
  • Fish

Why do I need a shell hook?​

The hook:

  • Updates PATH when you change directories
  • Detects version files automatically
  • Provides fast package count functions for prompts

Will the hook slow down my shell?​

No. The hook is highly optimized:

  • Sub-millisecond execution
  • Uses cached status from daemon
  • Minimal work on each prompt

👥 Team Features​

How do I share my environment with teammates?​

# Capture environment
omg env capture

# Share via Gist
export GITHUB_TOKEN=your_token
omg env share

# Teammate syncs
omg env sync https://gist.github.com/...

What is omg.lock?​

It's an environment lockfile containing:

  • Runtime versions
  • Explicit packages
  • Environment fingerprint

Commit it to version control for reproducible environments.

How does drift detection work?​

omg env check compares your local environment against omg.lock and reports differences.

🔄 History & Rollback​

Does OMG track what I install?​

Yes. All transactions (install/remove/update) are logged to ~/.local/share/omg/history.json.

Can I undo an installation?​

Yes:

# Interactive rollback
omg rollback

# Or specify transaction ID
omg rollback abc123

What are the rollback limitations?​

  • Official packages only (AUR rollback planned)
  • Requires old package versions in cache
  • May need manual dependency resolution

🖥️ TUI Dashboard​

What is omg dash?​

An interactive terminal dashboard showing:

  • Package counts
  • Update status
  • Active runtimes
  • CVE counts
  • Recent activity

What are the keyboard controls?​

KeyAction
qQuit
rRefresh
TabSwitch views

🐳 Containers​

Does OMG support Docker?​

Yes. OMG provides container commands:

omg container shell  # Dev shell
omg container build  # Build image
omg container init   # Generate Dockerfile

Does OMG prefer Docker or Podman?​

OMG prefers Podman for rootless security, but supports both.

🔧 Troubleshooting​

OMG is slow​

# Ensure daemon is running
omg daemon

# Check status
omg status

"Daemon not running"​

# Start daemon
omg daemon

# If socket exists but daemon is dead
rm $XDG_RUNTIME_DIR/omg.sock
omg daemon

Shell hook not working​

# Verify installation
grep "omg hook" ~/.zshrc

# Restart shell completely
exec zsh

See the Troubleshooting Guide for more.​

💰 Licensing​

Is OMG free?​

Yes, OMG is open source under AGPL-3.0-or-later.

Is there a commercial/pro version?​

Commercial licenses are available for organizations that cannot comply with AGPL. Contact for details.

🤝 Contributing​

How can I contribute?​

  • Report bugs on GitHub Issues
  • Submit PRs for features/fixes
  • Improve documentation
  • Share OMG with others

Where is the source code?​

github.com/PyRo1121/omg

📚 More Questions?​