This guide is part of the MusaBase Hyprland series. For a full comparison of all five setups, see the Best Hyprland Dotfiles for Linux: Compared and Tested.
The Linux desktop is currently undergoing its most significant shift in decades as Wayland takes the throne from X11. At the forefront of this revolution is Hyprland, a dynamic tiling window manager that proves you don't have to sacrifice eye-candy for performance. Building your environment from scratch on Arch Linux is the best way to understand the true power of this modern compositor.
Hi all, welcome to MusaBase! In this guide, I will walk you through the process of installing Hyprland on Arch Linux to take your desktop experience to the next level. While setting up a dynamic tiling window manager can be challenging, this tutorial simplifies everything. By the end of this guide, we will have achieved:
- Installation of core dependencies on an Arch Linux system
- Configuration of essential Hyprland and Wayland packages
- Hassle-free deployment of ML4W dotfiles using a single command
- A fully functional, aesthetically pleasing Hyprland desktop environment
We will be using the popular ML4W dotfiles repository to automate the setup and ensure a professional look. Without further ado, let's get started.
Let's do this!
⚡ TL;DR: Install ML4W Dotfiles on Hyprland (Arch Linux)
A quick reference for the essential commands to install the ML4W (My Linux for Work) dotfiles on a minimal Arch Linux system, from core packages and yay to enabling SDDM and running the automated installer.
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Install core dependencies and yay:
sudo pacman -Syu kitty firefox kate hyprland sddm curl wget gitcd ~ git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/yay.git cd yay makepkg -si -
Enable SDDM and log into Hyprland:
sudo systemctl enable --now sddmAt the login screen, enter your password. Once inside Hyprland, press SUPER + Q to open kitty.
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(Optional) Fix slow/failed downloads with a DNS change:
sudo nano /etc/resolv.confAdd
nameserver 8.8.8.8ornameserver 1.1.1.1, then save and exit. -
Install ML4W dotfiles using the official installer:
bash <(curl -s https://ml4w.com/os/stable)Wait for the process to complete (10–15 minutes), then reboot:
sudo reboot
💡 After the reboot you will have a fully configured ML4W Hyprland desktop. If you encounter any issues, refer to the detailed steps in the guide above. The old one‑line curl method (bash <(curl -s https://raw.githubusercontent.com/...)) is deprecated and replaced by the ml4w.com script shown here.
Prerequisites
Before you begin the installation of ML4W Hyprland, make sure you have the following essentials in place:
- A base Arch Linux system: This guide does not cover Arch Linux installation itself. If you haven't installed Arch yet, follow my Arch Linux UEFI installation or Arch Linux with Btrfs Filesystem Snapshot Ready guide. Installing without a desktop environment is highly recommended for a clean setup.
- The yay AUR helper: Since most packages for ML4W Hyprland come from the AUR, yay is essential. I've covered yay installation in my complete daily-driver guide.
Note: You don't need to follow the entire daily-driver article, just complete the "Install AUR helper yay" step, then return here to proceed with the ML4W Hyprland installation.
What is Hyprland?
Hyprland is a dynamic tiling Wayland compositor and window manager for Linux, known for its smooth animations, customizable features, and clean codebase. It's written in C++ and focuses on providing a visually appealing and efficient way to manage windows and desktops.
Step 1: Installing Required Dependencies & Packages
In this step, we need to install packages like git, wget, curl and nano etc. And also we are going to install yay. The direct link of ML4W dotfile will install yay and all other required dependencies for it to work but covering these hurdles beforehand will make the installation even more smoother.
1.1: Install Essential Packages
- Run the following command:
sudo pacman -Syu kitty firefox kate hyprland sddm curl wget git
Step 2: Configuring Services
Next, we need to enable and configure services for display, network and Hyprland.
2.1: Enable the SDDM Display Manager
- First we need to enable and start SDDM, so we can log into Hyprland.
- Run the following command:
sudo systemctl enable --now sddm
3.2: Login into Your Hyprland
At the login screen, enter your user's password and press Enter. After a few seconds, you will see the Hyprland desktop:
- Close any welcome dialog, then press SUPER + Q or Meta + Q or WindowsKey + Q to open kitty terminal emulator.
Step 4: Install the ML4W (My Linux for Work) Dotfiles
- Now that everything is set up, let's install the ML4W Dotfiles.
- In the kitty terminal, run this command:
bash <(curl -s https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mylinuxforwork/dotfiles/main/setup-arch.sh)
Important Update: ML4W has changed its installation method. The old one-line curl script is no longer used. Now, you need to clone the official ml4w-dotfiles-installer repository and install it globally using make install. After that, you can run the installer directly from your system.
- The command for this dotfiles has been updated, use the following command:
bash <(curl -s https://ml4w.com/os/stable) - This will clone the ML4W repository and execute the installation script to set up its dotfiles.
- This process can take 10-15 minutes, depending on your internet connection and CPU speed.
- After the installation is finish, simply reboot your system with sudo reboot command.
- For a visual of the installation prompts, refer to my video below:
ML4W vs Other Hyprland Dotfiles
I have installed all five major Hyprland dotfiles setups. Here is how ML4W actually compares to the ones people ask about most.
ML4W vs HyDE
This is the comparison I get asked about most and it is actually straightforward once you know what each setup prioritizes.
ML4W is built around simplicity and accessibility. The GUI settings application means you change your wallpaper, themes, and Waybar configuration without ever opening a config file. The desktop feels close to what someone coming from Windows or a traditional Linux desktop would expect. It is lighter than HyDE and the learning curve is genuinely gentle. If you are trying Hyprland for the first time, ML4W is the setup I would recommend you start with.
HyDE gives you more visual variety. Over 70+ pre-built themes switchable with a single keybind. The entire desktop changes at once, including wallpaper, colors, bar style, and SDDM theme. It is more complex than ML4W and the installer does more things under the hood, but the payoff is a level of visual customization that ML4W cannot match out of the box.
My honest take: use ML4W if you want to learn Hyprland without being overwhelmed by configuration. Use HyDE if you already know the basics and want a large theme library to explore.
Full HyDE installation guide: How to Install HyDE Hyprland Dotfiles on Arch Linux.
ML4W vs JaKooLit
ML4W is for users who want things to work without manual configuration. The GUI settings app handles most of what you would otherwise do in config files.
JaKooLit is for users who want granular control. More keybind options, more community scripts, more flexibility in how the desktop behaves. The aesthetic leans retro and the community around JaKooLit is active with themes and configuration examples. But there is more manual work involved in getting it exactly right compared to ML4W.
If you are new to Hyprland, start with ML4W. If you have already used Hyprland before and want more control over your setup, JaKooLit is worth the extra configuration effort.
Full JaKooLit installation guide: How to Install JaKooLit Hyprland Dotfiles on Arch Linux.
Want to Compare All Five Setups?
I installed and tested all major Hyprland dotfiles including ML4W, HyDE, JaKooLit, End 4, and Caelestia on the same hardware. Full side-by-side breakdown with honest recommendations on who each setup is actually for:
🔗 Best Hyprland Dotfiles 2026: HyDE vs JaKooLit vs ML4W vs Caelestia vs End4(Tested)
Couldn't resolve host during Installation
If during installation you get the following error:
curl: (6) Could not resolve host: aur.archlinux.org
OR
403: Couldn't resolve host
🔍 This does not mean the package is missing or that there is a problem with the AUR. In most cases, it is caused by one of the following:
- Network or Firewall Restrictions: Your local firewall, ISP, or proxy may be blocking outbound connections on certain ports.
- Mirror Issues: The selected package mirror may be slow, temporarily down, or undergoing maintenance.
- DNS Problems: Your configured nameserver may be failing to resolve the mirror's IP address.
✅ Quick fix: run these commands:
sudo echo "nameserver 8.8.8.8" | sudo tee /etc/resolv.conf
sudo pacman -SyyuThis should be treated as a temporary fix.
🎉 Congratulations! Your Arch Linux system with ML4W Hyprland dotfiles is now up and running!
Now that you have a fully configured ML4W environment, you can begin personalizing your workspace. To adjust keybindings for your terminal, browser, or file manager, simply edit the ~/.config/hypr/hyprland.conf file. Remember to reload your configuration by pressing SUPER + Shift + R or by running hyprctl reload in your terminal.
Stay tuned for more customization walkthroughs. If this guide helped you, feel free to subscribe to the newsletter.
101 out, I’ll see you in the next one! 🚀
Frequently Asked Questions: ML4W Hyprland Dotfiles
Why does "ml4w-hyprland-setup" say command not found?
This happens when you've installed the ml4w-hyprland AUR package but not the separate ml4w-hyprland-setup package, which contains the actual setup script. Run yay -S ml4w-hyprland ml4w-hyprland-setup to install both together, then run ml4w-hyprland-setup again.
ML4W vs HyDE: which should I choose?
ML4W is GUI-driven, lightweight, and easier to manage day to day without heavy scripting. HyDE is more modular and script-driven, with a larger library of swappable themes. Choose ML4W if you want a simpler, more GUI-managed daily driver; choose HyDE if you want deep theming variety and don't mind a script-based workflow.
What's the difference between ML4W Dotfiles and ML4W Hyprland Starter?
This guide covers the full ML4W Dotfiles (also called ML4W OS), a complete, feature-rich Hyprland environment. ML4W Hyprland Starter is a separate, more minimal starting point, useful if you want to build your own configuration on top of a lighter base rather than the full opinionated setup.
Can I install ML4W from an existing desktop environment like KDE Plasma?
Yes. You don't need a bare/minimal system, you can run the installer from within an existing session like KDE Plasma. After installation completes, log out, and at the SDDM login screen select the Hyprland session from the session-picker dropdown (usually near the password field) before logging back in. Your KDE session stays intact and available as a separate option.
How do I uninstall ML4W?
ML4W doesn't ship a dedicated uninstaller, since it works by deploying configuration files rather than a self-contained package. To remove it, restore your previous dotfiles from backup, or manually delete the ML4W-managed folders inside ~/.config and switch back to your previous window manager or desktop environment. Always back up ~/.config before installing.
How do I update ML4W?
Re-run the same install command you used originally, either bash <(curl -s https://ml4w.com/os/stable) or, if installed via AUR, update normally with yay -Syu. Back up any custom configs in ~/.config first, since updates can overwrite local changes.