Boost your terminal productivity with Zsh

Duy HuynhDuy Huynh
2 min read

Install Zsh


Ubuntu

sudo apt update
sudo apt install zsh

Arch Linux

sudo pacman -S zsh

Fedora

sudo dnf install zsh

After install, run zsh in your terminal, it will show like this, you just need to press 0 then Enter

This is the Z Shell configuration function for new users,
zsh-newuser-install.
You are seeing this message because you have no zsh startup files
(the files .zshenv, .zprofile, .zshrc, .zlogin in the directory
~).  This function can help you with a few settings that should
make your use of the shell easier.

You can:

(q)  Quit and do nothing.  The function will be run again next time.

(0)  Exit, creating the file ~/.zshrc containing just a comment.
     That will prevent this function being run again.

(1)  Continue to the main menu.

--- Type one of the keys in parentheses ---

Set Zsh as Your Default Shell

After installing Zsh, make it your default shell by running

sudo chsh -s $(which zsh)

Log out and log back in for the changes to take effect.

Install Oh My Zsh


Oh My Zsh is a popular framework for managing Zsh configurations. It comes with a wide range of plugins and themes to enhance your shell experience.

Install Oh My Zsh with this command:

sh -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ohmyzsh/ohmyzsh/master/tools/install.sh)"

While installing, it will as you like Do you want to change your default shell to zsh? [Y/n] then you press Y then Enter

Install plugins and themes


Plugins

zsh-autocomplete

git clone https://github.com/marlonrichert/zsh-autocomplete.git ${ZSH_CUSTOM:-~/.oh-my-zsh/custom}/plugins/zsh-autocomplete

zsh-syntax-highlighting

git clone https://github.com/zsh-users/zsh-syntax-highlighting.git ${ZSH_CUSTOM:-~/.oh-my-zsh/custom}/plugins/zsh-syntax-highlighting

Themes

You can find your favorite themes at this github repo

Configure Zsh

To enable the plugins, open your .zshrc file:

nano ~/.zshrc

Find the plugins= line and add zsh-autocomplete and zsh-syntax-highlighting:

plugins=(git zsh-autocomplete zsh-syntax-highlighting)

Find the ZSH_THEME= line and add theme name

ZSH_THEME="strug"

Update config by run this command

source ~/.zshrc

Conclusion


Congratulations! You’ve successfully installed Zsh with zsh-autocomplete and zsh-syntax-highlighting on your Linux system. Whether you’re using Ubuntu, Arch Linux, or Fedora, these tools will transform your terminal into a productivity powerhouse.

If you found this guide helpful, share it with your friends and colleagues. Have questions or run into issues? Leave a comment below, and I’ll be happy to help!

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Duy Huynh
Duy Huynh