Pimping up My Linux Terminal

2021-03-31T00:00:00+06:00

The purpose of this post is to be my quick, copy-paste source of the commands that I use to set up my terminal on a new *nix system. However, if someone else finds it useful, that’d be some cherries on top.

This command prompt in the below image is the end goal.

Assuming, I’m on a standard pc/server with Ubuntu Linux and I have CLI access with sudo. For other Linux distros or MacOS, some commands might be slightly different.

Step-1: Confirm that Zsh is up-to-date¶

While on most of the Linux systems Zsh is present by default, on others that’s not the case. So, let’s make sure about it.

$ sudo apt install zsh

Confirm the version. Oh-my-zsh recommends Zsh to be 5.0.8 or higher.

$ zsh --version
zsh 5.8 (x86_64-ubuntu-linux-gnu)

Also, you gotta make sure that git (recommended v2.4.11 or higher) is also installed on the system.

Step-2: Install Oh-my-zsh, the fun “configuration” framework¶

Install directly from the source.

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

In the last step of this installation, it will ask to set Zsh as THE shell. Go ahead.

Now we have the default prompt from Oh-my-zsh.

Now, let’s pimp up the prompt. Shall we?

Step-3: Install `powerlevel10k`, a powerful prompt theme¶

I love the powerful Zsh theme powerlevel10k. More on why this theme is awesome.

Let’s install it on top of oh-my-zsh.

$ git clone --depth=1 \
  https://github.com/romkatv/powerlevel10k.git \
  ${ZSH_CUSTOM:-$HOME/.oh-my-zsh/custom}/themes/powerlevel10k

Now, gotta set ZSH_THEME="powerlevel10k/powerlevel10k" in ~/.zshrc by adding that manually in the file.

Step-4: Make sure the prompt looks like as you want¶

In this step, I’m gonna bring in my already open-sourced Zsh config file aka .zshrc.

# deleting the current one & get my personal one from GitHub
$ rm .zshrc
$
$ wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kmonsoor/dot-files/master/.zshrc

I kept the powerlevel10k configs as comments so that Zsh doesn’t complain if I use the config file early. Have to set ZSH_THEME="powerlevel10k/powerlevel10k" in the ~/.zshrc as well.

Otherwise, once the powerlevel10k theme will run for the first time by Zsh, a very friendly step-by-step prompt will run you through towards a desirable prompt for you. Also, whenever you want, you can invoke the config-wizard by executing p10k configure on the shell.

Now is the time to enable the changes by restarting Zsh and enjoy the new config and the powerful prompt.

$ exec zsh

Optional¶

Also, I usually install this very useful, but external plugin zsh-syntax-highlighting for oh-my-zsh.

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

Don’t forget to activate the plugin by including it in ~/.zshrc. For that, add zsh-syntax-highlighting inside the list of other plugins.

plugins=( plugin_a plugin_b zsh-syntax-highlighting)

Install the latest Zsh on CentOS

2020-10-20T00:00:00+06:00

As the default Zsh on CentOS is usually an older version, many cool things are not possible on this version of Zsh, like installing oh-my-zsh or using awesome powerlevel10k prompt system, it’s understandable if you’d like to have the latest Zsh on your system. Easy peasy !!

Note: Please remember to remove the sudo from the commands if you are already in “root” or sudo-er mode

We’ll be following these steps:

Install the pre-requisites
Download the latest source
Build & Install
Final steps
Related

Install the pre-requisites¶

We need GCC (C++ compiler) and other related stuffs for building Zsh from the source code.

$ sudo yum groupinstall "Development tools"  
$ sudo yum install ncurses-devel

Now, check if GCC is installed properly, by

$ gcc -v

Download the latest source¶

Now, we gonna get the latest code of Zsh.
Please update the link (in the shown command) with the latest by checking this web-folder.
Don’t forget to update the filename as well, if needed.

$ cd /usr/local/src
$ sudo curl -L https://www.zsh.org/pub/zsh-5.8.tar.xz \
-o zsh-5.8.tar.xz

Build & Install¶

Unzip the file, “dig in” to the folder, and build & install from the source.

$ sudo tar -xf zsh-5.8.tar.xz  # the actual version of the downloaded file might be different
$ cd zsh-5.8
$ sudo ./configure && sudo make && sudo make install

Final steps¶

Add Zsh to the login shells by adding ‘/usr/local/bin/zsh’ on the last line of the config file, /etc/shells

$ sudo -e /etc/shells
$ sudo chsh $USER

Update the system’s default symlink to the new Zsh version.

$ sudo ln -sf /usr/local/bin/zsh /bin/zsh
$ zsh --version

It’s always a good habit to clean up after doing stuffs. ;)

$ sudo make clean

That’s it !

Want to have a super, cool-looking command shell? Gotcha, fam. Check out my blog on Pimping up My Linux Terminal.

If you find this post helpful, you can show your support through Patreon or Paypal or by buying me a coffee. Thanks!

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