Linux zsh Guide

Complete beginner-friendly guide to zsh shell on Linux, covering Arch Linux, CachyOS, and other distributions including installation, Oh My Zsh, and shell customization.

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Table of Contents

1. zsh Installation
2. zsh Configuration
3. Oh My Zsh
4. zsh Plugins
5. Troubleshooting

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zsh Installation

Install zsh

Arch/CachyOS:

# Install zsh
sudo pacman -S zsh

# Install zsh-completions
sudo pacman -S zsh-completions

Debian/Ubuntu:

sudo apt install zsh

Fedora:

sudo dnf install zsh

Set as Default

Change shell:

# Check current shell
echo $SHELL

# Change to zsh
chsh -s /bin/zsh

# Log out and back in

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zsh Configuration

Configuration File

Edit config:

# Create config
vim ~/.zshrc

Basic Settings

Common settings:

# Enable completion
autoload -U compinit
compinit

# History settings
HISTFILE=~/.zsh_history
HISTSIZE=10000
SAVEHIST=10000

# Enable colors
autoload -U colors && colors

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Oh My Zsh

Install Oh My Zsh

Installation:

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

Oh My Zsh Themes

Change theme:

# Edit .zshrc
vim ~/.zshrc

# Change theme
ZSH_THEME="robbyrussell"

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zsh Plugins

Enable Plugins

Add plugins:

# Edit .zshrc
plugins=(
  git
  docker
  python
  node
)

Popular Plugins

Install plugins:

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

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

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Troubleshooting

zsh Not Working

Check installation:

# Check zsh
which zsh
zsh --version

# Install if missing
sudo pacman -S zsh

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Summary

This guide covered zsh installation, configuration, and Oh My Zsh setup for Arch Linux, CachyOS, and other distributions.

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Next Steps

• Shell Configuration - Shell setup
• Bash Scripting Guide - Scripting
• zsh: https://www.zsh.org/

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This guide covers Arch Linux, CachyOS, and other Linux distributions. For distribution-specific details, refer to your distribution's documentation.