Zsh Setup and Customization Guide

1. Install Zsh and Essential Tools

Begin by installing Zsh and some prerequisites:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install zsh git fonts-font-awesome curl

Start a new Zsh session:

zsh

If this is your first time running Zsh, a configuration prompt may appear. If it does, you can choose to create a basic .zshrc file. (Some systems will not show this menu, which is normal.)

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2. Install Oh My Zsh

Install Oh My Zsh, which provides the plugin and theme framework used in this guide:

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

Can set as default shell. Logout and log back on.

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3. Install Plugins and Powerlevel10k Theme

Download and install the plugins and theme by cloning their repositories into the Oh My Zsh custom directory:

git clone https://github.com/zsh-users/zsh-autosuggestions ${ZSH_CUSTOM:-~/.oh-my-zsh/custom}/plugins/zsh-autosuggestions
git clone https://github.com/zsh-users/zsh-syntax-highlighting.git ${ZSH_CUSTOM:-~/.oh-my-zsh/custom}/plugins/zsh-syntax-highlighting
git clone --depth=1 https://github.com/romkatv/powerlevel10k.git ${ZSH_CUSTOM:-~/.oh-my-zsh/custom}/themes/powerlevel10k

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4. Configure Plugins and Theme in .zshrc

Edit your .zshrc file to enable plugins and apply the Powerlevel10k theme:

vim ~/.zshrc

Update the plugin list (keep syntax highlighting last for proper loading):

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

Set the Powerlevel10k theme:

ZSH_THEME="powerlevel10k/powerlevel10k"

Save and exit Vim.

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5. Restart Zsh and Configure Powerlevel10k

Restart Zsh to apply your changes:

exec zsh

The Powerlevel10k configuration wizard should appear automatically. Follow the prompts to customize your terminal’s appearance, including icons, separators, and color styles.

To reconfigure the theme later, run:

p10k configure