zsh
zsh (Z shell) is an interactive login shell that can also be used as a powerful scripting language interpreter. It is similar to bash and the Korn shell, but offers extensive configurability, powerful command-line completion, file globbing, and spelling correction.
See the terminal emulator article for some general usage pointers.
Installation
USE flags
USE flags for app-shells/zsh UNIX Shell similar to the Korn shell
caps
|
Use Linux capabilities library to control privilege |
debug
|
Enable extra debug codepaths, like asserts and extra output. If you want to get meaningful backtraces see https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Project:Quality_Assurance/Backtraces |
doc
|
Add extra documentation (API, Javadoc, etc). It is recommended to enable per package instead of globally |
examples
|
Install examples, usually source code |
gdbm
|
Add support for sys-libs/gdbm (GNU database libraries) |
maildir
|
Add support for maildir (~/.maildir) style mail spools |
pcre
|
Add support for Perl Compatible Regular Expressions |
static
|
!!do not set this during bootstrap!! Causes binaries to be statically linked instead of dynamically |
valgrind
|
Enable annotations for accuracy. May slow down runtime slightly. Safe to use even if not currently using dev-debug/valgrind |
Emerge
Install app-shells/zsh:
root #emerge --ask app-shells/zshAdd-ons
app-shells/zsh-completions
Emerging app-shells/zsh-completions enables auto-completion for arguments of commands, which is one of the advantages zsh has over other shells:
root #emerge --ask app-shells/zsh-completionsTo enable auto-completion globally (for most programs), add 'zsh-completion' to the
USE variable in /etc/portage/make.confapp-shells/gentoo-zsh-completions
Emerging app-shells/gentoo-zsh-completions enables Gentoo specific auto-completion for arguments of Portage and other Gentoo commands:
root #emerge --ask app-shells/gentoo-zsh-completionsWhen installing this package be sure to add the following to the respective ~/.zshrc files:
~/.zshrcEnabling Portage completions and Gentoo prompt for zshautoload -U compinit promptinit
compinit
promptinit; prompt gentoo
To enable a cache for the completions add:
~/.zshrcEnabling cache for the completions for zshzstyle ':completion::complete:*' use-cache 1
Configuration
Invocation
user $zshUpon running zsh for the first time as a new user, you will be greeted by a basic configuration dialog. The setup process can be skipped by pressing q. If the setup process is skipped zsh can be setup manually.
Setting zsh as the default shell
To make zsh the default shell for a user, run:
user $chsh -s /bin/zshNote that this method is fine, but trying to use zsh as /bin/sh is strongly discouraged as it has issues in POSIX emulation mode. For example, glibc may fail to build: bug #804645. If trying to minimise use of Bash on the system, consider Dash for /bin/sh.
File
zsh's main configuration file is located in each user's home directory at ~/.zshrc. Reload this file in running shells for the changes to take effect:
user $source ~/.zshrcReloading via the source command is only necessary when instances of zsh are already in memory after changes are made to the shell's configuration file.
oh-my-zsh
The zsh community created numerous tweaks, the easiest way to acquire them is to install oh-my-zsh framework. It contains handy plugins and eye candy themes, and makes their configuration very easy. However you should always consider the security risk involving running code outside of Gentoo developers jurisdiction.
Removal
Unmerge
root #emerge --ask --depclean --verbose app-shells/zshTroubleshooting
Inactive keys
If the Home or End or Del key does not work, try entering keybindings into the user's `~/.zshrc` such as examples in ArchWiki.
Troubleshooting
Garbled display
The output of a shell can, in some conditions, become corrupt. See the terminal emulator article for instructions to help fix this.
See also
- Zsh/Guide — details installation, configuration, and light usage functionality for zsh.
- Bash — the default shell on Gentoo systems and a popular shell program found on many Linux systems.
- Dash — a small, fast, and POSIX-compliant shell.
- Fish — a smart and user-friendly command line shell for OS X, Linux, and the rest of the family.
- Shell — command-line interpreter that offers a text-based interface to users.
- Nushell — a new kind of shell for OS X, Linux, and Windows.