Zsh config file location. zprofile sourced if login shell 3 ~/. zshrc file is so that when you start a New Terminal session, zsh gets all your settings in your various shell initialization files. toml. NOTE: unless specified otherwise, these variables need to be declared before Oh My Zsh is sourced in your . Here are some examples of configuring the Zsh shell prompt and the Zsh prompt expansion documentation. zlogin This file is the same as . Edit the zsh configuration files You can use TextEdit, the default macOS graphical text editor, to edit the shell configuration files. You can omit this file. zshrc file is located on a Mac? If you’re a Mac command line user who is interested in using and customizing the zsh shell, or using something like Oh My Zsh, you may be … Nov 6, 2022 · Configuration zshrc - The main zsh config file, it sources the following (. How can I achieve this? Do I have to change files that source these configuration files in /etc? Thank you in advance! Jun 21, 2025 · Setting up your macOS shell environment properly is crucial for an efficient development workflow. profile. zcompdump files are produced to speed up the running of compinit, Which initializes the shell completion in zsh. Dec 26, 2014 · I'm trying to move . zprofile, ~/. xinitrc, . g. Dec 4, 2021 · Zsh config files and the order of sourcing during startup. Since macOS Catalina, Apple has made Zsh the default shell, replacing Bash. Change the value for HISTFILE to set different location to store you zsh command history. You should get the "new user" screen. Feb 9, 2025 · Zsh has a number of configuration files that allow us to customize its behavior and appearance. More precisely, you’ll need to add this in your zshrc: autoload -Uz compinit; compinit The autoload command load a file containing shell commands. If you ever run into issues, you can always modify your PATH to resolve. 04. Feb 19, 2024 · Not getting command history in Zsh? Here's how to enable it. You can split your configuration into multiple files by using the config-file key in your configuration file. Jan 18, 2022 · Learn how to install Zsh on Linux, understand shell types, configure startup files, and set Zsh as default. By customising commands to match your workflow, you can save time and reduce the cognitive load associated with remembering complex commands. zshrc files are script files executed whenever a new terminal session is started. Can anyone advise? EDIT--- genuine question- why are the solutions to this so wacky? Can't zsh just say "where do you wanna put your files?" I can understand for a system with multiple users why zsh might want to install its files in /home, but as a single user I don't like it. js + ZSH + starship ☄️🔥 How to configure terminal and shell to stay productive on daily basis? Which shell to use? What are tips & tricks to speed up command line usage? May 14, 2012 · There's a bunch of files read on startup (check the linked man pages), and there's a reason for that - each file has it's particular place (settings for every user, settings for user-specific, settings for login shells, settings for every shell, etc). Zshrc is a configuration file that contains the commands that run the zsh shell, just like the . bashrc: Configuration file for the Bash shell. In Linux, the file is stored in the home/user directory as a hidden file. bashrc and . rc) files which are all just standard zsh files. # ~/. Nov 15, 2018 · By Chiamaka Ikeanyi Sometimes, using the default terminal sucks. The bashrc file is relatively tiny and does not contain any bash shell setup routines. bashrc file is the configuration file for bash. zsh_history but feel free to set this to whatever you prefer, it also doesn't need be located in your home director. zshrc file: On starting a new shell just run the command source ~/. zshrc file is a configuration file used by the Zsh shell. Main settings ZSH ZSH_THEME plugins ZSH_CUSTOM ZSH_CACHE_DIR Update settings ':omz:update' mode ':omz:update' frequency ':omz:update' verbosity Deprecated settings Completion settings ZSH_COMPDUMP ZSH_DISABLE_COMPFIX COMPLETION Configuration To get started configuring starship, create the following file: ~/. zsh file, so you can use zsh syntax to customize Spaceship. zlogout sourced when exiting shell May 7, 2020 · Load the auto-completion plugin that auto-completes command line arguments. It's important to have a good shell, like Zsh, to leverage their power. The . Navigate to the cloned repository and copy your current . zshrc sourced if interactive shell 4 ~/. The ~ here represents the home directory of your current logged in user. Feb 4, 2024 · Working copies of Zsh config files for use in all my Linux servers. bashrc and . Well, I've used brew with zsh (not oh-my-zsh) and I've had no problems apart from when using packages that already exist in the system (like python for instance). zshrc is the ZSH configuration file itself. These three allow me to really know what I'm doing in my terminal and allows me to see old commands that i have run and just re-execute better that using my up arrow in the terminal. Sep 23, 2023 · How to configure zsh theme from scratch on a mac, set up oh my zsh, install zsh plugins like autosuggestions and syntax-highlighting Jan 20, 2025 · I explain how to create the best minimal zsh configuration from scratch. What is the difference between them? The files seem to contain all of my history. By default, it is located at ~/. Z shell (Zsh) is a Unix shell built on top of bash (the default shell for macOS) wi Feb 8, 2024 · Overall, the . 5) Configuration First from the PowerShell you can type the following command to create the . zshrc file serves as a central configuration file for customizing the behaviour of the Bash and Zsh shell respectively, making it a powerful tool for enhancing Mar 20, 2022 · Unlike the zshrc file, which contains the whole setup source of the zsh shell, . So if you were to do cd ~ you would be in your home directory. How does Zsh keep track of command history? I see two files in my home directory: . config/zsh/zshenv, but without simlinking them. In this series, I will document my experiences moving bash settings, configurations, and scripts over to zsh. Includes 200+ optional plugins (rails, git, OSX, hub, capistrano, brew, ant, php, python, etc), over 140 themes to spice up your morning, and an auto-update tool so that makes it easy to keep up with the latest updates from the community. You can use loops, conditions, custom functions or even source additional zsh files. Oct 8, 2021 · I want to change the location of . zshrc to change the location where compdump are stored. Part 1: Moving to zsh Part 2: Configuration Files Part 3: Shell Options Part 4: Aliases and Functions Part 5: Completions (this article) Part… The zsh-lovers archive includes the zsh-lovers manual page and several zsh configuration files. If you like the result, add these lines to your shell configuration file (~/. zshrc Runs for each interactive shell instance. Nov 25, 2023 · Configuring aliases in Zsh on MacOS is a simple yet powerful way to enhance your command-line experience. ) configuration which execute commands (like SCONSFLAGS="--jobs=$(( $(nproc) - 1 ))") as it may take some time to execute. zshrc, and ~/. It comes packed with features such as command autocompletion, syntax highlighting, plugins, and theming capabilities that enhance productivity for developers and system administrators. Startup files sourcing orders Bash Zsh The diagrams above displays in what order the scripts are sourced, depending on whether the shell is login, non-login, interactive Dec 9, 2023 · 网上许多 Zsh 的配置教程都是使用 oh-my-zsh 来进行配置， 优点是配置起来简单，对新手友好， 缺点是太过臃肿，拖慢 Zsh 的启动速度。这篇文章记录了我不使用 oh-my-zsh 从零开始配置 Zsh 的过程。 Jan 27, 2023 · Here, I would recommend going with the Verbose option as it will create a backup config file: And finally, press y to apply changes to the zshrc file: Once you apply the changes, it will show the location of the new and backup config file: Not happy with the choices you made? Dec 22, 2024 · 🙃 A delightful community-driven (with 2,400+ contributors) framework for managing your zsh configuration. Jul 9, 2019 · Apple has announced that in macOS 10. . zshrc file itself and I don't want to add a path inside this file. Install Zsh on Linux now. Jan 13, 2023 · The . You can edit this file using a text editor Feb 3, 2022 · . For this it should be sufficient to copy templates/zshrc. I am not looking for the . In ZSH, a popular shell among developers and power users, modifying the PATH is a common task. toml for its entire configuration. Dec 4, 2023 · Zshrc is a configuration file that allows you to use those plug-ins and themes, often via a third-party tool like Oh My Zsh. zlogin will get sourced I'd like to move my zsh config files away from ~/ but can't find a clear answer on how to do that. Jul 16, 2021 · Oh My Zsh is a delightful, open source, community-driven framework for managing your Zsh configuration. There are five startup files that zsh will read commands from: Sep 23, 2024 · Step 2: Backup and Store Your zsh Configuration Your zsh configuration is stored in a hidden file called . ~/. Jul 23, 2025 · In the world of Unix-like operating systems, the PATH variable plays a crucial role in determining where the shell looks for executable files when you issue a command. zshfn. zsh from the previously set up directory placing the following snippet in the . zshrc for ZSH. zshrc file by clicking it once and then pressing ⌘ ⌫ (Cmd-Backspace). Jul 20, 2025 · Enhance your Linux terminal with Zsh and Oh My Zsh! Learn to install, configure, and customize on Debian/Ubuntu with popular themes and plugins. Aug 19, 2020 · Alternatively, for “resetting” zsh, specify the complete path to the shell: In your ~/. This key specifies a path to another configuration file to load and can be specified multiple times (cycles are detected and produce a warning). zshrc configuration and add any prompts or other options you I'm using zsh terminal, and I'm trying to add a new entry (/home/david/pear/bin) to the PATH variable. zshrc Apr 14, 2022 · Installing Oh My Zsh is as simple as: Once installed you will have a ~/. based on network/hostname). Customize Zsh with themes and plugins. It contains scripts that run whenever an interactive zsh session is launched. rm -f ~/. 4-aliases. May 7, 2020 · 3 The system-wide zshrc is nominally /etc/zshrc. zhistory and . bashrc file that contains commands for the bash shell. Feb 5, 2023 · You can also access the settings. Anything in your home user folder for a zsh configuration file was added by you or some third party app you have installed such as oh-my-zsh. Ozh adds plugins, themes, and more to your shell experience. zprofile is . - FAQ · ohmyzsh/ohmyzsh Wiki I am trying to put all of my 'rc' files in one directory so that I can have that directory be a git repo. But now whenever I start a zsh session it doesn't use that config file. So you need to set it yourself in your ~/. Jul 15, 2017 · But as you tagged the question with oh-my-zsh I would assume that you want to restore the default oh-my-zsh configuration. zshrc and is located in your home directory (eg. zshrc file, but doing echo $PATH returns Feb 20, 2021 · Want to locate . zshrc Files The . Mar 25, 2024 · When we move the nixos configuration to a different location, you can not edit the nixos-config folder file because of the root user permissions. zshrc): The primary configuration file for Zsh is located in your home directory and is named . Let's create a new config file to store our customizations: Set the configuration The example below use a local path to the jandedobbeleer theme, adjust the --config value to reflect your configuration file, local or remote. zshrc file is on Mac and how to open, edit, save, and exit it using Terminal. Mar 30, 2021 · Unlike Bash, Zsh doesn't provide a default location for where to store command history. conf file to my home directory, but I can't find the location in Ubuntu 12. GitHub Gist: instantly share code, notes, and snippets. I want to move all my ZSH related dotfiles into… zsh configuration file is named . zsh_history. and why have four If you want to skip default Oh My Zsh aliases (those defined in lib/* files) or plugin aliases, you can use the settings below in your ~/. z* files, delete those, too. zprofile and can be used like a bash profile file with zsh commands. oh-my-zsh: Apr 17, 2020 · The ZSH documentation you mentioned in your question, explains in detail in which sequence zsh is looking for those files. 7 on my Mac. Mar 15, 2022 · The path can be found using oh-my-posh config get cache-path. zshrc to a folder where I keep this kind of files synced with Github. If you want to tweak the file, it's advised to copy that to a location of choice (usually your user's home folder) and initialize oh-my-posh with that config file using the path (e. zsh config file include the path to your bash path file that contains your aliases. Aug 22, 2022 · oh-my-zsh config file. bashrc. Now just start a new instance of your shell to see your starship-enabled prompt! Configure Starship Starship utilizes a TOML file located at ~/. Does Aug 23, 2024 · Step 2: Understanding . This comprehensive guide will walk you through configuring environment variables, managing shell profiles, and setting up aliases for optimal productivity. zprofile under the user home directory in order to load profile related configuration. 0-paths. Nov 1, 2024 · Hidden files will appear in gray in the Finder window. Feb 28, 2022 · When writing about things like tool installation or environment setup on Mac, I often need to mention shell config files. Answer: it’s in your Home directory. Mar 6, 2015 · The ~/ translates to your user’s home directory and the . rc - Sets up the PATH variable. org/home/config/files Am I supposed to create it myself? Jun 9, 2022 · to get zsh to re-read your . bashrc or . config directory and a starship. 1-zgen. If you’re a Windows 11 user looking to harness the . zshrc file. It is used to set environment variables, define aliases, create custom functions, and configure other settings that affect the behavior of the shell. ) This will put it into the trash, so you can always restore it later, if necessary. zshrc (i. wezterm. Zsh (Z Shell) has become increasingly popular among developers due to its powerful features and extensive customization capabilities. I would be happy to get help with this :) environment variables to configure tools (flags for compilation, data folder location, etc. To initialize the completion for the current Zsh session, you’ll need to call the function compinit. (If you see any other . Located in your home directory, it is essential for customizing your Terminal experience. zshrc file is a hidden file that contains the configuration for zsh, just like the . zshrc by configuring in the Preferences -> Profiles -> Select Default Profile (default profile will be starred) -> General -> Command -> Select Login Shell -> Send text at start: Enter the value source ~/. The best approach will be to do whatever brew documentation suggests. May 27, 2024 · Those would be zsh-syntax-highling, zsh-completions, and zsh-autosuggestions. I've been using zsh for a while now, and I've been using the default config directory for it. Select the options from the menu prompts to create a new recommended starting point for your . omp. It’s available through the zsh-lovers packages from the Grml repository. Usually, these files are located in the user’s home directory and have the dot (. config/starship. zshrc file that you can edit to add additional functionality to the shell. This post from iBoysoft tells you how to create it on a Mac and where to locate it on your Mac. Part 1: Moving to zsh Part 2: Configuration Files (this article) Part 3: Shell Options Part 4: Aliases and Functions Part 5: Completions Part… Nov 18, 2021 · Wondering where the . A delightful community-driven (with 1,000+ contributors) framework for managing your zsh configuration. So, instead of doing that each time, I’m going to (hopefully) write about it once, then reference it as needed. It comes bundled with thousands of helpful functions, helpers, plugins, themes, and a few things that make you shout…“Oh My ZSH!” Oh wow that’s sounds good, lets try! Installation Nov 2, 2021 · Voila!!! You can see its working. I went for the file name . All of them are optional, and you are the master of your account: There is no law telling you which command you have to put into which file. zprofile. 0. zshrc’ How to manage hidden files on Mac Zshrc is just one of many files on your Mac you may not know about. zsh-template from your oh-my-zsh installation path, usually ~/. This file is written in lua which is a really nice benefit of using Wezterm! First create the config file: Zsh is a powerful shell that operates as both an interactive shell and as a scripting language interpreter. If you get a bunch of funky characters added, you need to take this step. Mar 9, 2025 · How to Install Zsh on Windows 11 The Z shell, more commonly known as Zsh, is a powerful shell that extends the capabilities of traditional shells like Bash. You need sudo to edit the nixos-config folder file. Feb 13, 2023 · Learn how to install the popular bash shell alternative Oh My Zsh using Ubuntu. 1 ~/. json | Invoke-Expression) 🙃 A delightful community-driven (with 2,400+ contributors) framework for managing your zsh configuration. zshenv to ~/. Zsh recognizes four different configuration files in the user's home directory: ~/. zshrc and . May 25, 2022 · Where does zsh get the path to the file or rather where can I set it? I hope my question is clear. Jul 27, 2020 · Command-line interfaces can solve many problems developers have. Once created, it has a period before its name, meaning it’s a hidden file, so technically, its name is ‘. zshrc file and edit through text editor. zshrc file: Mar 2, 2016 · This guide will show you steps to Install Zsh on Linux and configure it using oh-my-zsh. Sep 27, 2024 · In Linux, the PATH variable is typically set in one of the shell‘s configuration files, such as ~/. You could specify an explicit dump file by compinit -d <dumpfile> in your . Jul 21, 2024 · Setup Wezterm Config File Next we’ll setup the ~/. zshenv always sourced 2 ~/. zprofile Runs for login shell only. Master basic Zsh setup quickly. zshrc file is a configuration file of ZSH and does not exist on macOS, so you need to create a new one manually. zshrc) If you run zsh without having the configuration file, zsh will provide you option to create one. In this article, we'll explore how to add a directory to the PATH in ZSH. conf however this does not matc Jun 15, 2025 · Enable To enable Zi, source the zi. For example, if you want to display your current directory in your terminal tab title, add the following snippet to your ~/. To find this file, Zsh will look in the directories of the The configuration file is a . zshrc, starting with a period, will be invisible by default, and if configuration of the shell is unchanged will be found in the user's home directory. While being compatible with the POSIX sh (not by default, only if issuing emulate sh), it offers advantages such as improved tab completion and globbing. Aug 5, 2025 · Summary: Learn what the . bashrc is a secret Bash configuration file contained in the home directory. Jan 25, 2022 · The zsh config file . zshrc [Read when Feb 8, 2025 · Learn how to install, configure, and optimize zsh (Z Shell) on Ubuntu and Manjaro. rc - Loads the plugin manager and plugins. zshrc is nowhere to be found. Improve your terminal experience with powerful features and customization. Set the fpath where I store my zsh functions and auto-completion files in ~/. zlogin sourced if login shell 5 ~/. I don't see a reference to the PATH variable in my ~/. Similar to . zshenv, ~/. Don’t use a word processor like Microsoft Word because it will introduce hidden formatting codes that are not suitable for plain text files. 3-location_specifics. oh-my-posh prompt init pwsh --config ~/mytheme. Jan 9, 2024 · Zsh configuration files are kept in the user's home directory and are named with a dot as the first character to keep them hidden by default. The man page states that the file resides at /etc/tmux. You may add source ~/. Nov 10, 2023 · FYI, on my clean install of Ventura, I have no local zsh profile files in my home user folder. The current setup I have now has ZSH for humans and some other plugins loaded through it. zshrc: Configuration file for the Zsh shell. lua configuration file to configure Wezterm. Feb 5, 2025 · The ~/. For the life of me, . Jun 18, 2019 · Apple has announced that in macOS 10. It is not in ~. The default value of the PATH variable varies between different Linux distributions and shell environments. It is read every time a new terminal session is started, which means any changes you make to this file will be applied to all future terminal sessions. ??? swap files you may have left over from previous edits. This guide will walk you through setting up a fast, efficient, and feature-rich Zsh configuration that avoids common performance pitfalls. zshrc) to make it permanent. zshrc: Oct 30, 2023 · To permanently modify your PATH each time you open a new shell, you‘ll need to edit your Zsh configuration file. zshrc located in your home directory. So open up a Terminal — or iTerm — window and create that file like this; I am using nano as a text editor but feel free to use whatever text editor you feel comfortable with: nano ~/. zshrc file, before Oh My Zsh is loaded. Open the . Don't worry about ~/. Locale Settings If you use zsh, like I do, configuring the locale is especially important as wezterm won’t copy/paste correctly without some tweaking. These files allow you to set up your shell environment by defining variables, creating aliases, and adding functions. , ~/. zshrc config file. Mar 27, 2025 · This article will guide you through the process of adding and customizing Oh My Zsh in a Linux Development Container for a better development experience. It is also not a good idea to be changing the /etc/ versions of the shell initialization files. Mar 24, 2023 · Configuration files Let's take a look at zsh configuration files. Aug 5, 2025 · Summary: The . To try to fix the problem without losing your config, edit your . It’s run whenever a new zsh shell is started and it applies all your customizations. zshrc file is a hidden configuration file used by the Zsh shell on macOS to store user preferences, environment variables, and shell customizations. Is is not in /etc or /etc/zshrc as they suggest here: http://zshwiki. Jul 25, 2025 · The completion system of Zsh is one of its bigger strength, compared to other shells. Apr 23, 2021 · 11 I used Homebrew to install Z shell (zsh) 5. Recently, I want to add some bash script to my zsh config, and I want to keep them in a separate directory for easier git management. To reset your zsh configuration, remove all instances of . zshrc file in your favorite text editor: Nov 7, 2021 · To reset your Zsh settings to default, delete your . zshrc; clear in case you need to clear the screen contents after executing the command. Includes 300+ optional plugins (rails, git, macOS, hub, docker, homebrew, node, php, python, etc), 140+ themes to spice up your morning, and an auto-update tool that makes it easy to keep up with the latest updates from the community. zshrc OR ~/. config/x/xinitrc, ~/. zshrc and any . Now, on to the fun part which is configuring. This tells the system what type of characters we’re using. bashrc for Bash or ~/. The Zsh FAQ offers more reasons to use Zsh. e. Either copy or generate auto completion files here, e. . zshrc. zlogin. That's the path that zsh runs at startup, and you can run it, edit it (subject to file permissions; see discussion under ma11hew28's answer), etc under that path, but its actual location in the filesystem is a bit more complicated (and depends on the version of macOS you're using). json file. Prerequisites Before we proceed with adding a directory to May 11, 2024 · The zshrc file is a configuration file for Zsh, a popular shell used in Unix-like operating systems, including Mac OS. If you modify this file, you can apply the configuration updates by running a login shell: exec zsh --login . zshrc). ) prefix. toml file for the configuration. rc - Sets up command Dec 2, 2020 · The zsh shell provides the . Only difference between . vim so I thought I would be able to do it with all of my configs. - Customization · ohmyzsh/ohmyzsh Wiki Jul 7, 2020 · HowTo: My Terminal & Shell setup - Hyper. config/zsh/. Sep 3, 2023 · I figured I needed to find the actual location of my . zshrc file with Dec 11, 2017 · 25 . The path is ~/. On many distros (and macOS), you won’t have to do this as it’s part of the installation process Apr 25, 2024 · With this overview, I hope to end any confusion and introduce an easy overview of which files are sourced under what circumstances, for Bash and Zsh. The diagrams below have been tested on an archlinux vanilla install on a VM. The vimrc is stored in . Or you can manually execute the export command from a zsh shell prompt. config/zsh/zshrc and ~/. Step 3: Configuring Aliases Aliases Sep 24, 2012 · I want to copy the default tmux. zshrc file on Mac running macOS, here is where you can find it, or create one if does not exists. zshenv not existing - if you need it, make it, and it will be read. rc - Sets up location specific configuration (e. Dec 24, 2022 · The Zsh shell uses the same PATH syntax as Bash, but uses a different Terminal prompt (PS1) syntax, so you will want to set that up too. json file directly in Visual Studio Code by going to File > Preferences > Settings, and then clicking on the {} icon in the top right corner to open the settings. zshrc* Then, close your terminal session and re-open. for Docker. bashrc or ~/. zshrc # The file where the history is stored Aug 4, 2023 · Edit the Zsh Configuration File (. I want to tell zsh that the file has another location. app: Jan 5, 2021 · Kali's default zshrc. You want to go out of the ordinary, to add life to the boring terminal and improve your productivity. 15 Catalina the default shell will be zsh. trhy avfuhzd wzgm f1wwp gm53ycb0u vgjzkrec zm9cwk xspr zmm q3xn