Macos zsh terminal. Sep 22, 2024 · If you’re using zsh as your shell on macOS or within your JetBrains (PyCharm, PHPStorm, etc. In this comprehensive 2800+ word […] Change the default shell in Terminal on Mac The default shell is zsh. sh file where we store our aliases, exports, path changes Jan 11, 2025 · I recently got a new Mac Mini and remembered how bad the default UI is for Terminal. Note: We’ll be using macOS’s default Terminal app instead of installing an alternative. Here’s how you can improve it using Oh My Zsh and the Powerline10k theme to have a better developer experience and reduce strain on your eyes. This application is used to operate macOS with a variety of commands. This tutorial will help you for switching between Zsh and Bash on macOS systems. Install ZSH on macOS terminalWe will see in this post how to switch from the default Shell which is bash to zsh. Dec 12, 2024 · As a programmer who spends a lot of time in the terminal, having a powerful and visually pleasing command line interface can greatly improve productivity and enjoyment. Zsh has command line editing, builtin spelling correction,programmable command completion, shell Aug 5, 2025 · Read to know why your Mac getting Zsh permission denied and how to fix the Mac permission denied error, including changing permissions on Mac. bashrc (or ~/. First of all, you need to install . Jul 2, 2023 · Boosting everyday productivity by customising default macos terminal, install homebrew, zsh, oh my zsh, plugins & powerlevel10k theme. Many users simply launch a new shell or open a new terminal Learn how to use Terminal on your Mac to interact with macOS using the command line. Sep 24, 2023 · What is ZSH? ZSH, also called the Z shell, is an extended version of the Bourne Shell (sh), with new features and support for plugins and themes. Feb 15, 2023 · For many years following the launch of the first version of Mac OS X, the default shell in Terminal was the Bourne shell, also known as bash. Jun 21, 2025 · Setting up your macOS shell environment properly is crucial for an efficient development workflow. Dec 29, 2018 · Zsh, or z shell, is a popular shell alternative to bash and tcsh, complete with many improvements and customization options offered through the Oh-My-ZSH project. I have a lot to learn about this shell, and so far, this is how I configured zsh Apr 26, 2025 · The latest macOS systems comes with Z Shell (Zsh) as default shell, but who still preferred to use bash can still use it by switching the default shell. The shells supplied by Apple are often years out of date, so many people prefer to install the latest bash shell using homebrew. iTerm2 is the most popular alternative suggested in most articles on this Mar 12, 2022 · What is Zsh Shell? What is the default shell for your Mac running macOS? Lets see in this tutorial. It's recommended to use zsh over bash. macOS changed the default shell from Bash to Zsh in MacOS Catalina (v10. zshrc is the ZSH configuration file itself. Oct 31, 2023 · Updating to the newest version of Zsh on your Mac is one of the best ways to enhance your command line productivity. Follow this detailed tutorial to set up a beautiful terminal on your Mac. Tagged with vscode, zsh, shell, mac. However, the simple changes outlined in this post are a great addition to level up your terminal Mar 9, 2022 · You can do this any number of ways, such as ⌘+t to open a new tab, typing exec zsh into the shell and hitting enter, or just close the terminal application all together and reopen it. On modern macOS versions, Zsh is already the default shell, so we can skip the installation step. 🚀 How To Make Your Boring Mac Terminal So Much Better This guide walks you through enhancing your macOS terminal with Homebrew, Oh My Zsh, and the Powerlevel10k theme for a modern, efficient, and stylish command-line experience. ) terminal, you may have noticed that pressing… May 10, 2025 · When working with Git on the command line, it’s helpful to see the current branch in your terminal prompt. 4) and the problem still persists. macOS defaults to Zsh, linux defaults to Bash. Alternatively, you can change the default shell graphically in System Settings under Users & Groups by Ctrl-Clicking your profile picture and selecting "Advanced Feb 5, 2023 · Install Homebrew Open up a terminal window and install homebrew with the following Tagged with welcome, codenewbie, discuss. Step 1: Install iTerm2 iTerm2 is a powerful and versatile terminal emulator for macOS. Here’s how to achieve that on macOS using the zsh shell, which is the default in Nov 27, 2024 · The Z shell (zsh) is a Unix shell []. To set Zsh as the default login shell permanently across future terminal applications and reboots: chsh -s /bin/zsh Now Zsh will automatically start instead of Bash when opening new terminal windows or SSH connections. Instructions for Windows Instructions for Mac Instructions for Linux Jun 8, 2019 · Other shells, like dash or zsh, leave it up to the OS, which would usually use /bin/sh instead. 5 onwards, zsh is the default shell, instead of bash. UTF-8 You can add that to ~/. Aug 5, 2025 · Since Apple changed the default shell from bash to zsh in macOS Catalina, users running macOS Catalina or later will likely see something like the "zsh: command not found: brew" message. Aug 24, 2024 · The default macOS terminal is basic and limited. For scripting and deployments, use Bash (cross-platform). May 18, 2023 · Changing colors in Terminal I utilize Command Line Interfaces (CLI) frequently, Linux, Unix, Mac etc. What I mean by that is on a bright background I prefer dark foreground colors, and on a dark background I prefer bright Sep 16, 2024 · Learn how to create and run 'Bash' and 'Zsh' scripts on Linux and macOS to automate tasks, enhance productivity, and streamline workflows with detailed examples. Mar 21, 2024 · Can't use terminal, I keep getting "zsh: command not found" even after an OS re-install I don't remember what I had done, but every time I attempt to run a command in terminal, it returns a "zsh: command not found" I performed a clean install of OSX (Sonoma 14. Aug 5, 2025 · This post tells you how to clear Terminal history on Mac forever or temporarily for the current session, applying to both Zsh and Bash shells. zsh in VS Code terminal. You can find it in Applications > Utilities or by searching for “Terminal” in Spotlight. For example alias gst="git status" As you would expect, now when I enter gst, it runs git status The reason it didn't work with the test script is because of how it was run. Nov 24, 2024 · As a professional software engineer and coding instructor with over 15 years of experience, I‘ve come to master the art of customizing my terminal into a productive power tool. Jul 10, 2023 · For even more options to enhance your terminal check out projects like oh-my-zsh and the Fish shell. This can help reduce screen clutter and improve the clarity of your terminal sessions. The default shell in macOS is Bash – good but not for all terminal operations, especially as scripting environment. In this comprehensive, beginner-friendly guide, we‘ll walk through how to install Z shell (ZSH), customize it with Oh My ZSH, add useful plugins and beautiful themes, and enable […] Apr 30, 2021 · I use the macOS default Terminal because that's what I used when I started learning to code and I'm loath to change (soz). All command line tools that are localized should now print the output in Swedish. , there are still use cases where Bash may prove helpful in the macOS terminal. History Bash is the original unix shell that has been around since 1989. Beyond the basics, there are several things that I like to add to my default zsh configuration immediately. For example, I used the terminal as part of VSCode and was able to find and edit the file. This post is going to describe how to switch from the zsh shell to the bash shell. Readability of the screen is very important, and I personally prefer a slightly higher contrast display. zshrc And then set the ZSH Oct 7, 2024 · Are you tired of staring at a bland terminal while you code? Combine iTerm2, custom ANSI themes, and Oh My Zsh with the Spaceship prompt to transform your terminal into a visually appealing and efficient workspace. Is it necessary to use zsh shell options in the . Why Zsh? Feb 29, 2016 · In macOS Sonoma 14 running zsh, the cat ~/. - Installing ZSH · ohmyzsh/ohmyzsh Wiki Mar 6, 2015 · The ~/. app` must be one of the most used apps. It offers a tons of themes, functions, helpers, plugins, and other handy features. Ready to upgrade from the comfort of Bash? Are you looking to enhance your terminal and command-line workflow on Mac? Then setting Zsh as the default shell is an impactful upgrade. I know most Tagged with terminal, apple, zsh. So, some Zsh commands might not be accessible after the system update. 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 Sep 5, 2025 · Actually, if you have macOS Catalina beta or later, your Mac already uses zsh as the default shell in Terminal, thus you won’t need to transition. bash_profile file if using bash (the default from Panther to Mojave) or for later macOS the default shell is zsh and the file to use is ~/. May 26, 2022 · beautifying terminal in macOS with zsh shell and ohmyzsh and powerline fonts Customizing the zsh prompt on macOS allows for a more personalized and efficient terminal experience. Jan 6, 2023 · 2. zshrc file. By default, macOS ships with zsh located in /bin/zsh. Now, that we have the basic installation out of the way, let's make sure everything looks nice before we get to set up more functionality. It offers advanced Dec 16, 2020 · The oh-my-zsh install will replace your default terminal with zsh automatically when installed. Apr 20, 2024 · The default terminal on macOS, while functional, can be greatly enhanced with the right tools and configurations. Customizing the zsh prompt in the macOS terminal can greatly enhance your productivity and overall user experience. /bin/sh on macOS is, and probably will remain, a copy of /bin/bash, but executing bash with the name sh causes it to have different behaviour. Do you have any ideas how to get the full history back? Dec 29, 2021 · Recent versions of macOS now use zsh as the default command line shell. zsh. It does not provide compatibility with POSIX or other shells in its default operating mode. It’s deeply embedded into both Linux and macOS systems. To maximize your productivity as a developer, customizing your terminal with Zsh and useful plugins is a must. " message when you switch from zsh to bash. 設定主題 完成！ 進階推薦：安裝 zsh 的 Plugins 1. What are Aliases? Aliases in a shell are user-defined shortcuts or abbreviations for longer commands. While macOS ships with the reliable bash shell, Zsh offers advanced functionality and customization options that make it worth upgrading to. Z shell is basically an extended version of Bash… Apr 30, 2024 · 前言 環境需求 安裝順序 1. This is an open-source and popular zsh configuration manager. However, those command line tools that were built without localization but use hard-coded texts cannot be changed in any way (except on source code level, of zsh configuration for macos based on Kali Linux. Users of macOS Catalina or higher versions like Big Sur, Monterey, and Ventura may get a message such as Zsh: command not found as we will discuss next, and other Zsh: command not found errors include Zsh: command Jan 8, 2025 · 11 Best Terminal For Mac Here are the Best alternative Terminal Emulators for macOS. Zsh home: \001 end: \005 You can enter these codes in the edit dialog by pressing ctrl-A for \001 and ctrl-E for \005. 1. Dec 27, 2023 · This drops you into a Zsh command prompt right within your current terminal window. 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 ~/. Feb 1, 2024 · Starting with macOS Catalina, Apple changed the main system used in the Terminal from ‘bash’ to ‘zsh. How does the macOS terminal work, why should I use it and what’s the difference between a Graphical User Interface (GUI) and a Command Line Interface (CLI)? How-to: Terminal/profile startup files in macOS There are two default shells commonly used with macOS: zsh (Z shell) is the default shell for all newly created user accounts, starting with macOS Catalina. – Z shell – Wikipedia Read more about ZSH at An Introduction to the Z Shell. This is the guide for the ultimate setup of macOS terminal / console / shell using zsh and other tools you can benefit from. It’s a free-fantastic Terminal for Mac, as it auto-completes the commands, supports multiple profiles, provides you with the ability to perform high-end customizations and more. Before Starting You should be familiar with using the macOS Terminal command line. Small adjustments to the CLI can make huge impacts on my workflow. bash_history renders the exact same command list as does history 0 (See later post from @storm_m2138). Get ready to enhance productivity, streamline workflow, and make a statement with a customized Mac zsh terminal prompt. zshrc Note this will only affect command line programs. Jul 5, 2020 · I am trying to set two environment variables on macOS version 10. Terminal might be not fancy to begin with, but you can totally make it more elegant and fancy if you follow with me. bash_profile Added the exports to that, saved and exited vi, closed and reopened term Step 1: Open Your Terminal First, open the Terminal application on your Mac. However, you can check if zsh is configured going to the native terminal settings general tab: It your configuration does not look like the image, you need to install zsh before going to any other step in this post: Installing Zsh Install 6 To answer the question in the title, "How do you set an alias in zsh on Mac OS," the syntax in the question is correct. Since macOS Catalina, Apple has made Zsh the default shell, replacing Bash. Feb 2, 2024 · Terminal application is one of the most important, if not, the most important application in MacOS. Installing themes, plugins, setting default aliases and functions can proof to be a challenge on Bash. Jan 11, 2018 · iTerm2 + zsh + oh-my-zsh The Most Power Full Terminal on macOS Are you struggling in the default terminal? Do you want your terminal to look like an image above? Jul 12, 2024 · This helps to switch between words using cmd keys Configuring Zsh Zsh, or Z shell, is a powerful shell that offers many improvements over the default Bash shell, including themes and plugins. Whether you’re new to the command line or a seasoned pro, this comprehensive book offers everything you need to navigate, customize, and optimize your macOS Terminal workflows. 安裝 oh-my-zsh 3. To scroll this page, press [ a – z ] on the keyboard, or ' \ ' to Search. Privacy Policy Sep 19, 2021 · On macOS, there is a sessions directory that combines commands from multiple zsh sessions into a single history file. You can change the shell that new Terminal windows and tabs open with. However, the simple changes outlined in this post are a great addition to level up your terminal experience. I use Oh My Zsh, as a shell replacement for macOS. Sep 17, 2025 · In 2019, macOS released Catalina, and from then on, Mac switched from Bash to Zsh as the default login shell. The book covers the new default shell zsh, but also bash, on macOS versions up to and… Jan 3, 2019 · The Z shell, more commonly referred to as zsh, is a UNIX shell that is built on top of the Bourne shell (macOS default shell), better known as bash. This article teaches you how to switch to Bash from Zsh on macOS using CLI and System Settings. Choose one of the following options. It's also highly recommended to install a framework with zsh as it makes dealing with configuration, plugins and themes a lot nicer. Check if Zsh is configured in your mac Latest versions of macOS already come with zsh as default shell. Apr 17, 2020 · Zsh is a UNIX command interpreter (shell) usable as an interactive login shell and as a shell script command processor. Mar 9, 2022 · Let's focus on our primary source of information in the development world—the terminal. Jan 12, 2021 · As you can see above, I was on the bash shell ($) before and typing zsh switched me to Z Shell (%) ️ Since macOS Catalina Zsh is the default shell, you might see "The default interactive shell is now zsh. 安裝 iTerm2 4. In the past, the bash-shell was the standard, nowadays being replaced by the z-shell (zsh) which we'll also use in this tutorial. Feb 20, 2022 · Transform your Mac terminal with iTerm2, zsh, powerline fonts and oh-my-zsh. ’ One of the most common reasons behind this is that the shell cannot find the command that you are trying to execute. So I am convinced this is default behavior and not May 24, 2023 · Whether you want to change colors, display helpful information, or experiment with different styles, personalize your Mac today. zsh_history and cat ~/. 5, I've opened a terminal and tried: vi ~/. 安裝主題 Powerlevel10k 5. Sep 10, 2021 · to your ~/. zshrc file, to manipulate how Nov 30, 2021 · You can just use exec to replace your current shell with a new shell: Switch to bash: exec bash Switch to zsh: exec zsh This won't affect new terminal windows or anything, but it's convenient. However, if you still prefer to use Bash and wish to enable bash completion, here’s a comprehensive guide to In macOS Catalina the default shell was changed to zsh and in time this page may be updated to include the zsh variants. 安裝 zsh 2. 15) and later versions (BigSur and Monterey). Hit Enter when it pops up. Sep 10, 2025 · Explains how to configure and enable Apple MacOS X (macOS) Terminal to have colorful ls command colorized output for bash shell permanently. By customizing the prompt, you can personalize it to suit your preferences and make it more informative and visually appealing. The latest releases bring optimizations, new capabilities, and bug fixes to power up your terminal. Sep 15, 2023 · Install Oh My Zsh Zsh is the default shell that comes pre-installed on all macOS systems since macOS Catalina. Jun 7, 2016 · How to Reload bash_profile, zsh profiles from Command LineFor anyone making customizations to their command line appearance, prompt, adding aliases, a new PATH, setting environment variables, or otherwise changing their bash_profile, bashrc, zshrc, and related shell profiles, it’s helpful to know how to quickly reload the profile. While Zsh is in many ways superior to Bash, thanks to its floating-point support, hash data structures, customization options, etc. I typically use the bash shell on Linux servers, so I prefer using it on my Mac. For a local machine, configure Zsh. The zsh prompt, also known as the command prompt, is the text displayed on the terminal that lets you know you can enter a command. To install Oh My Zsh, execute the following command in the terminal: Apr 26, 2025 · This saves time, increases efficiency, and enhances the user experience when working in a terminal environment. com2025 Copyright | All Rights Reserved. This guide is filled with techniques, tips, and tricks to help you unleash your creativity and modify Mac Terminal as per your requirements. Contribute to statropy/zsh-macos development by creating an account on GitHub. Jan 9, 2024 · How is the Shell Used? To understand the differences among Zsh configuration files, consider various shell uses, which can be classified as interactive or non-interactive, login or non-login sessions. iTerm2 The first Terminal on this list is iTerm2. Zsh works as an interpreter that translates your terminal commands into instructions for your operating system to run. In macOS Catalina, the default changed to the Z shell, also known as zsh. This comprehensive guide will walk you through configuring environment variables, managing shell profiles, and setting up aliases for optimal productivity. Nov 15, 2018 · Step 3: Install ZSH Zsh is a shell designed for interactive use, although it is also a powerful scripting language. By the end, you‘ll be […] Jan 11, 2024 · By default, the zsh prompt in Terminal looks bland, but macOS lets you customize it to your liking. By modifying the prompt, you can display key information such as your username, machine name, or current directory in a way that suits your workflow. Creating a Bash/Zsh Script Option 1: Open up the Terminal On macOS, use Cmd+Space to open spotlight search then start typing ‘Terminal’. Aug 23, 2023 · A 5 minutes guide to customizing your macOS terminal to increase productivity and improve the interface. May 4, 2025 · macOS Terminal Guide with Oh My Zsh This guide will help you set up and effectively use the Terminal application on macOS with Oh My Zsh for an improved command-line experience. Since it's based on the same shell as Bash, ZSH has many of the same features, and switching over is a breeze. In this expert-level guide, we‘ll walk you through the process of setting up Zsh (Z shell) and iTerm2 to supercharge your terminal experience and boost your productivity. . In this guide we show you how to install Zsh and May 15, 2023 · Check out how to make your terminal look better and be more productive. We've also included an env. This is the book that helps you get comfortable with Terminal and shell on macOS. But before that let’s see a little bit what a Shell is and how and why to install zsh, as well as its integration under VS Code. alvinwanjala. It includes 300+ plugins, themes, and tweaks to supercharge your terminal experience. 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. On Ubuntu, use Ctrl+Alt+T Change directory into the folder you want the Bash script to be in using cd cd stands for ‘change directory’ Once you’ve typed cd followed by a space into the terminal, use Tab to auto-complete If you are using Mac as development machine, `Terminal. The latest version of macOS uses Zsh as its default shell, having switched from Bash with the Catalina release in 2019. Aug 29, 2023 · Apple now uses Zsh as the default shell on macOS, but the old Bash shell is still included and easily switchable. zsh is highly compatible with the Bourne shell (sh) and mostly compatible with bash, with some differences. It covers an overview of both shells, the steps for setting them up, Sep 12, 2025 · In this guide, we'll help you learn how to resolve the "zsh: permission denied" error in your Mac's Terminal. In this comprehensive 2500+ word guide, I‘ll provide detailed background on Zsh, walk through the update process step-by-step, […] May 6, 2024 · Introduction For most Mac users, including the ones using a Mac for years, the Terminal application continues to remain an enigmatic tool. Zsh on itself isn’t very powerful. 15. Nov 17, 2021 · For even more options to enhance your terminal check out projects like oh-my-zsh and the Fish shell. May 22, 2022 · Oh My Zsh The second step is getting a better shell. 設定 Plugins 並啟用 如果 VS Code 的 Terminal 無法正常顯示圖示的話 參考資料 前言 最近在重新設定 Mac 的 Terminal 時，發現現在關於 Zsh 和 iTerm2 的 網路文章都太 May 7, 2020 · From macOS Catalina 10. Notably it provides a comprhensive command-line completion system that can save a lot of time when you're working in the terminal. Let’s install zsh using brew and make iTerm2 use it. Jan 2, 2025 · Unlock the full potential of your macOS system with The macOS Command Line and Terminal Handbook, your ultimate guide to mastering the Terminal and Zsh shell. Of the standard shells, zsh most closely resembles ksh but includes many enhancements. Sep 15, 2020 · On macOS, the terminal is our "hardware" for the shell, so the tool where our shell software can run. The ~/ translates to your user’s home directory and the . The macOS Terminal is a ZSH terminal shell (aka Z shell) which runs on a Unix-like operating system (macOS, Linux, BSD, Windows/WSL2). Jun 17, 2018 · Today I will show you how to use . It is essential to master the use of this app because it offers access to those parts of the macOS system that usually remain hidden and cannot be accessed via System Preferences/System Aug 25, 2013 · A way to edit the . To change your default shell from Zsh to Bash, simply run the "chsh -s /bin/bash" command in Terminal and reopen it. zshrc file without doing it through iTerm2 or native Terminal on macOS is to use a terminal in another application. You will also learn how to install oh-my-zsh themes and plugins. Jun 24, 2022 · In the terminal enter export LANG=sv_SE. zshrc doesn’t exist by default in macOS so you need to create it. zsh By default zsh is very capable and provides many improvements over bash (the previous macOS default). The instructions are different for Bash and Zsh. 安裝 2. Oh My Zsh is a popular open-source Zsh configuration framework loved by developers worldwide. Oct 14, 2024 · TL;DR - Zsh and Bash or both unix shells, Zsh is a beefed up version. Feb 1, 2020 · 自從換成 zsh 後，每次看 Terminal 都是一種享受，也希望讀者能夠跟著我的步驟，一步一步擁有自己好看又好用的 Terminal！ zsh The Z shell (also known as zsh) is a Unix shell that is built on top of bash (the default shell for macOS) with additional features. Zsh can be thought of as an extended Bourne shell with a large number of improvements, including some features of bash, ksh, and tcsh. Step 2: Edit Your Bash Profile If you’re using the default shell in macOS, which is Zsh (macOS Catalina and later), you will need to edit the . Feb 14, 2025 · Improving your terminal productivity is the aim of every Developer and Engineer working for many hours on a Shell environment. Use the code for your shell, Bash or Zsh. Although MacOS has several built-in shells, most of the time users use either zsh or bash shells Jul 8, 2020 · Customize the MacOS Terminal Personalize the prompt for increased productivity using Z Shell As of 2019, macOS Catalina has adopted Z Shell, or zsh for short, as the default login shell. If you’d like to use zsh as the default shell in Terminal for Mac OS rather than bash, you can do so rather easily with taking the following steps: Aug 2, 2023 · Zsh replaced Bash as macOS's default terminal shell in macOS Catalina. Jul 2, 2021 · Since updating to Big Sur, the history command (terminal) shows only the last 16 commands. Feb 2, 2025 · With zsh becoming the default shell in Terminal for MacOS, and a widely used shell in general thanks to Oh-My-Zsh, you may be wondering how to configure and use aliases with zsh shell. zshrc for zsh) in order to change the language for all terminal sessions. 🙃 A delightful community-driven (with 2,400+ contributors) framework for managing your zsh configuration. In this extensive guide, I‘ll explain in detail how to install Zsh, set it as the default shell, customize it to your needs, and troubleshoot any issues. On macOS, each new terminal session is treated as a login shell, so opening any terminal window starts an interactive login session. j0u9 aei qpnddz 8e ggjxh 5pw erzf0 fauqw h7ool a254