Why install zsh

The default shell on most Linux systems is bash. While bash is nice, in its vanilla state, you can't get a ton of information at a glance. For example, your bash shell might not be configured by default to:

• Show the current working directory
• Show the status of the Git repository
• Show the time you executed the last command you were running
• Show the hostname of the machine you're on (especially useful if you work on a remote machine and locally at the same time).

To illustrate, at a vanilla bash shell, you usually are given:

username@hostname $

With some of the zsh themes, with minimal configuration, you get a shell that looks like this:

username@hostname at /path/to/current/dir (yyyy-mm-dd hh:ss) [+] $

The [+] at the end gives us the Git status of a directory that is also a Git repository.

The Z-shell, or zsh, as well as other shells like the fish shell, are alternative shells that use Bash-compatible syntax to interact with them, but come pre-configured with themes that you can apply. The zsh is especially handy for this.

Of course, fancier bash prompts are one thing, but each shell comes with its own set of cool tooling to enhance your productivity at the terminal.

How do I install zsh and oh-my-zsh

If you're on a fresh install of the latest versions of macOS, the zsh is already your default shell. You probably want to then install oh-my-zsh. Follow instructions on the project's webpage. Then, pick one of the themes that you like, and configure your shell that way.