Zsh

Most developers know zsh as “that shell that comes with macOS” or “the thing Oh My Zsh makes pretty.” But zsh packs sophisticated features that can dramatically transform your command line workflow. These aren’t just cosmetic improvements—they’re fundamental productivity enhancements that adapt to how you actually work. Whether you’re on Linux, BSD, or macOS, these hidden gems can turn your terminal from a basic interface into an intelligent development environment that learns your patterns and accelerates your workflow. ...

If you’re a developer who spends hours in the terminal, a well-tuned Zsh configuration isn’t just nice to have—it’s a productivity multiplier. I’ve covered the basics of Zsh in previous articles, but today I want to dive into specialized configurations for specific programming languages that can transform your development workflow. Over the years, I’ve constantly refined my Zsh setup, and I’ve discovered that language-specific customizations make a tremendous difference in daily coding efficiency. Let’s explore how to optimize Zsh for Python, JavaScript/Node.js, and Rust development with practical examples you can implement today. ...

Background I’ve been a zsh user for a long time, both on Linux (where it’s not the default) and OS X macOS (where it now is the default). The first thing I used to do on new machines is port all of my .oh-my-zsh stuff over. Oh My Zsh is not bad! This is not mean to slam the project at all. But I’ve recently (Jan 2025) upgraded to a new Mac Mini M4 and I thought maybe I should see what else is out there. If there’s something that’s good enough without being quite as large in size. ...