⚡ Installing & Configuring ZSH on WSL Ubuntu Linux

ZSH (Z Shell) is a powerful alternative to Bash with better autocomplete, themes, and plugins.
If you’re using WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux), here’s how to set up an optimized ZSH environment.

1️⃣ Enable WSL & Install Ubuntu

On Windows 10/11, enable WSL and install Ubuntu from the Microsoft Store.
Follow Microsoft’s official guide to get it running.

Once inside Ubuntu, update packages:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

2️⃣ Install ZSH & Required Packages

sudo apt install zsh git fonts-font-awesome -y

Run ZSH for the first time:

zsh

Follow the on-screen configuration prompts.

3️⃣ Set ZSH as the Default Shell

chsh -s $(which zsh)

Tip: If that doesn’t work, edit your ~/.bashrc:

if test -t 1; then
  exec zsh
fi

Restart your WSL terminal — ZSH should now be the default.

4️⃣ Install Powerline Fonts (for better themes)

Some ZSH themes require Powerline fonts.

On Windows PowerShell (as Administrator):

git clone https://github.com/powerline/fonts.git
cd fonts
.\install.ps1

5️⃣ Install Oh My ZSH (Highly Recommended)

Oh My ZSH is a framework for managing ZSH plugins & themes.

sh -c "$(wget https://raw.github.com/ohmyzsh/ohmyzsh/master/tools/install.sh -O -)"

6️⃣ Install Useful ZSH Plugins

🔹 Autosuggestions

Suggests commands from history as you type:

git clone https://github.com/zsh-users/zsh-autosuggestions \
${ZSH_CUSTOM:-~/.oh-my-zsh/custom}/plugins/zsh-autosuggestions

🔹 Syntax Highlighting

Highlights commands for better readability:

git clone https://github.com/zsh-users/zsh-syntax-highlighting.git \
${ZSH_CUSTOM:-~/.oh-my-zsh/custom}/plugins/zsh-syntax-highlighting

🔹 Auto-update Plugin (Optional)

Keeps Oh My ZSH updated automatically:

git clone https://github.com/Pilaton/OhMyZsh-full-autoupdate.git \
${ZSH_CUSTOM:-~/.oh-my-zsh/custom}/plugins/ohmyzsh-full-autoupdate

7️⃣ Enable Plugins

Open ~/.zshrc in your editor:

vim ~/.zshrc

Update the plugins line:

plugins=(
    command-not-found
    extract
    docker
    git
    github
    gitignore
    history-substring-search
    node
    npm
    nvm
    yarn
    volta
    vscode
    sudo
    zsh-autosuggestions
    zsh-syntax-highlighting
)

Apply changes:

source ~/.zshrc

8️⃣ Install & Configure Powerlevel10k Theme

Powerlevel10k is one of the best ZSH themes.

Install it:

git clone --depth=1 https://github.com/romkatv/powerlevel10k.git \
${ZSH_CUSTOM:-$HOME/.oh-my-zsh/custom}/themes/powerlevel10k

Set it as the default theme in ~/.zshrc:

ZSH_THEME="powerlevel10k/powerlevel10k"

Restart ZSH:

zsh

The Powerlevel10k configuration wizard will guide you through prompt customization.
You can re-run it anytime:

p10k configure

🎯 Final Result

After completing these steps, you’ll have:

• ⚡ Faster & smarter command-line experience
• 🎨 A beautiful, customizable prompt
• 🔌 Productivity-boosting plugins

💡 Pro Tip:
If you want a one-command installation with all settings preconfigured, check out this script:
Install-ZSH-in-WSL-Ubuntu-Linux

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