Oh my ZSH 2026 updated setup guide

zsh_setup.md

Oh my zsh Setup (Fast + Minimal)

Install Zsh

Ubuntu

sudo apt update
sudo apt install zsh curl git

Set Zsh as default shell:

chsh -s $(which zsh)

Restart your terminal.

---

Install Zinit (Plugin Manager)

Zinit is used as a fast and lightweight plugin manager that loads Zsh plugins asynchronously to significantly reduce shell startup time.

bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/zdharma-continuum/zinit/HEAD/scripts/install.sh)"

---

Install Starship Prompt

Starship is used as a fast, cross-shell prompt that provides a minimal, customizable, and performant terminal prompt.

Ubuntu

curl -sS https://starship.rs/install.sh | sh

macOS

brew install starship

---

Configure .zshrc

Open .zshrc.

nvim ~/.zshrc

Replace contents with:

# ---------- Zinit ----------
export ZINIT_HOME="$HOME/.local/share/zinit/zinit.git"

if [[ -r "$ZINIT_HOME/zinit.zsh" ]]; then
    source "$ZINIT_HOME/zinit.zsh"
fi

# ---------- Prompt ----------
export STARSHIP_LOG=error
eval "$(starship init zsh)"

# ---------- Completion ----------
autoload -Uz compinit

# Use a cached completion dump
mkdir -p "${XDG_CACHE_HOME:-$HOME/.cache}"
compinit -d "${XDG_CACHE_HOME:-$HOME/.cache}/zcompdump"

# Better completion UX
zstyle ':completion:*' menu select
zstyle ':completion:*' rehash true
zstyle ':completion:*' verbose yes

# Case-insensitive + partial matching
zstyle ':completion:*' matcher-list \
    'm:{a-z}={A-Za-z}' \
    'r:|=*' \
    'l:|=* r:|=*'

# Group matches
zstyle ':completion:*' group-name ''

# Group descriptions
zstyle ':completion:*:descriptions' format '%F{yellow}%d%f'

# Colored completion menus
zstyle ':completion:*' list-colors ''

# Better process completion
zstyle ':completion:*:*:*:*:processes' command \
    'ps -u $USER -o pid,user,comm -w -w'

# ---------- Plugins ----------

# Fish-style suggestions
zinit light zsh-users/zsh-autosuggestions

# Syntax highlighting (must be last)
zinit light zsh-users/zsh-syntax-highlighting

# ---------- History ----------
HISTFILE="$HOME/.zsh_history"
HISTSIZE=5000
SAVEHIST=5000

setopt APPEND_HISTORY
setopt SHARE_HISTORY
setopt HIST_IGNORE_ALL_DUPS
setopt HIST_REDUCE_BLANKS
setopt HIST_IGNORE_SPACE
setopt EXTENDED_HISTORY

# ---------- Shell ----------
setopt AUTO_CD
setopt INTERACTIVE_COMMENTS
setopt AUTO_PUSHD
setopt PUSHD_IGNORE_DUPS
setopt PUSHD_SILENT

# ---------- Lazy NVM ----------
export NVM_DIR="$HOME/.nvm"

load-nvm() {
    unset -f node npm npx nvm
    [[ -s "$NVM_DIR/nvm.sh" ]] && source "$NVM_DIR/nvm.sh"
}

for cmd in node npm npx nvm; do
    eval "$cmd() {
        load-nvm
        command $cmd \"\$@\"
    }"
done


# Local bin
export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"

Reload shell:

source ~/.zshrc

---

Bonus if using Ghostty

macos-icon = retro
window-padding-x = 1
window-padding-y = 1
copy-on-select = clipboard
window-theme = dark
clipboard-read = allow

theme = Brogrammer
background = #131313
foreground = #d6dbe5
selection-background = #1f1f1f
selection-foreground = #d6dbe5
cursor-color = #b9b9b9
cursor-text = #101010
palette = 0=#1f1f1f
palette = 1=#f81118
palette = 2=#2dc55e
palette = 3=#ecba0f
palette = 4=#2a84d2
palette = 5=#4e5ab7
palette = 6=#1081d6
palette = 7=#d6dbe5
palette = 8=#d6dbe5
palette = 9=#de352e
palette = 10=#1dd361
palette = 11=#f3bd09
palette = 12=#1081d6
palette = 13=#5350b9
palette = 14=#0f7ddb
palette = 15=#ffffff

References

• https://github.com/zdharma-continuum/zinit
• https://github.com/zsh-users/zsh-autosuggestions
• https://github.com/zsh-users/zsh-syntax-highlighting
• https://github.com/marlonrichert/zsh-autocomplete
• https://starship.rs

Thank you!

Dope, thank you for this.

Remove these lines because zsh-autocomplete runs compinit automatically:

autoload -Uz compinit
compinit -C

Also, zsh-autosuggestions works for me with this:

zinit ice wait lucid atload"_zsh_autosuggest_start"

This isn't OMZ.