Zsh as default shell. If your login shell is set to something else (e.
Zsh as default shell For example I can't stand BASH and need to use ZSH, how do I make it so ZSH is loaded along with my profile (. In this article, we’ve examined several methods for configuring tmux to launch automatically with Bash, Fish, and Zsh, ensuring that we always start our terminal sessions with tmux’s great features at our disposal. In my home. 04. Jul 20, 2025 · Enhance your Linux terminal with Zsh and Oh My Zsh! Learn to install, configure, and customize on Debian/Ubuntu with popular themes and plugins. And Bash is great – it gets the job done on basic terminal tasks. com The easiest way to change the default shell is to set your SHELL user environment variable. This blog To make ZSH the default shell in Ubuntu, use the “chsh -s $(which zsh)” or “sudo usermod -s /usr/bin/zsh ” commands or edit the “/etc/passwd” file. 1. How to know the available shells on your system? Warp default shell Warp tries to load your login shell by default. To change your default login shell, first, execute the given command: chsh And to change your default shell, enter the following path of Zsh and press enter: /bin/zsh Jun 2, 2025 · How to Configure Zsh Shell on Linux If you’re looking to supercharge your terminal experience, Zsh (Z Shell) is a powerful, flexible shell loved by developers and power users alike. Mar 24, 2023 · Run the following command: chsh -s /bin/zsh Enter your password and your default shell will be changed to zsh. How to Use Zsh Let us check how fully make use zsh on your system. Zsh is an extended Bourne shell with many improvements, including some features of Bash, ksh, and tcsh. The replacement command for starting WSL is now wsl. Everything runs fine with I open a terminal and execute "zsh" but when I try to add it to /etc/shells. Search for "Edit Environment variables for your account" to bring up the environment variables window, create a new variable named "SHELL" and give it the value "/usr/bin/zsh/". It covers an overview of both shells, the steps for setting them up, If you want to execute zsh instead of bash, just replace /usr/local/bin/bash by the path to the zsh executable. Follow step by step instructions to get started using ZSH on Mac OS X. But I seem to be running into the following error: Dec 12, 2024 · Why ZSH Over Bash Most operating systems like MacOS default to using Bash as the command line shell. Zsh is a powerful shell that operates as both an interactive shell and as a scripting language interpreter. Linux Bash Shell Bash (/bin/bash) is a popular shell on most if not all Linux distributions, and it’s normally the default shell for user accounts. g. Configuration files Let's take a look at zsh configuration files. Choose one of the following options. Note that this snippet is specific to csh; if your login shell is not (t)csh, this code in ~/. If the change shell command didn't work, something is blocking it. To change the user's shell, first, let's find the current shell. Zsh can be thought of as an extended Bourne shell with a large number of improvements, including some features of bash, ksh, and tcsh. config Apr 1, 2020 · How to set ZSH as the default shell in your terminal. It allows you to type commands and control your computer. Dec 23, 2024 · Z Shell (Zsh) is a powerful shell that is compatible with the traditional Bourne shell (sh) and is often considered an improvement over the default Bash shell that comes with most Linux distributions. Well my friend, you‘ve come to the right place! Switching […] Changing the default shell For all users To set a command shell as the default for all users, use the defaultUserShell option. Dec 12, 2023 · The current shell shows to zsh and the default shell remains bash: This tells you that changing the shell won't change the default shell. This tutorial will help you for switching between Zsh and Bash on macOS systems. However, ZSH offers more flexibility and customization options. Since macOS Catalina, Apple has made Zsh the default shell, replacing Bash. To change your default shell from Zsh to Bash, simply run the "chsh -s /bin/bash" command in Terminal and reopen it. I have tried this code: sudo chsh -s $(which zsh) I've also tried: sudo chsh -s /bin/zsh Also tried these co See full list on linuxhandbook. zsh_profile) when I s Aug 9, 2024 · A shell is the interface through which you can communicate with your Linux system. However, changing the default shell can be tricky, as it requires using the chsh command. Nushell) Warp will show a banner indicating it's not supported and load the default shells listed below: Feb 6, 2025 · This guide shows how to install and configure the Zsh in Ubuntu. It combines features from both ksh and tcsh, offering functionality such Jun 25, 2017 · A few months ago, I wrote an article to show how to get Zsh in WSL on Windows 10. 9 has been installed on Ubuntu 24. Oh-my-zsh is now installed on the system, and the Z shell has been configured for using the oh-my-zsh framework with default configuration. But I haven’t exactly shown how to make it the default… Mar 20, 2024 · Explains how to change your default shell in Linux using the chsh command, which changes the user login shell permanently. The best instructions I found were in the "installing zsh" instruction in the oh my zsh github repo by Robby Russel that you can find here Oct 23, 2016 · Can I set zsh as default shell while being logged in as root? I did chsh -s /bin/zsh and used my root password for authentication, but failed. zshrc configuration file controls all ZSH behavior and customization Dec 26, 2024 · In most Linux systems, the default shell is bash but we can change that to any other shell-like zsh, fish, sh, and any other. zshrc and is located in your home directory (eg. Nov 3, 2021 · Switching from Bash to Zsh? Getting your terminal on board can be tricky. – Z shell – Wikipedia Read more about ZSH at An Introduction to the Z Shell. In this article, we are going to show how to change that default shell to any other shell in Linux systems. . The Zsh FAQ offers more reasons to use Zsh. There is a similar toolset for bash, called (not surprisingly) oh-my-bash. ZSH also called the Z shell, is an extended version of the Bourne Shell (sh), with plenty of new features, and support for plugins and themes. This seems to happen for a lot of Jan 7, 2024 · Set ZSH as your default shell. Starting with the Catalina update, zsh is the default shell on Macs and WSL 2 became available on Windows 10 in 2020 (and a native Linux GUI is apparently coming to Windows soon), so it seemed like a good time Jan 11, 2017 · Explains how to set or change shell to bash (Bourne-again shell) on a Linux, macOS, FreeBSD, and Unix-like OS using the chsh command. Which means the next time you log into the terminal/system, you'll be back to the old default shell instead of the newly one. zshrc. Zsh was created by Paul Falstad in 1990 while he was a student at Princeton University. ' on Mac. May 5, 2012 · I am trying to set ZSH as my default shell, however it keeps reverting back to bash. 04? After installation, you can configure Zsh further by setting it as your “ default shell ” and exploring customization options like “ Oh My Zsh ” for themes and plugins. I'd like to make it the default shell, but I cannot run a command such as $ chsh -s $(which zsh) because I don't have admin Change the default shell in Terminal on Mac The default shell is zsh. A key reason many programmers switch is all the different Jun 4, 2019 · Starting with macOS Catalina, Macs will now use zsh as the default login shell and interactive shell across the operating system. Step 1: Access the Zsh Aug 25, 2020 · oh-my-zsh is not a shell. It's now a symlinked file that I can't seem to edit even with sudo due to the symlink. zsh configuration file is named . Dec 16, 2024 · The most common default shell on most Linux distributions is the Bourne Again SHell (Bash). Instructions for Windows Instructions for Mac Instructions for Linux Nov 27, 2025 · Wondering what 'The default interactive shell is now zsh. May 23, 2018 · This article shows you some of the unique features of the Z Shell, or zsh, and how to configure it as the default for running system commands in a terminal. ~/. If your login shell is set to something else (e. Jan 8, 2023 · Terminal Preferences are not required to set the default shell. 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. login won't do anything for you. Many developers rave about Oh My Zsh, an open-source, community-driven framework built on top of the zsh shell and playing around with Oh My Zsh has been on my bucket list for some time. Jul 25, 2023 · How to install and use Zsh on Ubuntu We'll walk you through the steps of installation, show you how to set Zsh as your default shell, and introduce some of its powerful features. Every Linux user has a default shell, which is bash in most cases. May 16, 2025 · p10k configure Change default shell to Zsh on Ubuntu Once you are comfortable with the customizations, you can set the Zsh as your default shell. NOTE: This used to require modifications to the shortcut to access WSL but in newer versions of WSL you can use the following. In this post, I'll show you how to setup Zsh as your default shell. This comprehensive guide will walk you through configuring environment variables, managing shell profiles, and setting up aliases for optimal productivity. Jan 7, 2024 · Set ZSH as your default shell. If you like oh-my-zsh, why not switching your interactive shell to zsh? Although different from bash in severaly ways, it is sufficiently similar that you will feel at home soon. ' is? Here, we will explain the warning in detail and tell you how to remove 'The default interactive shell is now zsh. ] Oh. Installation See Command Shell. Using this you can set Bash, sh, Zsh, Csh, Fish, etc. By the end, you‘ll be […] Jun 11, 2014 · I am using my school's computers and would like to use zsh instead of bash. Configuration Zsh can be configured with Home Manager Discover seamless ways to switch from bash to zsh and enhance your command line experience. I installed zsh on my Mac. Mar 2, 2016 · This tutorial will guide you through steps to install Zsh on Linux and Configure it to suit your needs. Moved Permanently. You‘re tempted to try them out, but unsure how to actually switch your default shell to something new. Users direct the operation of the computer by entering commands as a text for a command line interpreter . . Well, if you just do exec /usr/local/bin The version of zsh 5. Jan 8, 2023 · Installing ZSH ZSH, also known as the Z shell, is a popular Unix shell that is similar to the Bash shell, but has some additional features that make it more powerful and flexible. How do I set the shell that is used when a user SSHs to a server. May 13, 2024 · The shell is a program that accepts and interprets commands; there are several open-source shells such as bash, sh, ksh, zsh, fish, and many other lesser-known shells available on Linux. This will update your shell preference in the system’s user configuration. Aug 4, 2023 · You can change your default shell to Zsh by running the command chsh -s $(which zsh). In this article, we will walk you Are you looking to enhance your terminal and command-line workflow on Mac? Then setting Zsh as the default shell is an impactful upgrade. Definition of shell from Wikipedia: A Unix shell is a command-line interpreter or shell that provides a traditional user interface for the Unix operating system and for Unix-like systems. Jan 18, 2022 · Learn how to install Zsh on Linux, understand shell types, configure startup files, and set Zsh as default. 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. Aug 4, 2025 · Key Takeaways ZSH provides significant productivity improvements over default shells through auto-completion, syntax highlighting, and plugin support Installation is straightforward across all major operating systems using package managers Setting ZSH as your default shell requires the chsh command and a session restart The . as your shell. 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. Nov 11, 2021 · Installing oh-my-zsh From this point, your Git Bash will behave essentially like a Unix Zsh shell. You can change the shell that new Terminal windows and tabs open with. Redirecting to /zsh/ Mar 12, 2014 · I was trying to change my default shell in cygwin to zsh and I found parts of the answers here helpful, but none of them gave a full solution. Alternatively, you can change the default shell graphically in System Settings under Users & Groups by Ctrl-Clicking your profile picture and selecting "Advanced Feb 7, 2023 · Envy the beautiful Z shell? Learn how to install zsh on Ubuntu and customize it with Oh My Zash. For example, to set zsh as default shell: The Z shell (Zsh) is a Unix shell that can be used as an interactive login shell and as a command interpreter for shell scripting. Now start using zsh by modifying the configuration file located at ~/. You could try setting the default shell in your user account. I have no idea how well it compares to the zsh version. In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the history, pros and cons, and key features of Bash, Zsh, and Fish shells. " To install ZSH on Fedora, "run sudo dnf install zsh" then switch the shell by entering "zsh" in the Dec 1, 2021 · This article explains how to change the default shell in Linux. See customization options and maximize your performance with Z 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: Zsh is a powerful shell that operates as both an interactive shell and as a scripting language interpreter. Nov 19, 2025 · The Z shell (zsh) is a Unix shell []. How to Configure Zsh on Ubuntu 24. zshrc) If you run zsh without having the configuration file, zsh will provide you option to create one. zshrc OR ~/. Oh My Zsh is a community-driven framework for managing Zsh configuration that comes with a variety of plugins and themes to enhance your shell experience. The default shell used by Alpine Linux is the BusyBox variant of the ash shell. By comparing the Jun 21, 2025 · Setting up your macOS shell environment properly is crucial for an efficient development workflow. Nov 12, 2023 · So you‘ve been using the standard bash shell for years on your Ubuntu system. There are also many other options available, including Zsh, ksh, rc, and fish. The following result is on Ubuntu. But lately you‘ve been hearing about more powerful shells like zsh and fish. Sep 24, 2023 · ZSH, an extended version of the Bourne Shell, offers new features, such as automatic cd, spelling correction, themes, and plugins. nix file. This page explains how to use the default shell and various ways to change the default shell in Alpine Linux. Master basic Zsh setup quickly. and now i want to make it the default shell instead of Bash. To install oh-my-zsh, run the usual command that you’d run in any Zsh shell: Aug 29, 2023 · Apple now uses Zsh as the default shell on macOS, but the old Bash shell is still included and easily switchable. Currently, Warp supports bash, fish, zsh, and PowerShell (pwsh). Actually, it doesn't set the default shell, just the one you use for that session. exe, and since the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, you can use the "normal" Linux chsh to set the default shell for your user. While being compatible with the POSIX sh (not by default, only if issuing emulate sh), it offers advantages such as improved tab completion and globbing. Once configured, ZSH supercharges your terminal with handy features for developers and power users. I'm sourcing a zsh. [Checks who that was. Apr 15, 2017 · Bash comes pre-installed on most terminals, but its not the best shell out there. nix file which has the enable = true flag. Aug 16, 2024 · Understanding how to set the default shell to start a tmux session on startup improves efficiency and simplifies our work process. For example, to set Zsh as the default user shell for all users: Hi all, Just started trying out NixOS and really struggling getting something to work. Here we show you the various methods to change your default shell in Linux. This guide simplifies the transition while spotlighting zsh's powerful features. As for why the snippet was written that way, you'd have to ask the person who wrote it. However, there are other popular shells to choose from with different features and advantages, such as the Z SHell (Zsh) and Friendly Interactive SHell (Fish). How to set zsh as default shell without using chsh Zsh is a powerful and customizable shell that is often preferred over the default shell on Linux and macOS. Installing ZSH on Ubuntu or other Debian-based distros is as simple as running "sudo apt install zsh" and changing the default shell using "chsh -s $ (which zsh).