What is zsh on Mac terminal?

Table of Contents

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. Since it’s based on the same shell as Bash, ZSH has many of the same features, and switching over is a breeze.

Is zsh on Mac?

Starting with macOS Catalina, Macs will now use zsh as the default login shell and interactive shell across the operating system. While a number of Mac developers have already moved on to even more modern shells like Fish, zsh is more compatible with Bourne shell (sh) and mostly compatible with bash.

Why did macOS switch to zsh?

The reason Apple has not switched to these newer versions is that they are licensed with GPL v3. bash v3 is still GPL v2. zsh , on the other hand, has an ‘MIT-like’ license, which makes it much more palatable for Apple to include in the system by default. The zsh version on macOS 10.14 Mojave is fairly new (5.3).

How do I get zsh on my Mac?

Z shell (Zsh) is a Unix shell built on top of bash (the default shell for macOS) with a large number of improvements….

Step 1: Install Homebrew.
Step 2: Install iTerm2.
Step 3: Install ZSH.
Step 4: Install Oh My Zsh.
Step 5: Change the Default Theme.
Step 6: Install Fonts.
Step 7: Install Color Scheme.
Step 8: Install Plugins.

Should I switch to zsh on Mac?

Casual, switch to zsh. You will not really notice. Some where in the middle, consider switching if you only use a shell on the Mac. If you do a lot of cross platform work in the shell and bash is the common shell, the stay with bash, and maybe upgrade bash using HomeBrew.

Does Mac use bash or zsh?

We love Zsh, but the trusty old Bash shell is still included with macOS, and you can quickly switch back to Bash if you prefer. Zsh is only the default shell on newly created user accounts, so any existing accounts you have on an upgraded Mac will still use Bash by default unless you change it.

Should I use zsh or bash on Mac?

The Z shell (also known as zsh ) is a Unix shell that is built on top of bash (the default shell for macOS) with additional features. It’s recommended to use zsh over bash . It’s also highly recommended to install a framework with zsh as it makes dealing with configuration, plugins and themes a lot nicer.

Why is Fish not Posix?

2 Answers. fish isn’t and never tried to be compatible with POSIX sh. This really just means that it’s a separate language (like Java, Python or Ruby) rather than an implementation or extension of sh (like Bash, Dash and Ksh).

Is fish better than Bash?

While Bash is a good shell, Fish is better. It makes up for a lot of the shortcomings Bash and other shells have. The auto-complete function is a lifesaver, and the robust configuration options are a welcome addition. The shell is very fast and light on it’s feet.