24 Zsh Plugins🔌 Every Developer & DevOps Engineer 🖥 Should Use in 2025

Chandrashekhar Mehta — Fri, 05 Dec 2025 10:22:51 +0000

If you're using Zsh with Oh My Zsh, you're already ahead of the game. But are you leveraging the full power of its plugin ecosystem? Let me show you how to transform your terminal into a productivity powerhouse.

Prerequisites

Before we dive in, make sure you have:

Zsh installed: Check with zsh --version (version 5.0 or higher recommended)
Oh My Zsh installed: If not, install it with:

  sh -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ohmyzsh/ohmyzsh/master/tools/install.sh)"

Git installed: Required to clone the custom plugins
Basic terminal knowledge: You should know how to edit files with nano, vim, or your preferred editor

To verify your setup:

# Check Zsh version
zsh --version

# Check if Oh My Zsh is installed
ls ~/.oh-my-zsh

# Check Git
git --version

Why Plugins Matter

The default Zsh installation with Oh My Zsh comes with just the git plugin enabled. While that's a good start, you're missing out on intelligent auto-completions, helpful aliases, and productivity shortcuts that can save you hours every week.

The Setup

First, let's install two community plugins that are absolute game-changers:

1. zsh-autosuggestions (Fish-like suggestions)

git clone https://github.com/zsh-users/zsh-autosuggestions ~/.oh-my-zsh/custom/plugins/zsh-autosuggestions

2. zsh-syntax-highlighting (Real-time command validation)

git clone https://github.com/zsh-users/zsh-syntax-highlighting ~/.oh-my-zsh/custom/plugins/zsh-syntax-highlighting

The Power Plugin List

Now, let's add the essential plugins. Open your ~/.zshrc file and replace the plugins=() section with this configuration:

plugins=(
  # Version Control
  git

  # Cloud & Infrastructure
  docker
  docker-compose
  kubectl
  helm
  terraform
  aws
  gcloud
  azure
  ansible

  # Programming Languages & Tools
  python
  pip
  node
  npm
  yarn
  golang
  rust

  # Productivity Boosters
  sudo              # Press ESC twice to add sudo to previous command
  extract           # Universal archive extractor (works with .tar, .zip, .gz, etc.)
  z                 # Jump to frequently used directories
  history           # Enhanced history commands
  command-not-found # Suggests package to install for missing commands
  vscode            # VS Code aliases and shortcuts

  # Community Plugins (must be last)
  zsh-autosuggestions
  zsh-syntax-highlighting
)

What Each Plugin Does

Cloud & Infrastructure Plugins

docker & docker-compose: Auto-completion for containers, images, and compose commands
kubectl: Kubernetes command completion and helpful aliases (k for kubectl, kgp for kubectl get pods)
helm: Helm chart management completions
terraform: Terraform command completion
aws/gcloud/azure: Cloud provider CLI completions

Language Plugins

python/pip: Python environment and package management shortcuts
node/npm/yarn: JavaScript ecosystem completions
golang/rust: Language-specific tooling support

Productivity Plugins

sudo: Double-tap ESC to prefix your last command with sudo (no more retyping!)
extract: Use extract <file> for any archive format - no need to remember tar flags
z: After using it for a while, just type z project to jump to /home/user/dev/project
command-not-found: Ubuntu/Debian feature that suggests which package to install

Community Plugins

zsh-autosuggestions: As you type, see suggestions based on your history (press → to accept)
zsh-syntax-highlighting: Commands turn green if valid, red if invalid - catch typos before running

Activate Your Configuration

After updating your .zshrc, reload it:

source ~/.zshrc

Real-World Examples

Before:

$ kubctl get pods  # Typo turns red immediately
$ # Realize mistake, fix it
$ kubectl get pods

After with plugins:

The typo is highlighted in red instantly
Start typing kub... and autosuggestions show kubectl get pods from history
Press → to accept
Or use the k alias: k get pods

Directory Navigation:

# Old way
$ cd ~/projects/work/important-service/

# With 'z' plugin (after visiting once)
$ z important
# Instantly jumps to ~/projects/work/important-service/

Archive Extraction:

# Old way
$ tar -xzvf file.tar.gz
$ unzip archive.zip
$ tar -xjf file.tar.bz2

# New way with 'extract' plugin
$ extract file.tar.gz
$ extract archive.zip
$ extract file.tar.bz2
# All work the same way!

Performance Considerations

Having many plugins can slow down shell startup. If you notice lag:

Only enable plugins for tools you actually use
Remove language plugins for languages you don't work with
Use time zsh -i -c exit to measure startup time

Bonus: Useful Aliases from These Plugins

Once activated, you get dozens of useful aliases:

Docker:

dps = docker ps
dpa = docker ps -a
dce = docker-compose exec

Kubectl:

k = kubectl
kgp = kubectl get pods
kgd = kubectl get deployments
kaf = kubectl apply -f

Git:

gst = git status
gc = git commit
gp = git push
gco = git checkout

Type alias in your terminal to see all available aliases!

Next Steps

Explore themes: Try agnoster or powerlevel10k for a beautiful prompt
Custom aliases: Add your own in ~/.zshrc or ~/.oh-my-zsh/custom/aliases.zsh
Discover more plugins: Run ls ~/.oh-my-zsh/plugins/ to see 350+ available plugins

Conclusion

A well-configured terminal is a developer's best friend. These plugins transform Zsh from a simple shell into an intelligent assistant that autocompletes, suggests, and validates as you type.

The initial setup takes 5 minutes, but you'll save hours every week through improved efficiency and reduced context-switching.

What plugins do you use? Drop your favorites in the comments!

Found this helpful? Follow me for more developer productivity tips and DevOps tutorials!

docker applications

Chandrashekhar Mehta — Mon, 20 Jan 2025 10:26:30 +0000

Docker Desktop is not working on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS ?

Chandrashekhar Mehta — Sun, 29 Sep 2024 09:50:20 +0000

Upgrading to Ubuntu 24.04 LTS may cause problems with Docker Desktop. Follow these steps to resolve them quickly.

Prerequisites

Internet connection.
Docker CLI installed (Guide here).
GPG key setup (optional for Docker login).

Step 1: Verify Docker CLI

Run the following command in your terminal to verify Docker is working:

   sudo docker run hello-world

If successful, proceed to install Docker Desktop.

Step 2: Install Docker Desktop

Download Docker Desktop from here.
Run these commands to install:

   sudo apt-get update
   sudo apt-get install ./docker-desktop-<arch>.deb

(Replace <arch> with your system architecture, e.g., amd64.)

Step 3: Fix Permission Issues

If Docker Desktop doesn’t open, fix the permissions by running:

echo 'kernel.apparmor_restrict_unprivileged_userns = 0' | sudo tee /etc/sysctl.d/20-apparmor-donotrestrict.conf

Then restart your system:

sudo reboot

Step 4: Set Up GPG Key (If Login Issues)

Install password manager:

   sudo apt-get install pass

Generate a GPG key:

   gpg --generate-key

Initialize pass:

   pass init "your_email@example.com"

Step 5: Restart Docker Desktop

If you have questions, feel free to ask in the comments. ✌🏻

DEV Community: Chandrashekhar Mehta

24 Zsh Plugins🔌 Every Developer & DevOps Engineer 🖥 Should Use in 2025

Prerequisites

Why Plugins Matter

The Setup

1. zsh-autosuggestions (Fish-like suggestions)

2. zsh-syntax-highlighting (Real-time command validation)

The Power Plugin List

What Each Plugin Does

Cloud & Infrastructure Plugins

Language Plugins

Productivity Plugins

Community Plugins

Activate Your Configuration

Real-World Examples

Before:

After with plugins:

Directory Navigation:

Archive Extraction:

Performance Considerations

Bonus: Useful Aliases from These Plugins

Next Steps

Conclusion

docker applications

Docker Desktop is not working on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS ?

Prerequisites

Step 1: Verify Docker CLI

Step 2: Install Docker Desktop

Step 3: Fix Permission Issues

Step 4: Set Up GPG Key (If Login Issues)

Step 5: Restart Docker Desktop