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G Sudarshan
G Sudarshan

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My Terminal Setup: Zsh, Oh My Zsh, Powerlevel10k and Tmux

#terminal #devex #productivity #zsh

This is my repeatable terminal setup for a new laptop. The goal is simple: install the core tools, clone my public config repo, link the config files, and get the same shell and tmux experience everywhere.

My setup uses:

  • zsh as the shell
  • Oh My Zsh for shell framework and plugins
  • Powerlevel10k as the prompt theme
  • zsh-autosuggestions for command suggestions
  • zsh-syntax-highlighting for command highlighting
  • tmux for terminal multiplexing
  • A custom .tmux.conf with pane shortcuts, mouse support, vi copy mode, and a simple status bar

Terminal

1. Install System Dependencies

macOS

Install Homebrew if it is not already installed:

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"
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Install the tools:

brew install git zsh tmux reattach-to-user-namespace
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reattach-to-user-namespace is used by my tmux config so copy mode can pipe selected text to pbcopy on macOS.

Ubuntu/Debian 

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y git zsh tmux curl
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Note: my current tmux copy binding is macOS-specific because it uses pbcopy. On Linux, replace the tmux copy command with a Linux clipboard tool such as xclip or xsel.

2. Make Zsh the Default Shell

Check where zsh is installed:

which zsh
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Change the default shell:

chsh -s "$(which zsh)"
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Close and reopen the terminal after this step.

3. Install Oh My Zsh 

sh -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ohmyzsh/ohmyzsh/master/tools/install.sh)"
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This creates the ~/.oh-my-zsh directory and a default ~/.zshrc.

4. Install Powerlevel10k

Clone the Powerlevel10k theme into the Oh My Zsh custom themes directory:

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

ZSH_THEME="powerlevel10k/powerlevel10k"
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Powerlevel10k needs a Nerd Font for the prompt symbols to render correctly. Install the recommended MesloLGS NF font from the Powerlevel10k font instructions, then set that font in your terminal app.

5. Install Zsh Plugins

My .zshrc enables these plugins:

plugins=(git zsh-autosuggestions zsh-syntax-highlighting)
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Install the custom plugins:

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

git clone https://github.com/zsh-users/zsh-syntax-highlighting.git \
  "${ZSH_CUSTOM:-$HOME/.oh-my-zsh/custom}/plugins/zsh-syntax-highlighting"
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The git plugin comes built into Oh My Zsh, so it does not need a separate install.

6. Clone My Config Repo

Clone the public repo where I keep my config files:

DOTFILES_REPO="https://github.com/G-Sudarshan/configs.git"
DOTFILES_DIR="$HOME/dotfiles"

git clone "$DOTFILES_REPO" "$DOTFILES_DIR"
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I keep these files in the repo, update as required:

.zshrc
.p10k.zsh
.tmux.conf
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Reload zsh:

source ~/.zshrc
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If Powerlevel10k asks configuration questions, run:

p10k configure
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7. Verify the Setup

Check zsh:

echo $SHELL
echo $ZSH_THEME
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Check that the plugins exist:

ls "${ZSH_CUSTOM:-$HOME/.oh-my-zsh/custom}/plugins"
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Check tmux:

tmux -V
tmux
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Inside tmux, reload the config:

tmux source-file ~/.tmux.conf
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10. Tmux Shortcuts in My Config

My tmux config includes these shortcuts:

  • prefix + | splits the window horizontally
  • prefix + - splits the window vertically
  • Alt + Left/Right/Up/Down moves between panes without pressing the prefix key
  • Mouse mode is enabled
  • Copy mode uses vi keys
  • Press y in tmux copy mode to copy selected text to the macOS clipboard

The status bar is kept simple and shows the date and time on the right.

Fresh Laptop Checklist 

# 1. Install tools
brew install git zsh tmux reattach-to-user-namespace

# 2. Set zsh as default shell
chsh -s "$(which zsh)"

# 3. Install Oh My Zsh
sh -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ohmyzsh/ohmyzsh/master/tools/install.sh)"

# 4. Install Powerlevel10k
git clone --depth=1 https://github.com/romkatv/powerlevel10k.git \
  "${ZSH_CUSTOM:-$HOME/.oh-my-zsh/custom}/themes/powerlevel10k"

# 5. Install plugins
git clone https://github.com/zsh-users/zsh-autosuggestions \
  "${ZSH_CUSTOM:-$HOME/.oh-my-zsh/custom}/plugins/zsh-autosuggestions"

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

# 6. Clone dotfiles
DOTFILES_REPO="https://github.com/G-Sudarshan/configs.git"
DOTFILES_DIR="$HOME/dotfiles"
git clone "$DOTFILES_REPO" "$DOTFILES_DIR"


# 7. Reload shell
source ~/.zshrc
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After this, the terminal should have the same prompt, plugins, and tmux behavior as my main machine.

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