Where is my zshrc file. Install Zinit: Add Zinit installer chunk to your . Finder also doesn't display the . `. zshenv: Always read, used for setting environment variables To modify PATH in these files, use the same syntax as in . zshrc and ~/. Aug 25, 2013 · Use a good text editor like VS Code and open your . git_aliases alias Mar 13, 2024 · On my MacBook with 2 good accounts I tried editing user files from another account with my own account in terminal. zshrc Set the zsh theme and update your changes source ~/. For this it should be sufficient to copy templates/zshrc. my_alias will run my_alias and leave its effects in the same environment with the RC files, effectively giving you the aliases in the shell. zshrc It might be worth noting that using this method of grepping your zsh setup for aliases will show more than just plugin-provided aliases. zshrc . It should contain commands that should be executed only in login shells. The . zshrc file grows, it can become difficult to manage all your aliases. Bash uses . Behold, the glory of my terminal in Codespaces - powered by my . You can refer to the official reference if you like. zshrc Jul 21, 2025 · The `. bash_profile` for it's configuration In this tutorial, i will show you the 3 different ways to open . May 13, 2023 · If you use Oh-My-Zsh on the Mac then you might want to run the ‘alias’ command first because you’ll find many prebundled aliases already in your . zshrc Open a new terminal window and run your previous To customize your Zsh prompt, you'll need to make changes to your . Let’s see all together. app I just got a MacBook Pro and am in the process of trying to get GNU commands installed. zshrc had a hidden . Aug 5, 2025 · The . zshrc Find the ZSH_THEME line and change it to a theme like "agnoster", one of my favorites: ZSH_THEME="agnoster" Save and exit nano, then source the config to apply it: Zsh is a powerful shell that operates as both an interactive shell and as a scripting language interpreter. May 11, 2024 · Conclusion Editing the zshrc file is a powerful way to customize your terminal environment on Mac. bashrc or . zshrc file with Nov 14, 2019 · Aliases from Oh My Zsh lib and . zshrc file may contain code for things other than just Homebrew, so you'll want to leave those lines alone. zshrc file as shown above. zshrc manually. zshrc: path +=('/ path /to/your Mar 30, 2021 · So you need to set it yourself in your ~/. zshrc file actually is. zshrc to a folder where I keep this kind of files synced with Github. bash_profile by running vim ~/. Jul 23, 2025 · You can choose between editing the . Oct 29, 2021 · A “dotfile” is any configuration files that start with a dot. It doesn’t really matter where you paste it into your . To open the config file (. I went for the file name . Jul 31, 2021 · I want to change my PATH variable in zsh. zshrc, located in your home directory. a) Opening with Vim editor b) with Nano editor c) with TextEd May 31, 2022 · I have a little . zshrc) and Bash (. One such file often sought after by users of the Zsh shell on Mac is the . zshrc): The primary configuration file for Zsh is located in your home directory and is named . It contains settings, environment variables, and customizations that load every time you start a new terminal session Nov 18, 2021 · Wondering where the . txt extension by default unless you inspect the file, so I hadn't noticed the issue. zshrc file is located in your home folder. Normally, I would look for the assignment to the PATH variable and set the Feb 18, 2022 · I am currently trying to work on a dotfiles repository using several git submodules such as dotbot and a dotbot-brewfile. Jan 27, 2025 · I am not able to find the . Run the following command to create or edit the file with vi: vi ~/. zshrc is sourced after . What is the . zshrc file or using the path array, depending on your needs and preferences. zshrc config with agnoster theme, and plugins like zsh-autosuggestions, zsh-syntax-highlighting If you want to take a look at my latest configuration, you can check out my dotfiles. I'm following this guide, but I don't know how to do: Then add the following line to your . Privacy Policy May 20, 2024 · By keeping your aliases organized in a separate file and sourcing it in the . Maybe my answer to another question might give you some further information on how to set your PATH variable effectively. bash_profile inside user home directory the solution is to simply Open ~/. Zsh shell offers four configuration files with no discernible differences. . In Zsh (. 15. bashrc to a . This guide walks you through understanding the file, locating it, and safely opening, editing, saving, and exiting it. ) This will put it into the trash, so you can always restore it later, if necessary. oh-my-zsh: Dec 2, 2020 · $ touch ~/. . zsrch, via vi, which disabled my terminal’s ability to navigate … Feb 9, 2025 · Explore the various configuration files for Zsh, such as . Jun 8, 2023 · How to Create Permanent Environment Variables in ZSH To make an environment variable persist in ZSH, add it to the . Feb 8, 2025 · Conclusion Installing zsh enhances your terminal experience with advanced features and customization. txt, probably when I used TextEdit to edit it, and source doesn't infer the text extension. zprofile appear to be identical, leaving us wondering which one to use. zshrc file on your Mac. Few important commands we should know to work with vim: Type Vim <filename> - if file Jul 31, 2021 · I want to change my PATH variable in zsh. zshrc file in MacOS terminal. zshrc There's a nice Q&A here that summarizes one opinion of the raison d'être for the ~/. So, after some research, I figured out the basics of how to make my little prompt useful without being too overwhelming or distracting! May 28, 2021 · I accidentally overwrote my . Problem: I don't understand where in the . zshrc file and add your environment variables to it. zshrc file on Mac running macOS, here is where you can find it, or create one if does not exists. zshrc, you can maintain a clean and efficient configuration. zshrc or . You can make the Finder show hidden files by pressing Command-Shift-period (and press again to toggle this off). bashrc (depending on your choice of shell) - these specific files contain shell commands that are run every time you open a new Terminal window or tab. So I’m making this now for my ref Jul 30, 2020 · The issue turned out to be that . zshenv ZSH uses different files for configuration, each with a specific purpose: . zshrc file, you'll need to either restart your terminal or run source ~/. z* files, delete those, too. zshrc file, save your changes and open a new terminal window to see your changes take effect. After editing the . In this series, I will document my experiences moving bash settings, configurations, and scripts over to zsh. zshrc The system directory is /etc by default, but may be changed at compile time. Feb 22, 2024 · I messed with my zshrc file and empited it while setting up flutter what to do my device is mac m2 air. zsenv, and config file I need answers to the following questions: 1. zshrc file in your default text editor (usually TextEdit) and, as long as you save it as plain text, you’ll be fine. zshrc` file is a configuration file for Zsh that allows users to customize their shell environment according to their preferences. zprofile file which is executed when the user logs in. You could yourself look at the file in your home directory by the command “ls -al, ” which lists all the directory content. Here are some tips for keeping things organized: Group related aliases together with comments Put complex aliases in separate functions Split long configs into separate files and source them For example, you could move all your git-related aliases into a ~/. zshrc file is used by zsh as a startup file on Linux and Unix-like systems. Once created, it has a period before its name, meaning it’s a hidden file, so technically, its name is ‘. ) before the file’s name indicates that the file is hidden and won’t be visible unless specified. zshrc file here for ideas, but remember that your file should be set up for your own needs and preferences. bashrc file is the configuration file for bash. , ~/. zshrc file is read. a) Open with Vim editor b) Open with Nano editor c) Open with TextEdit app 1) Open and edit . To try to fix the problem without losing your config, edit your . zsh_history but feel free to set this to whatever you prefer, it also doesn't need be located in your home director. zshrc For the newly initiated, here's how you can edit the . zshrc config file. , a "login shell" is the command line presented to you when running the terminal application). Explore its capabilities and tailor it to your workflow! For more on zsh customization, visit Oh-My-Zsh Installation Guide. I'm looking to ask a few questions in this post to help make sure I better Oct 30, 2023 · To permanently modify your PATH each time you open a new shell, you‘ll need to edit your Zsh configuration file. But as you tagged the question with oh-my-zsh I would assume that you want to restore the default oh-my-zsh configuration. zshrc Zsh theme set to agnoster Or open the file in a text editor with open ~/. Jul 30, 2020 · The issue turned out to be that . zprofile, and . zshrc When a new terminal or shell is opened the ~/. zshrc file in your favorite text editor: Apr 17, 2018 · There are many things that can go wrong, although each of them rarely does. zshenv system zshrc user . bash_profile Open ~/. Dec 4, 2023 · Zshrc is a configuration file that allows you to use those plug-ins and themes, often via a third-party tool like Oh My Zsh. zshrc file (should be in your home directory. zshrc with vim editor: VIM allows you to create and edit text files on your Mac. zlogin. zshrc file is a hidden file that contains the configuration for zsh, just like the . In thi Feb 3, 2022 · . zshrc file, you can use the touch command as : $ touch ~/. Navigate to the ZSH config file: nano ~/. Then remove the VScode Path you added. zshrc file is a hidden configuration file used by the Zsh shell on macOS to store user preferences, environment variables, and shell customizations. zshrc file: nano ~/. zsh Startup and Shutdown Files . If you make changes to your . Create the ~/. 5, I've opened a terminal and tried: vi ~/. b. You can access it by using the following command in your terminal: vim ~/. Apr 15, 2014 · Recently, with the upgrade to macOS Catalina, the default shell changed to zsh, which uses ~/. zshrc as the resource file. zlogin' for ksh fans; the two are not intended to be used together, although this could certainly be done if Dec 29, 2020 · 7 Just run open ~/. May 7, 2020 · The system-wide zshrc is nominally /etc/zshrc. Follow the steps below: 1. As I understand from researching, if I use zsh, I add environment variables not to a bash_profile file but to a zshenv or zshrc file. Took a while pulling my hair to figure it out. Particularly, ~/. if you don't see it, be sure to right-click in the file folder when opening and choose option to 'show hidden files'). zshrc is the ZSH configuration file itself. zshrc shell configuration file. zprofile or ~/. zshrc by running vim ~/. zshrc 🔄 Step 3: Installing and Configuring Zinit Zinit is a plugin manager for Zsh, offering flexible and fast plugin management. It can be found in your home directory, which will change depending on the system and platform you're using. Apr 19, 2009 · 44 You can't " export " your . zshrc file. zshrc). Nov 5, 2022 · This file is often called a 'dotfile' because the '. zshrc instead of trying to run . zshrc file is a configuration file used by the Zsh shell, which is the default shell in macOS since Catalina. Jan 14, 2016 · Here’s an easy-to-download zip that has all of the files enclosed: config. While Oh-My-Zsh offers extensive themes and plugins, you can start by modifying . However, I still have 5 terminals that had zsh open before this incident, and a 🙃 A delightful community-driven (with 2,400+ contributors) framework for managing your zsh configuration. It is wonderful, fast and free. The dot (. Apr 22, 2025 · Create a backup copy of your “. How to edit your . zshrc (i. zprofile or . how do i tell the operating system where the config file is located? Apr 17, 2020 · The ZSH documentation you mentioned in your question, explains in detail in which sequence zsh is looking for those files. zshrc wouldn't affect anything. zshrc doesn’t exist by default in macOS so you need to create it. The ~/ translates to your user’s home directory and the . zprofile. That's the path that zsh runs at startup, and you can run it, edit it (subject to file permissions; see discussion under ma11hew28's answer), etc under that path, but its actual location in the filesystem is a bit more complicated (and depends on the version of macOS you're using). It’s run whenever a new zsh shell is started and it applies all your customizations. zshrc file on Mac Mar 6, 2015 · The ~/. Dec 24, 2022 · The . You can't expect zsh to be able to run the bash commands in your . zshrc is a file that runs zsh commands. zshrc is actually no ~/. zlogin', except that it is sourced before `. e. All of them are optional, and you are the master of your account: There is no law telling you which command you have to put into which file. Jul 28, 2019 · Restart zsh Zsh reads . This blog post aims to provide a detailed overview of the `. zshrc file is used to configure your terminal prompt if you're using zsh (z-shell) login shell (n. zsh-template from your oh-my-zsh installation path, usually ~/. Apr 23, 2021 · In Unix based systems, touch command followed by name will create an empty file in the present directory. Zsh reads a number of files when it starts. You can edit this file using any text editor, like Nano or Vim: Jan 14, 2024 · In this tutorial, i will show you the 3 different ways to open and edit . zshrc file in your favorite text editor: May 20, 2017 · 34 . If the file does not exist, create it using a text editor. zshrc File To begin, navigate to the ~/. This file serves as the configuration file for the Zsh shell, allowing you to customize its behavior and add personalizations. bash_profile Added the exports to that, saved and exited vi, closed and reopened term Apr 18, 2025 · After cloning these, ensure they are added to the plugins array in your ~/. zhrc Using a Custom Theme Sep 27, 2024 · Managing Aliases As your . zshrc” file before making changes, especially if you are unfamiliar with the syntax. zshenv, . zshrc'. Just closing the terminal and opening a new one gives you your new . zshrc’ How to manage hidden files on Mac Zshrc is just one of many files on your Mac you may not know about. I don't know if that will work on the machine with the broken . git_aliases file: # ~/. Jun 18, 2024 · This script will set up Oh My Zsh and switch your default shell to Zsh. So I’m making this now for my ref Jul 5, 2020 · I am trying to set two environment variables on macOS version 10. ' at the beginning of it's name makes it invisible in the Mac Finder. Located in your home directory, it is essential for customizing your Terminal experience. Feb 21, 2024 · Turbo charge your Zsh experience by using aliases for commonly used command combinations. zshrc file… Jul 29, 2024 · Modifying PATH in . zshrc. But you can make this more direct. config” in my home directory, and create symlinks to them. zshrc), run the command: nano ~/. Assuming I changed the file to ~/. And there's another opinion here, which also suggests what types of configuration parameters should go into a ~/. For instance, the “. profile, and overwrites everything in . zshrc file, which is a script that Zsh runs whenever it starts an interactive session. zshrc file serves as a central configuration file for customizing the behaviour of the Bash and Zsh shell respectively, making it a powerful tool for enhancing Sep 23, 2023 · This configuration file is not created by default in Mac OS. zshrc the file with your favorite text editor, clear all the text-content and paste this lines: Nov 7, 2021 · To reset your Zsh settings to default, delete your . Sep 27, 2024 · When modifying your PATH in ZSH, it‘s generally recommended to make the changes in ~/. Now we can easily apply some nice color themes included in Oh My ZSH. This is different than the . bash_profile into ~/. Common things to put into such a file: Oct 5, 2023 · Note that your . zprofile' is meant as an alternative to `. zshrc file I have to make modifications. Whether you want to change the command prompt, set environment variables, or define aliases for long commands, the zshrc file has got you covered. On most of my computers, “. Jan 9, 2024 · Beginners often get confused when configuring Zsh shell on a Mac. But now whenever I start a zsh session it doesn't use that config file. the modification and access time of each file is also updated with the use of touch command. zshrc on the command line, which will open your . zshrc file, as nothing else in there depends on it. Step 1: Fire up Terminal. zshrc: cat Oct 28, 2024 · You can look at my . Includes 300+ optional plugins (rails, git, macOS, hub, docker, homebrew, node, php, pyth Feb 16, 2023 · However, you can create it easily enough: % touch ~/. bashrc, so you should convert it into a new . In my case, ~/. You can view all invisible files in the Terminal by typing ls -al in any directory. Install oh-my-zsh, theme, plugins and all the good stuff! I use a fairly simple . zshrc are the two main startup files that you’ll 99% be dealing with. zshrc file contains some commands to configure the newly opened shell. I'll report back with results. Learn to configure and use Zsh aliases. zshrc Copy the content of ~/. You then need to select this theme in your ~/. This way, you can efficiently set an environment variable in ZSH. It's /etc/zsh on Debian-based distributions, including Ubuntu, including WSL May 20, 2017 · 34 . 1. I had several aliases/environment variables in my old . However, if you need the changes to be available in login shells as well, you can make the modifications in ~/. Please help [Re-Titled by Moderator] Jun 18, 2019 · Apple has announced that in macOS 10. zshrc More on Software Engineering How to Feb 19, 2024 · Not getting command history in Zsh? Here's how to enable it. However first I will try using the full path to invoke commands and hopefully fix my . profile. zshrc file has been completely replaced. Open the . The new I have tested to define to create a . zshrc Apr 12, 2023 · 9 After installing Oh My Zsh framework on my macOS to manage my Zsh configurations, I found that the original contents of the . Firstly, in all versions of macOS, /etc is a symbolic link to Nice answer. zshrc file have been completely replaced with the Oh-My-Zsh configurations. Dec 12, 2022 · Start fresh Now open . zshrc and . The PROMPT variable is the key to defining what your prompt looks like. We usually had ~/. bashrc from . Type ls -la there you will find the . zshrc, and am trying to transfer these to the new . config” links to a dropbox folder, so I get immediate updates. bashrc are script files, not config files, so you "source" the alias file. zshrc file The . Of course, your are not limited to aliases either. Apr 14, 2022 · I’ve always bundled in my Zsh config with other guides I’ve done in the past and never a stand alone post. Nov 15, 2018 · In this scenario, I changed it to agnoster, an already pre-installed theme. zlogout' is sourced when login shells exit. Learn to utilize themes, plugins, and advanced features for enhanced productivity. So, it seems that you are right! Thank you for your help :) If I find any issue in the next couple of hours, I will reported here. zlogin' is sourced in login shells. zprofile' is similar to `. zshrc file is loaded and the related configuration is applied. Jun 9, 2022 · I understand that it is related to content of files where i specify location of my scripts directory, my own functions and granting proper permissions to my scripts. zprofile Zsh New Shell Configuration . If you're using a standard OSX terminal, then you're probably using bash (the BASH Shell), so editing . If you want to live without Oh My Zsh, you can create it by entering touch ~/. (If you see any other . zip File Stucture / Setup I put most of my config files in “. I won't repeat the whole list here; for interactive use, the list is: system zshenv user . Sep 3, 2023 · Where your . Dec 27, 2020 · The place where you want to add directories to your PATH is in the . When a new instance of zsh is launched, the file contains scripts that are used to set up key bindings, functions, options, and other critical factors. 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. I’m writing this because I had a harrowing experience once with making a modification to my . Part 1: Moving to zsh Part 2: Configuration Files (this article) Part 3: Shell Options Part 4: Aliases and Functions Part 5: Completions Part… Oct 4, 2024 · How to Configure a Zsh Alias Follow these steps to configure your preferred Zsh aliases. zshrc file, defined a variable there, restart the terminal and checked that it is correctly defined, so that the . Dec 12, 2024 · A huge reason to level up your terminal is making it visually pop. It worked. Whether you prefer to have short, memorable aliases for common commands or create custom commands to streamline your workflow, zsh aliases provide a powerful tool for customizing your shell experience. zshrc file (or just zshrc file) is a file that zsh reads when it starts. Like all files whose names start with a period, it is normally hidden, so you won't see it in the Finder, or by doing a normal "ls" command in the Terminal. The one you want to edit is either . You don't need to log out and log back in. zshrc` file, including its fundamental concepts, usage methods, common practices, and best practices. zshrc, as this file is sourced for all interactive shells. These files are: . Aug 5, 2025 · This post gives you a full guide about how to create a zshrc file on Mac and how to edit and located it on your Mac. Jul 15, 2017 · So the default ~/. Only delete the code pertaining to /opt/homebrew and replace it with the two lines above. Mar 20, 2022 · You’ll find the . Mar 22, 2016 · The . zshrc file at the bottom of the list if you run this command in your file system’s home/user directory. zshrc when it starts. Normally, I would look for the assignment to the PATH variable and set the Feb 8, 2024 · Overall, the . zshrc file to customize my terminal, and I’ve always wanted a fun prompt besides the default, but haven’t really done much to learn it. zshrc Enable plugins: plugins=(git asdf) Reload your configuration: source ~/. zshrc” file allows you to tweak how your shell (terminal) looks and works. bashrc is a file that runs bash commands. Aug 4, 2023 · Edit the Zsh Configuration File (. Since this file gets loaded once you enter the shell, you make sure your settings don’t disappear when restarting the shell. zshrc file in the home directory when executed %ls -la ~/ command [Re-Titled by Moderator] Sep 3, 2022 · The . zshrc file is located on a Mac? If you’re a Mac command line user who is interested in using and customizing the zsh shell, or using something like Oh My Zsh, you may be … Sep 22, 2021 · The . By following the steps outlined in this article, you can ensure that your desired directory is included in the PATH, allowing you to conveniently execute commands and scripts located in that directory. zshrc: Used for interactive shell configuration . bashrc) alike: . zshrc or open a new terminal for the changes to take effect Feb 5, 2025 · The ~/. Jan 13, 2023 · I understand that navigating the file system of your operating system can be challenging, especially when trying to find a specific file. Just remember to back up your current configuration before making any changes to avoid potential issues. There were many aliases and environment variables in the old file that I was using. zshrc for the changes to take effect. Configure Oh My Zsh: Open your . Dec 26, 2014 · I'm trying to move . zshrc file is automatically created when the zsh is installed on your system. Just tell zsh to relaunch itself: exec zsh If you run this at a zsh prompt, this replaces the current instance of zsh by a new one, running in the same terminal. txt file extension. The Zsh FAQ offers more reasons to use Zsh. Use this command in your file system’s home/user directory Aug 9, 2021 · That said, I, personally, prefer putting my environment variables into ~/. You can view your dotfiles by going to your home directory on your machine (cd ~) and running ls -al. Feb 15, 2025 · The ~/. Somehow it was automatically named . zshrc or copying the former into the latter. zshrc file is a configuration file for the Z shell (Zsh). Mar 12, 2023 · I do however have a bash_profile file AND a . Mar 9, 2025 · Edit the Configuration File: The main configuration file for Zsh is . I recently downloaded Oh My Zsh, and my . zshrc in this new terminal. The file doesn’t exist by default. Both zsh and bash have a number of different shell files that get run at different times. zshrc file by clicking it once and then pressing ⌘ ⌫ (Cmd-Backspace). 15 Catalina the default shell will be zsh. zshrc file that you might otherwise be setting up aliases to perform, like using color with ls for example. The more generic way to add a directory to the path is to export a PATH variable in your . bashrc and . zshrc file after a misexecuted command, which contains several hundred lines of configs. zshrc: May 18, 2022 · Open your regular Debian terminal App (Ensure you are in the debian home directory). You'll need to source ~/. Here are two screenshots which might make things Aug 25, 2018 · Install ZSH with Oh My ZSH to boost your terminal efficiency. In your case, to create . zprofile and . You can edit this file using a text editor Feb 20, 2021 · Want to locate . zprofile: Read at login, useful for environment variables and startup programs . 2025 Copyright | All Rights Reserved. Yet, other files have their uses too.