First time installing a distro that came with zsh instead of bash

3 years ago by muhyb to c/linuxmasterrace

I’m moving my posts from Reddit to Lemmy before delete them.

This post is from 2020-09-03.

Lemmchen 22 points 3 years ago

Okay, you guys get the once in a liftetime chance to convince me that Bash is not the way to go. I'll eagerly await your proposals.

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likeaduck 26 points 3 years ago

Zsh, an extended version of the Bourne Shell (sh), offers a plethora of compelling reasons why it surpasses Bash in terms of functionality and customization. Here are some key advantages of Zsh over Bash:

Plugin and theme support: Zsh boasts a wide range of plugin frameworks and themes, allowing users to enhance their shell experience and tailor it to their specific needs. The popular Oh-My-Zsh framework is a testament to the vibrant plugin ecosystem available for Zsh.
Automatic cd: Zsh simplifies directory navigation by enabling users to change directories simply by typing the name of the desired directory. This feature eliminates the need to type the "cd" command explicitly, saving time and keystrokes.
Recursive path expansion: Zsh offers the convenience of shorthand path expansion, allowing users to expand a partial path to its full form recursively. This feature proves particularly useful when dealing with nested directory structures.
Spelling correction and approximate completion: Zsh's intelligent auto-correction feature automatically fixes minor typos in directory names, ensuring smooth and error-free command execution. Additionally, Zsh's approximate completion feature suggests potential completions based on the entered command, further streamlining the workflow.
Syntax highlighting: Zsh goes beyond mere text display by providing syntax highlighting for command lines, making complex commands more readable and easier to comprehend. This feature enhances code visibility and reduces the likelihood of syntax errors.
Advanced scripting capabilities: Zsh offers a more powerful scripting language compared to Bash, enabling users to create intricate and sophisticated shell scripts. This flexibility opens up possibilities for automation and complex task execution.
Enhanced customization: Zsh provides users with extensive customization options, allowing them to personalize their shell environment to suit their preferences. From prompt customization to theme selection, Zsh empowers users to create a shell experience that aligns with their workflow and aesthetic choices.

While Zsh undeniably offers a wealth of advantages, it is worth noting that it has a steeper learning curve compared to Bash, especially for users unfamiliar with advanced shell features. Additionally, Zsh consumes more memory due to its more complex data structures and advanced functionality.

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Felix 5 points 3 years ago

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oktoberpaard 4 points 3 years ago

Some of those options exist in Bash too, but need to be enabled in your profile: https://www.gnu.org/.... Bash is also more like to be available on random machines that you have access to. Lastly, if you’re working a lot with Bash scripts in your (work) environment you might feel more at home using Bash in interactive mode too.

Those are just some counter arguments for the sake of completeness. I think zsh is great, even though I personally don’t use it (yet).

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zzz 3 points 3 years ago

OK GPT, now give me 7 reasons why Bash is better than zsh, please!

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gamma 2 points 3 years ago

Yeah, from the first line

Zsh, an extended version of the Bourne Shell (sh)

This screams AI-generated.

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argv_minus_one 2 points 3 years ago

Automatic cd: Zsh simplifies directory navigation by enabling users to change directories simply by typing the name of the desired directory. This feature eliminates the need to type the “cd” command explicitly, saving time and keystrokes.

What if there happens to be a command with the same name?

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Still 3 points 3 years ago

command goes first

order is shell built in > path > autocd

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argv_minus_one 2 points 3 years ago

Then you're likely to enter a command by accident. I would consider that a dangerous misfeature and look to turn it off.

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branchial 1 point 3 years ago

Don't name your directories "rm" or "fdisk" problems solved

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WIPocket 2 points 3 years ago

Automatic cd isnt a zsh-only feature. You can use it in bash by shopt -s autocd. Afaik its also disabled by default in zsh, just enabled by oh-my-zsh.

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cy_narrator 1 point 3 years ago

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gamma 6 points 3 years ago

There are two massive points no one has mentioned yet.

Quoting every expansion isn't necessary in Zsh. Parameters don't split or glob by default.
$array actually expands to every element in an array.

Compare this between Bash and Zsh:

a=('/* hello */' 'world!' '  ')
printf '"%s" ' $a

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Zucca 4 points 3 years ago

$array actually expands to every element in an array.

Very convenient. But ~every shell script is written in bash or POSIX(y) sh. When I need to write shell scripts I begin with busybox sh compability. If it turns out to be too complex, I'll convert to bash. This is because if I ever would publish the script it would have better changes to be accepted as a PR for example. Yes. Bash is a mess. I don't even like it that much. It's okay. But it's more standard then zsh. Although I've seen the tides turn on some occasions, like macOS.

Maybe some day I'll give zsh a second chance.

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gamma 2 points 3 years ago

I used to write Bash more than anything, but now the things I write are either simple enough to keep POSIX or complex enough that I miss the extra niceties Zsh provides.

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zzz 1 point 3 years ago

but now the things I write are either simple enough to keep POSIX or complex enough that I miss the extra niceties Zsh provides.

Well said!

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muhyb 3 points 3 years ago

Bash is the way, zsh if you are lazy.

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20gramsWrench 1 point 3 years ago

sh scripts can be run in even the dumbest distro out there, bash, not so much

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Lemmchen 1 point 3 years ago

The debate was between zsh and bash, not necessarily POSIX sh.

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BheemanRaghu 1 point 3 years ago

This is me but for fish shell.

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Thaurin 7 points 3 years ago

Try fish with the tide plugin and the fzf plugin. I can never go back to anything else.

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Melco 1 point 3 years ago

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Thaurin 3 points 3 years ago

The command-line completion features alone are worth it!

Watch this video for a short introduction of some of the features.

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Melco 1 point 3 years ago

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Thaurin 1 point 3 years ago

I’m not sure if it’s the tides prompt or standard fish, but it shows me a match from my history as I type. So it’ll get more accurate the more I type. Then I’ll just hit control-e and it’ll complete it! I used to use control-r in bash for that, but this is way faster and more fluent. Also, the fzf plugin has a much more useful control-r replacement with fuzzy searches, etc.

The only downside would be the stuff that you know and are used to in bash and have to figure out in fish, or if you need to write any scripts that are POSIX-compliant. But you can still script in bash, of course. Although the fish language is more readable, it’s still a new language to learn. So if you do lots of cool internal functions and loops on the bash command-line all the time, well either learn fish or you start a bash shell and do it there. It’s not like bash suddenly isn’t available anymore.

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samsy 1 point 3 years ago

I love fish, only it annoys me, if I want to run a bash script.

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Thaurin 2 points 3 years ago

Why is that? You can still use bash to interpret your bash scripts. Where does it annoy you?

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samsy 1 point 3 years ago

I have to switch to bash first, and wonder days later, why I can't find it (obviously) in my fish history.