1. Install Zsh and Essential Tools

Begin by installing Zsh and some prerequisites:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install zsh git fonts-font-awesome curl

Start a new Zsh session:

zsh

If this is your first time running Zsh, a configuration prompt may appear. If it does, you can choose to create a basic .zshrc file. (Some systems will not show this menu, which is normal.)

2. Install Oh My Zsh

Install Oh My Zsh, which provides the plugin and theme framework used in this guide:

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

Can set as default shell. Logout and log back on.

3. Install Plugins and Powerlevel10k Theme

Download and install the plugins and theme by cloning their repositories into the Oh My Zsh custom directory:

git clone https://github.com/zsh-users/zsh-autosuggestions ${ZSH_CUSTOM:-~/.oh-my-zsh/custom}/plugins/zsh-autosuggestions
git clone https://github.com/zsh-users/zsh-syntax-highlighting.git ${ZSH_CUSTOM:-~/.oh-my-zsh/custom}/plugins/zsh-syntax-highlighting
git clone --depth=1 https://github.com/romkatv/powerlevel10k.git ${ZSH_CUSTOM:-~/.oh-my-zsh/custom}/themes/powerlevel10k

4. Configure Plugins and Theme in .zshrc

Edit your .zshrc file to enable plugins and apply the Powerlevel10k theme:

vim ~/.zshrc

Update the plugin list (keep syntax highlighting last for proper loading):

plugins=(git zsh-autosuggestions zsh-syntax-highlighting)

Set the Powerlevel10k theme:

ZSH_THEME="powerlevel10k/powerlevel10k"

Save and exit Vim.

5. Restart Zsh and Configure Powerlevel10k

Restart Zsh to apply your changes:

exec zsh

The Powerlevel10k configuration wizard should appear automatically. Follow the prompts to customize your terminal’s appearance, including icons, separators, and color styles.

To reconfigure the theme later, run:

p10k configure