sorin-ionescu/prezto

Prezto is a configuration framework for Zsh. Zsh is one of the shells that runs in a terminal window on macOS and Linux, the place where commands like ls or git are typed. Out of the box Zsh has a lot of settings but very few defaults turned on, so most people who use it end up writing pages of configuration. Prezto is a ready-made set of those configuration files. Installing it gives a Zsh user sane defaults, useful aliases, helpful functions, tab completion that knows about many common tools, and a choice of prompt themes. Installation is described in the README in five numbered steps. The user starts a Zsh session, clones the prezto repository into a hidden folder under their home directory, runs a small loop that links the bundled config files into the right names, then changes their default shell to Zsh and opens a fresh terminal. There is also an optional path for people who keep their configuration under XDG_CONFIG_HOME. Prezto works with Zsh 4.3.11 or later. Once installed, Prezto is steered through a single file called .zpreztorc. It is built around the idea of "modules". Modules are bundles of related features, like one for git, one for editor key bindings, one for syntax highlighting, and so on. Most modules are disabled by default, and the README tells the user to browse the modules directory and add the ones they want to a pmodule list inside .zpreztorc. Prompt themes work the same way: the user lists them with "prompt -l", previews one with "prompt -p name", and sets a favourite in the config file. There is an updater command called zprezto-update that pulls down new changes and updates the bundled submodules, with manual git fallback instructions if there are conflicts. The README also notes that Prezto is best customised by forking on GitHub so personal tweaks are preserved, and points to the Zsh Reference Card and the zsh-lovers man page as further reading. The project is released under the MIT License.