Terminal Guide
zinit
Flexible and fast Zsh plugin manager.
Official WebsiteFeatures
Why use Zinit?
Blazingly Fast
Turbo Mode allows lazy-loading plugins to dramatically reduce startup time without sacrificing functionality.
Powerful Control
Ice modifiers give you granular control over plugin behavior, sourcing, and dependencies.
Highly Customizable
Annexes extend functionality with additional features like completions, utility plugins, and more.
Flexible Loading
Load plugins conditionally, track their history, and manage snippets alongside regular plugins.
Installation
Install Zinit using the official installation script. This will download Zinit to ~/.local/share/zinit/zinit.git.
# Clone Zinit repository
bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/zdharma-continuum/zinit/master/scripts/install.sh)"After installation, add the following to your ~/.zshrc (usually at the beginning):
ZINIT_HOME="${ZINIT_HOME:-${HOME}/.local/share/zinit/zinit.git}"
[ ! -d $ZINIT_HOME ] && mkdir -p "$(dirname $ZINIT_HOME)"
[ ! -d $ZINIT_HOME/.git ] && git clone https://github.com/zdharma-continuum/zinit.git "$ZINIT_HOME"
. "$ZINIT_HOME/zinit.zsh"Basic Usage
After installing Zinit, you can start adding plugins to your ~/.zshrc. Here are some basic examples:
Loading Plugins
# Load a plugin from GitHub
zinit light zdharma-continuum/fast-syntax-highlighting
# Load Oh My Zsh plugins
zinit snippet OMZP::git
zinit snippet OMZP::aws
# Load a plugin with turbo mode (lazy load on first use)
zinit turbo -c 'bindkey "^R" history-incremental-search-backward' light zsh-users/zsh-autosuggestionsCommon Plugins
# Syntax highlighting
zinit light zdharma-continuum/fast-syntax-highlighting
# Autosuggestions
zinit light zsh-users/zsh-autosuggestions
# Completions
zinit light zsh-users/zsh-completions
# History search
zinit light zsh-users/zsh-history-substring-searchConfiguration
Zinit's true power lies in its ice modifiers that control how plugins are loaded and configured.
Ice Modifiers
Ice modifiers are arguments that control plugin behavior. Here are the most commonly used:
# Turbo mode - lazy load plugin
zinit turbo -c 'echo Loading plugin' light plugin-name
# Load from a specific branch
zinit light-mode for pick'zsh-history-substring-search.plugin.zsh' zsh-users/zsh-history-substring-search
# Compile plugin for faster loading
zinit ice make'!' atload'setopt HIST_FIND_NO_DUPS'
zinit light zdharma-continuum/fast-syntax-highlighting
# Load plugin only in interactive shells
zinit ice if'[[ -t 0 ]]'
zinit light some-plugin
# Require dependencies
zinit ice requires'zsh:5.1'
zinit light some-pluginRealistic Configuration
# Initialize Zinit
ZINIT_HOME="${ZINIT_HOME:-${HOME}/.local/share/zinit/zinit.git}"
. "$ZINIT_HOME/zinit.zsh"
# Initialize annexes
zinit-annexes
# Plugins with turbo mode for faster startup
zinit turbo -c 'export _ZO_ECHO=0' -c 'eval "$(zoxide init zsh)"' light ajeetdsouza/zoxide
# Syntax highlighting (must be before zsh-autosuggestions)
zinit turbo -c 'setopt extendedglob' light zdharma-continuum/fast-syntax-highlighting
# Auto-suggestions
zinit turbo -c 'bindkey "^n" autosuggest-accept' light zsh-users/zsh-autosuggestions
# Completions
zinit turbo -c 'zinit cdreplay -q' as'completion' light zsh-users/zsh-completions
# History substring search
zinit turbo -c 'bindkey "^P" history-substring-search-up' light zsh-users/zsh-history-substring-search
# Git plugin from Oh My Zsh
zinit turbo -c 'zinit cdreplay -q' snippet OMZP::git
# Fancy prompt
zinit ice pick'async.plugin.zsh' src'pure.plugin.zsh'
zinit light sindresorhus/pureTips & Tricks
Understanding Turbo Mode
Turbo mode delays plugin loading until the shell is fully interactive. Use -c for commands to run before loading.
# -c runs commands before loading
# Useful for setting environment variables or running scripts
zinit turbo -c 'alias ll="ls -la"' light plugin-name
# Load on first key press
zinit turbo -c '' light plugin-nameMeasure Startup Time
Check how fast your shell starts with these commands:
# Simple timing
time zsh -i -c exit
# More detailed timing
hyperfine "zsh -i -c exit"
# Debug plugin loading
zsh -x 2>&1 | head -20Management Commands
Useful commands for managing plugins:
# List all loaded plugins
zinit plugins
# Update all plugins
zinit update
# Update specific plugin
zinit update plugin-name
# Unload a plugin
zinit unload plugin-name
# Remove a plugin
zinit delete plugin-name
# Clean up
zinit delete --all
# Show plugin info
zinit info plugin-nameUsing Snippets
Snippets are lightweight script files, useful for loading individual files without dependencies.
# Load Oh My Zsh snippet
zinit snippet OMZP::git
# Load snippet from GitHub
zinit snippet https://github.com/user/repo/path/to/file.zsh
# Load local snippet
zinit snippet /path/to/local/file.zshPerformance Tips
Use turbo mode aggressively for non-critical plugins. Prioritize syntax highlighting and autosuggestions to load first for better interactivity. Consider using annexes like binary-assemble to download pre-compiled binaries. Group related plugins together using ice modifiers for cleaner config.