Linux Shell Configuration

Linux Shell Configuration Guide

Complete beginner-friendly guide to shell configuration on Linux, covering Arch Linux, CachyOS, and other distributions including Bash, Zsh, Fish, and shell customization.

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Table of Contents

1. Bash Configuration
2. Zsh Configuration
3. Fish Configuration
4. Shell Customization
5. Troubleshooting

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Bash Configuration

Install Bash

Bash is default:

# Check version
bash --version

# Usually pre-installed

Configure Bash

Edit bashrc:

# Edit bashrc
vim ~/.bashrc

# Or bash_profile
vim ~/.bash_profile

Common settings:

# Aliases
alias ll='ls -alF'
alias la='ls -A'
alias l='ls -CF'

# Prompt
PS1='[\u@\h \W]\$ '

# History
HISTSIZE=1000
HISTFILESIZE=2000

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Zsh Configuration

Install Zsh

Install Zsh:

# Arch/CachyOS
sudo pacman -S zsh

# Debian/Ubuntu
sudo apt install zsh

# Fedora
sudo dnf install zsh

Change Shell

Change to Zsh:

# Change shell
chsh -s /bin/zsh

# Log out and back in

oh-my-zsh

Install oh-my-zsh:

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

Configure Zsh

Edit zshrc:

# Edit zshrc
vim ~/.zshrc

# Reload
source ~/.zshrc

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Fish Configuration

Install Fish

Install Fish:

# Arch/CachyOS
sudo pacman -S fish

# Debian/Ubuntu
sudo apt install fish

# Fedora
sudo dnf install fish

Change Shell

Change to Fish:

# Change shell
chsh -s /usr/bin/fish

# Log out and back in

Configure Fish

Edit config:

# Edit config
vim ~/.config/fish/config.fish

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Shell Customization

Prompt Customization

Bash prompt:

# Edit bashrc
vim ~/.bashrc

# Custom prompt
PS1='[\u@\h \W]\$ '

Aliases

Create aliases:

# Add to shell config
alias ll='ls -alF'
alias la='ls -A'
alias ..='cd ..'

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Troubleshooting

Shell Not Changing

Check shell:

# Check current shell
echo $SHELL

# Check available shells
cat /etc/shells

Config Not Loading

Check config:

# Bash
cat ~/.bashrc

# Zsh
cat ~/.zshrc

# Reload
source ~/.bashrc

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Summary

This guide covered shell configuration for Arch Linux, CachyOS, and other distributions, including Bash, Zsh, Fish, and customization.

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Next Steps

• Terminal Emulators - Terminal setup
• System Configuration - System setup
• ArchWiki Shell: https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Command-line_shell

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This guide covers Arch Linux, CachyOS, and other Linux distributions. For distribution-specific details, refer to your distribution's documentation.