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shell-Installation-Plugins-and-Colorization.md

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Installation of Zsh

Zsh is a powerful shell with advanced features like syntax highlighting, autosuggestions, and themes.

Install Zsh

  • Install Zsh and its addons:
yum install zsh*

Check Installation

  • Verify the version and location:
zsh --version

which zsh

Configure Zsh

1. Set Up Configuration

  • Use a .zshrc file to customize Zsh. For example, copy the .zshrc file from Kali Linux to make Zsh look similar.

2. Set Zsh as the Default Shell

  • Find the location of Zsh:
which zsh
  • Set it as the default shell:
chsh -s $(which zsh)

What Happens?

This changes your default shell in the /etc/passwd file, which stores user account information, including the default shell.

Features of Zsh

  • Themes: Customize the prompt and appearance.
  • Plugins: Install plugins like oh-my-zsh for additional features.
  • Auto-completion: Provides advanced completion for commands.

Increasing the Power of a Shell

A shell can be made more powerful and user-friendly by adding plugins and utilities that enhance its capabilities. These improvements can include:

  1. Auto-completion for commands and file paths.
  2. Colorized output for better readability.
  3. Aliases to shorten or simplify frequently used commands.
  4. Enhanced customization through configuration files.

Shell Plugins (Add-ons)

Plugins or add-ons are additional features or tools that enhance the functionality of a shell. For example:

  • Bash plugins can add auto-completion, colored prompts, and more.
  • Tools like grc add color to the output of commands, improving visual clarity.

Installing Shell Plugins

1. Installing Plugins for Bash

  • Command:
yum install bash*

The * wildcard ensures that all packages related to "bash" are installed.

2. Search for Specific Plugins

  • Command:
yum search bash

This lists all available packages related to "bash."

3. Install Specific Plugins

  • Auto-completion plugin:
yum install bash-completion.noarch

After installation, typing part of a command and pressing Tab completes the command automatically.

  • Color prompt plugin:
yum install bash-color-prompt.noarch

This changes the terminal prompt to a colored format for better visibility.

4. Verify Plugins

  • After installing a plugin, exit the session and re-login to see the changes.
  • For example, try using Tab completion after installing bash-completion.

Making the Terminal Colorful with grc

The grc tool is used to add color to the output of certain commands.

Installing grc

1. Download grc

  • If wget is not installed, install it first:
yum install wget
  • Download the grc package from GitHub:
wget https://github.com/garabik/grc/archive/refs/tags/v1.13.tar.gz

2. Extract the Package

  • Extract the tar file:
tar -xvf v1.13.tar.gz

3. Move to /opt/ Directory

  • Move the extracted folder (grc-1.13) to /opt/:
mv grc-1.13 /opt/

Why /opt/?

/opt/ is used for installing optional or third-party software that isn't part of the default system.

4. Install grc

  • Navigate to the directory and run the installer script:
cd /opt/grc-1.13
./install.sh

5. Test grc

  • Try using grc with supported commands:
grc ping 8.8.8.8
grc ifconfig
  • For unsupported commands, grc won’t add color. You can check the supported commands in the grc.sh file on GitHub.

Aliases with grc

  • The file contains lines like this:
alias blkid='colourify blkid'

Explanation:

The colourify function is a wrapper that applies grc automatically to the specified command (e.g., blkid). By setting these aliases, you don’t need to prepend grc manually.

Persistent Configuration

1. Add Aliases to .bashrc

  • Place aliases in the .bashrc file:
alias ping='grc ping'
  • Reload the .bashrc file without restarting:
source /root/.bashrc

2. Automate with grc.sh

  • Copy the grc.sh script to /etc/:
cp /opt/grc-1.13/grc.sh /etc/
  • Add this to .bashrc:
GRC_ALIASES=true
[[ -s "/etc/profile.d/grc.sh" ]] && source /etc/grc.sh

Summary of Key Concepts

Feature/Command Explanation
sh, bash Temporarily start a new shell session.
$SHELL Shows the default shell for the user.
.bashrc Configuration file for bash at login.
grc Adds color to command output.
zsh A feature-rich shell with plugins and themes.
chsh -s $(which zsh) Permanently change the default shell.