skills/mrpointer/dotfiles/configuring-zsh

configuring-zsh

SKILL.md

Zsh Shell Configuration

Quick Reference

Topic	Reference
Startup file order	startup-files.md
oh-my-zsh patterns	oh-my-zsh.md
powerlevel10k setup	powerlevel10k.md
sheldon plugin manager	sheldon.md
Plugin load order	plugins.md
Performance tuning	performance.md

Workflow Decision Tree

Need to...	Action
Set env vars / PATH / locales	Read `startup-files.md` → edit `.zshenv` or `.zprofile`
Configure aliases, keybinds, completions, prompt	Edit `.zshrc`
Fix performance issues	Read `performance.md` → profile startup
Add/configure plugins	Read `plugins.md` + relevant manager reference

Chezmoi Integration

Edit Zsh configs in the chezmoi source (this repo), not directly in ~
Respect {{ ... }} template blocks in files
Source naming: dot_zshrc → ~/.zshrc, private_dot_config/sheldon → ~/.config/sheldon
For chezmoi workflows, see managing-chezmoi skill

Default Guardrails

Keep .zshenv idempotent and fast; no external commands
No aliases/functions in .zshenv
Use typeset -gx VAR=... or export VAR=... with defensive checks
Set fpath before compinit; run compinit once only
Document plugin load order (especially zsh-autocomplete + zsh-syntax-highlighting)

Common Tasks

Task	Approach
Add env var	`.zshenv` (everywhere) vs `.zprofile` (login) vs `.zshrc` (interactive)
Fix PATH	Ensure ordering, remove duplicates, avoid `PATH=$PATH:...` in multiple files
Enable completions	Set `fpath` → `compinit` once → cache if needed
Add plugin	Choose manager → ensure correct load order
Setup p10k	Instant prompt block first in `.zshrc` → source `~/.p10k.zsh` after plugins

Weekly Installs

9

Repository

mrpointer/dotfiles

GitHub Stars

2

First Seen

Feb 10, 2026

Security Audits

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Installed on

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