Contrary to popular belief, Unix users aren’t masochists. They don’t want their lives to be unnecessarily difficult, so they’ve devised many ways to simplify their lives. Unix users (particularly those who use Linux) are especially blessed because they have access to many useful, highly configurable, not to mention free programs. Whether you’re a programmer, a sysadmin, or just an everyday user, there’s something out there for you.
Let’s take a look at some of these powerful tools and see why you should be using them. Maybe one of them will solve a nagging problem you’ve been having, or maybe you’ll discover a new way to do things. There’s a lot of ground to cover, so let’s get started.
zsh
Upon logging in, the first thing you are confronted with is a shell prompt. The shell is a fundamental part of the Unix experience. Even when using X Windows Systems, your desktop is still likely to contain a screen full of terminal emulators with shells you have to interact with. As Linux users, the shell you are most familiar with is probably bash, because it’s the default for most distributions.
However, there is another shell called zsh (http://zsh.sunsite.dk/) that deserves your attention, because it’s simply amazing. It’s so optimized for interactive use that most people would be quite shocked at the efficiency of a fully customized zsh environment.
Zsh’s strongest point is its advanced “tab completion” system. Most users are used to having…
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