I switched to Prezto [0] because I found OMZ too slow. Prezto is much faster out of the box and doesn’t have a lot of things enabled by default. Definitely give it a try if you find OMZ too slow on your machine.
[0] https://github.com/sorin-ionescu/prezto
In Speeding up my ZSH shellsorin-ionescu
prezto
Shell2012–2025
sorin-ionescu / prezto
prezto
The configuration framework for Zsh
49Distinct people
55Mentions
3Explicit recommenders
14.6KGitHub stars
What to know before exploring
What it is
The configuration framework for Zsh
GitHub
Where it is used
No documented product use was verified in the last source check.
What people are saying
I really like it, well done! As others mentioned, if you use this to attract clients or recruiters, I recommend adding a version for non-technical folks. As a nerd I'd love to…
o1o1o1 used a recommendation phrase. 3 indexed comments match. This is a phrase match, not a verdict.
No classified warning is attached to this page. Read the discussions before treating silence as approval.
Also in these discussions
- ohmyzsh/ohmyzsh · linked in 3 of the same discussions
Mentioned in the same Hacker News threads. That is not proof they are substitutes.
This week on Hacker News
Nov 7–Nov 14 UTC · Direct repository links and separately labeled related project stories. Indexed through 11/14/2026, 5:04:57 PM UTC.
No direct repository links were found in the indexed HN discussions over the past seven days. Older discussions are available below.
Mentions over time
HN mentions by year55 dated mentions
Observed mentions: 2012-09-20 13:08:33 UTC to 2025-07-20 22:42:02 UTC.
Counts come from the repository’s dated source evidence. Index cutoff: 2026-11-02 08:16:59 UTC.
View mention counts and date ranges
| Period | Start (UTC) | End (exclusive, UTC) | Mentions | Submissions | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 2012-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 2013-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| 2013 | 2013-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 2014-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 12 | 1 | 11 |
| 2014 | 2014-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 2015-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| 2015 | 2015-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 2016-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 5 | 1 | 4 |
| 2016 | 2016-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 2017-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 2017 | 2017-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 2018-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| 2018 | 2018-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 2019-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 2019 | 2019-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 2020-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 2020 | 2020-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 2021-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2021 | 2021-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 2022-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| 2022 | 2022-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 2023-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 6 | 1 | 5 |
| 2023 | 2023-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 2024-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | 2024-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 2025-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2025 | 2025-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 2026-01-01 00:00:00 UTC | 2 | 0 | 2 |
From the project README
An excerpt from the repository, fetched Nov 13, 2026.
Read the project’s introduction
Prezto — Instantly Awesome Zsh
Prezto is the configuration framework for Zsh; it enriches the command line
interface environment with sane defaults, aliases, functions, auto completion,
and prompt themes.
Installation
Manual
Prezto will work with any recent release of Zsh, but the minimum required
version is 4.3.11.
Launch Zsh:
zsh
Clone the repository:
git clone --recursive https://github.com/sorin-ionescu/prezto.git "${ZDOTDIR:-$HOME}/.zprezto"
Optional: Installing in $XDG_CONFIG_HOME
Optionally, if you already have $XDG_CONFIG_HOME configured (usually as
$HOME/.config by default) and intend to install Prezto under
$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/zsh instead, you can clone the repository there and
configure $ZDOTDIR separately if not already configured.
Clone the repository:
git clone --recursive https://github.com/sorin-ionescu/prezto.git "${ZDOTDIR:-${XDG_CONFIG_HOME:-$HOME/.config}/zsh}/.zprezto"
Configure $XDG_CONFIG_HOME and $ZDOTDIR in $HOME/.zshenv:
export XDG_CONFIG_HOME="${XDG_CONFIG_HOME:=$HOME/.config}"
[[ -d $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/zsh ]] && export ZDOTDIR="$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/zsh"
source "$ZDOTDIR/.zshenv"
Create a new Zsh configuration by copying/linking the Zsh configuration
files provided:
setopt EXTENDED_GLOB
for rcfile in "${ZDOTDIR:-$HOME}"/.zprezto/runcoms/^README.md(.N); do
ln -s "$rcfile" "${ZDOTDIR:-$HOME}/.${rcfile:t}"
done
Note: If you already have any of the given configuration files, ln in
the above operation will cause an error. In simple cases, you can load
Prezto by adding the line source "${ZDOTDIR:-$HOME}/.zprezto/init.zsh" to
the bottom of your ${ZDOTDIR:-$HOME}/.zshrc and keep the rest of your
Zsh configuration intact. For more complicated setups, we recommend that you
back up your original configs and replace them with the provided Prezto
runcoms.
Set Zsh as your default shell:
chsh -s /bin/zsh
Open a new Zsh terminal window or tab.
Troubleshooting
If you are not able to find certain commands after switching to Prezto, modify
the PATH variable in ${ZDOTDIR:-$HOME}/.zprofile then open a new Zsh
terminal window or tab.
Updating
Run zprezto-update to automatically check if there is an update to Prezto.
If there are no file conflicts, Prezto and its submodules will be automatically
updated. If there are conflicts you will be instructed to go into the
$ZPREZTODIR directory and resolve them yourself.
To pull the latest changes and update submodules manually:
cd $ZPREZTODIR
git pull
git submodule sync --recursive
git submodule update --init --recursive
Usage
Prezto has many features disabled by default. Read the source code and the
accompanying README files to learn about what is available.
Modules
Browse modules to see what is available.
Load the modules you need in ${ZDOTDIR:-$HOME}/.zpreztorc and then open
a new Zsh terminal window or tab.
Themes
For a list of themes, type prompt -l.
To preview a theme, type prompt -p name.
Load the theme you like in ${ZDOTDIR:-$HOME}/.zpreztorc and then
open a new Zsh terminal window or tab.
Note that the git module may be required for special symbols to
appear, such as those on the right of the above image. Add 'git' to the
pmodule list (under zstyle ':prezto:load' pmodule \ in your
${ZDOTDIR:-$HOME}/.zpreztorc) to enable this module.
External Modules
By default modules will be loaded from /modules and /contrib.
Additional module directories can be added to the
:prezto:load:pmodule-dirs setting in ${ZDOTDIR:-$HOME}/.zpreztorc.
Note that module names need to be unique or they will cause an error when
loading.
zstyle ':prezto:load' pmodule-dirs $HOME/.zprezto-contrib
Customization
The project is managed via Git. We highly recommend that you fork this
project so that you can commit your changes and push them to your fork on
GitHub to preserve them. If you do not know how to use Git, follow this
tutorial and bookmark this reference.
Resources
The Zsh Reference Card and the zsh-lovers man page are indispensable.
License
This project is licensed under the MIT License.
Read the full README on GitHubWhat Hacker News says
55 sourcesI really like it, well done!
As others mentioned, if you use this to attract clients or recruiters, I recommend adding a version for non-technical folks.
As a nerd I'd love to see some more colors like in the themes you can set using Prezto or Oh-My-ZSH (reference: https://github.com/sorin-ionescu/prezto?tab=readme-ov-file#t...).
For the projects I think some click function to open an ncurses-like modal would be cool :)
Another idea: what about adding a light mode?
P.S.: I would also add `rm -rf` and return something like "nice try ^_^"
In Just redesigned my personal site with a TTY-style interfaceBeyond zprof (https://www.bigbinary.com/blog/zsh-profiling) not really I'm afraid. I did the majority of my zsh-prompt hacking 10 years ago and haven't thought about it since. That snippet could be from anywhere.
You could peek at something like zprezto https://github.com/sorin-ionescu/prezto or pure https://github.com/sindresorhus/pure for tips.
Fetching git/hg/... info is always slow, so try and speed that up where you can (as to how to do that, uhh... I know my prompt has a dirty-state check nicked from pure for speed reasons). You can also cache any `asdf init zsh` or similar to a file and do the same "run in background" trick so the next shell will have any changes.
The biggest improvement I can remember was dropping zprezto for my own much smaller config, I really did not need much comparatively. Mostly some git info and "good defau
Read the rest
lt" options. I use zgenom for a plugin manager but only have 3 plugins, probably I should just dump it and inline the plugins to avoid getting owned one day.
Also don't like OMZ because of feature and performance bloat. I've been using prezto -- it's very modular and fast.
https://github.com/sorin-ionescu/prezto
In Sweet Shell: With Oh-My-Zsh, SpaceVim, Starship, True Color, and Demo ModeI've been using prezto[0] for a long time so I'm not sure anymore if this is integrated in zsh, but at least using prezto I get this when I run a wrong command:
> claer
zsh: correct 'claer' to 'clear' [nyae]? n
zsh: command not found: claer
I am guilty of not reading the docs, but I learnt by experience that n/y/a/e stands for no (run without correction)/yes (correct)/abort (don't run)/edit (manually/interactively)
[0] https://github.com/sorin-ionescu/prezto
In SL(1): Cure your bad habit of mistypingi prefer zpresto https://github.com/sorin-ionescu/prezto
In Zsh 5.9I switched from Bash to ZSH with the caveat that I use prezto and powerlevel10k (included with prezto) and I will never go back.
I had to turn off some of the Zsh-specific brackets and quoting features to make it more bash-like because of the tools I use which make it kinda wonky to use with Zsh but otherwise it’s been absolutely fantastic. Remoting into our systems that only have bash feels absolutely prehistoric.
https://github.com/sorin-ionescu/prezto
In Zsh 5.9I've been using this for years, and it's awesome. The "peepcode" theme is my favorite for the prompt, and the git module[1] is sweet too.
[1] - https://github.com/sorin-ionescu/prezto/tree/master/modules/...
In Prezto – The Configuration Framework for ZshPrezto – The Configuration Framework for Zsh
1 points · Open discussionIf oh my zsh is Spacemacs, then prezto is Doom Emacs: https://github.com/sorin-ionescu/prezto
In The fish shell is amazingI prefer prezto to oh-my-zsh for performance reasons.
https://github.com/sorin-ionescu/prezto
In The fish shell is amazingI like very much https://github.com/sorin-ionescu/prezto
In Zsh Tricks to Blow Your MindA similar tool that saves me immeasurable amounts of time is fasd[0]. I started using it as a part of prezto[1], which is similar to oh-my-zsh, and have never gotten around to trying any other solutions such as z.
[0] https://github.com/clvv/fasd
[1] https://github.com/sorin-ionescu/prezto
In Behold z, the unsung jewel that rethinks shell navigationA lot of these are not so much about saving 100 hours, rather being faster when it does matter, as well as doing something interesting (automating a task by writing a script) instead of doing the same thing over and over again. This is also why you shouldn't take https://xkcd.com/1205/ too literally, although it's good to keep in mind.
* frequent (automatic) backups (saves time and mood when things go wrong)
* i3
* fd (alternative to find)
* ripgrep
* keynav (don't use your mouse)
* !bangs on duckduckgo
* calcurse (terminal calendar)
* readline: C-h C-b C-a C-k M-b M-f C-u etc.
* howdoi (get SO answers in the terminal), especially useful for things you somewhat know but just forgot the syntax of.
* youtube-dl as already mentioned somewhere: you get out of youtube ASAP to prevent their algorithms from tricking into staying there. I also us
Read the rest
e it to watch videos later when I don't have internet, using a syncthing folder on my mobile which only syncs up to 10% remaining space (so that it doesn't fill with 100s of videos, just a few, enough for some trip). Videos are also rather inefficient in terms of communicating ideas, so better to keep them for when I really don't have better to do.
* in the same vein, adapt the speed of (technical) videos you watch, to skip the fluff and focus (even rewind) the difficult parts. Skip all ads, everywhere.
* uBlock Origin, for the same kind of reason: just block any annoying, time-consuming parts of website. If I need to go on some website regularly, and they happen to have a news section I don't care about (like their twitter feed), I just block it to get it out of my way.
* even use a text-only browser (I currently use w3m, which could show images in theory) for things like HN. HN itself works well, and its good links as well. You just trim a lot of the fluff, ads, etc.
* an easy way to sync files between your mobile and your computer (I use a combination of "Notes to Self" in Signal with an auto-destruct of 1 week for temporary stuff so that I don't have to delete it manually, and syncthing for longer-term things)
* script your way out of any repetitive task: if you need to register periodically to something, either use their API if they have one, or use selenium to automate it. I was really surprised how little time it took me to write my own script and learn how to use selenium.
* in general, rely less on proprietary software: it has the potential to break ("introduce new and shiny features and somehow make some old ones disappear" or just change the pricing-model) more regularly, and you'll have to switch which can be a burden. If some free (libre) software breaks hard for a lot of people, chances are that a fork will happen and the transition will be easier. This also applies to SaaS.
* try to avoid desktop apps: they don't compose well, you cannot easily script them compared to a CLI. It's also better than having a full remote desktop when you resort to SSH (especially on bad connections).
* try to learn the default keyboard shortcuts of software you use, unless they're really crazy: less config (which you'd have to sync and maintain), easier to use a computer which is not yours if need be
* regularly check that the commands you write in your terminal are not too verbose (use aliases / functions): https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22853646
* check what's possible with frameworks like https://github.com/sorin-ionescu/prezto
* some dotfile repository to get you started in 5min on new computers with the same setup you're accustomed to.
* mutt (mostly to easily write emails in vim and grep emails from the terminal)
* cronjobs and reminders (I get new music albums on my phone regularly from my music library, so that I don't have to choose them manually (it's my library so I know I like them anyway). I used to actually spend time choosing music from my own library.)
* typing from your phone is inefficient, avoid it if possible. Batch your (non-time-critical) messaging. Most modern messaging apps have a desktop version these days.
Ah, I found it. It's the default(?) theme called "sorin" from zprezto: https://github.com/sorin-ionescu/prezto
In NPM Bans Terminal AdsShowing the 15 most recent of 55 sources. Enable JavaScript to search and browse every indexed mention.