4 ms·

Problem is zsh is not omnipresent like bash is. I'm sure that if you use zsh you also use Plan 9, code in D, write LuaTeX in Emacs and wear a monocle.

• oftenwrong 13y ago
  Some of these things exist in bash too. For example, newer versions of bash support the recursive glob. shopt -s globstar rm **/*.swp
• awestroke 13y ago
  I use zsh on ubuntu, write code in ruby and java in sublime text. Your strawman non-argument has no place on HN
  • lclarkmichalek 13y ago
    Only half his argument is a strawman. He's still correct that zsh is not omnipresent in the way that bash is, and therefore being proficient in bash is still very useful, regardless of the increase in productivity that putting the time into learning zsh would bring.
    • mheathr 13y ago
      Both arguments are not sound though, and as a result demonstrably irrelevant. The title of the thread and the argument in the GP is based on features present in ZSH but not Bash and the benefits there of. The OP's first argument is: for all operating systems Bash exists. Which, while also untrue is and unrelated to whether ZSH has features or improvements that Bash does not. OP's second argument is: all ZSH users also program in D...., which I won't even bother with. For what it is worth, I use both Bash and ZSH. Their usage and knowledge there of is not mutually exclusive. The only issue I've encountered with using ZSH is that most build scripts expect to be ran from Bash and will run into issues when that is not the case sometimes, so I open Bash before running the command if I happen to be in ZSH at the time. If I based my tool choices on popularity instead of their appropriateness for the problem domain my work flow would look much different as well.
• gabipurcaru 13y ago
  I don't get your point. I use zsh+oh-my-zsh, and I don't know what Plan 9 is, don't code in D, never used LuaTeX (esp. not in Emacs), and I don't happen to wear a monocle. In fact I find zsh much easier for beginners and people who don't master the arcane intricacies of *nix.
  • zackkitzmiller 13y ago
    I -think- the (albiet, overly exaggerated) point is that if you only know zsh, you could potentially be at a disadvantage if you need to use someone else's terminal. Especially a remote server.
    • andreasvc 13y ago
      zsh is mostly a superset of bash. you will get by.
    • gabipurcaru 13y ago
      Might be the case for some, but I don't have such problems.
  • pjmlp 13y ago
    The problem is when you visit a customer using a commercial UNIX system with System V compatible commands like sh and vi. I always have fun to see junior guys trying their way around such systems.
• eksith 13y ago
  These days, I use Zsh on OpenBSD. I don't use Plan 9, code in D or write LuaTeX, but I do use Emacs and wear a monocle. The last two are not a coincidence as the first (arguably more adequate substitute for God), invariably leads to the latter, most excellent eye wear. And a note to my Mac friends : "Using csh is like trying to type with your feets[sic] (if you're used to zsh or ksh)." http://forums.bsdnexus.com/viewtopic.php?pid=177#p177 http://forums.bsdnexus.com/viewtopic.php?pid=177#p177
  • jonhohle 13y ago
    Bash has been the default shell since OS X 10.3 in 2003.
    • mmariani 13y ago
      And since then I keep going back to zsh. :)
• andreasvc 13y ago
  Linux/UNIX is not omnipresent. Better use Windows?! You should use different software or customizations when it's a good trade-off, not because everyone else is or isn't doing it.
• bdunbar 13y ago
  > Problem is zsh is not omnipresent like bash is I don't think it's that much of a problem. My local machine is zsh, my linux servers run bash, my solaris hosts csh. Where ever I am, I just adjust to the local environment.
• LeonidasXIV 13y ago
  I am actually frightened how accurate you describe me. Do I know you?