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Using oh-my-zsh

zflash uses oh-my-zsh as a library of plugins rather than as a framework. You get its base library and any of its plugins, staged like everything else, without its startup cost.

The base library​

zflash defer ohmyzsh/ohmyzsh

With no path, zflash treats any checkout containing oh-my-zsh.sh specially:

  • It loads lib/*.zsh (key bindings, directory helpers, completion styles, history settings, and so on) in the line's stage.
  • It skips compfix, cli and diagnostics (configurable with ZFLASH_OMZ_LIB_SKIP).
  • It always loads lib/history.zsh before the first prompt, whatever the stage, because zsh reads the history file right after .zshrc and needs HISTFILE by then.
  • It recreates oh-my-zsh's environment in the init: $ZSH, $ZSH_CUSTOM, $ZSH_CACHE_DIR (default ~/.cache/oh-my-zsh), $SHORT_HOST, and adds $ZSH_CACHE_DIR/completions to fpath.

It does not source oh-my-zsh.sh, which would run a second compinit and oh-my-zsh's own update prompt.

Plugins​

zflash defer ohmyzsh/ohmyzsh plugins/git plugins/docker plugins/kubectl

This replaces plugins=(git docker kubectl). Only one clone of oh-my-zsh is made, however many lines reference it. Browse the full list in the oh-my-zsh plugins directory.

Platform-specific plugins work with a condition:

[[ $OSTYPE == darwin* ]] && zflash defer ohmyzsh/ohmyzsh plugins/macos

Completion-only plugins​

Some oh-my-zsh plugins are just completions. Use fpath to get the completion without sourcing anything:

zflash fpath ohmyzsh/ohmyzsh plugins/httpie plugins/docker-compose

Themes​

oh-my-zsh themes need the base library (for prompt helpers like git_prompt_info). Load the theme file before the prompt:

zflash load ohmyzsh/ohmyzsh                       # base library before the prompt
zflash load ohmyzsh/ohmyzsh themes/robbyrussell.zsh-theme

Loading the base library in stage 1 costs some startup time. A standalone prompt such as starship via zflash eval is faster.

Generated completions​

Some oh-my-zsh plugins (docker, kubectl, gh…) write completion files into $ZSH_CACHE_DIR/completions the first time they run. zflash counts those files in its compinit signature, so a newly generated completion triggers a full compinit at the next start instead of waiting for the daily refresh.

To put the cache somewhere else, set ZSH_CACHE_DIR before zflash boot.

Updating oh-my-zsh​

oh-my-zsh is a plugin repository like any other: zflash update pulls it (or zflash update ohmyzsh/ohmyzsh alone). Don't use omz update; it isn't loaded.