{"slug": "zsh4humans", "name": "zsh4humans", "category": "terminal", "category_name": "Terminal and shell", "description": "", "recommenders": 4, "commenters": 4, "warners": 0, "score": 3.311, "rising": -1.31, "first": "2025-12-22", "latest": "2026-01-11", "why": "It feels more like an extension of my mind than a tool I'm interacting with.", "why_is_quote": true, "has_verdict": false, "sentiment": {"recommend": 4, "neutral": 0, "compare": 0, "warn": 0}, "spark": [0, 1, 3, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0], "listed": true, "loved": [], "caveat": "", "short_quote": "It feels more like an extension of my mind than a tool I'm interacting with.", "kind": "", "icon": false, "domain": null, "github_repo": "github.com/romkatv/zsh4humans", "official_url": "https://github.com/romkatv/zsh4humans", "pricing": "", "aliases": ["zsh4humans"], "verdict": null, "praise": [{"label": "", "summary": "", "quotes": [{"id": 745226225, "item_id": 46576639, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46576639", "by": "exq", "date": "2026-01-11", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "It feels more like an extension of my mind than a tool I'm interacting with.", "excerpt": "Until reading this thread I never knew so many in the industry were against performant software and workflows, but I suppose that explains the state of things. Oh My Zsh is more sluggish than benching zsh -ic 'exit 0' would suggest. This benchmark will show command lag among other things, which is very noticeable on a slower computer. https://github.com/romkatv/zsh-bench I use https://github.com/romkatv/zsh4humans. I", "context": "", "use_case": "zsh configuration", "switched_from": "Oh My Zsh", "story": "You probably don't need Oh My Zsh"}, {"id": 745029824, "item_id": 46564364, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46564364", "by": "simonair", "date": "2026-01-10", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "`zsh4humans` by `romkatv` (author of powerlevel10k) is worth a look", "excerpt": "For anyone who cares about zsh startup performance, `zsh4humans` by `romkatv` (author of powerlevel10k) is worth a look: https://github.com/romkatv/zsh4humans It achieves instant startup by rendering the prompt before the full shell initializes. Since adopting it, I am done fiddling with my shell config and the fact that `zsh4humans` is in maintenance-mode is actually an advantage as it keeps me from wasting time ref", "context": "", "use_case": "Fast zsh setup", "switched_from": "", "story": "You probably don't need Oh My Zsh"}, {"id": 745010176, "item_id": 46563136, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46563136", "by": "seaal", "date": "2026-01-09", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Love the ssh teleport feature.", "excerpt": "Surprised no one has shout out zsh4humans, perhaps because it's basically in maintenance mode but it's not like I need any new features. Love the ssh teleport feature. https://github.com/romkatv/zsh4humans", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "You probably don't need Oh My Zsh"}, {"id": 741759392, "item_id": 46359962, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46359962", "by": "5-0", "date": "2025-12-22", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I didn't see any mention of https://github.com/romkatv/zsh4humans/blob/master/tips.md#extra-dotfiles , so there.", "excerpt": "It's nice to read the different takes on this. On that note, I didn't see any mention of https://github.com/romkatv/zsh4humans/blob/master/tips.md#extra-dotfiles , so there.", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Show HN: Shittp \u2013 Volatile Dotfiles over SSH"}]}], "caveats": [], "who": [], "tags": [], "use_cases": ["zsh configuration", "fast zsh setup"], "compared": [{"slug": "oh-my-zsh", "name": "Oh My Zsh", "co": 1, "switched_from": 1, "switched_to": 0}], "makers": [], "threads": [{"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46562790", "title": "You probably don't need Oh My Zsh", "mentions": 3}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46344381", "title": "Show HN: Shittp \u2013 Volatile Dotfiles over SSH", "mentions": 1}], "sentiment_by_month": {"2025-11": {}, "2025-12": {"recommend": 1}, "2026-01": {"recommend": 3}, "2026-02": {}, "2026-03": {}, "2026-04": {}, "2026-05": {}, "2026-06": {}, "2026-07": {}, "2026-08": {}, "2026-09": {}, "2026-10": {}}, "versions": [], "version_unnamed": 0, "family_ref": null, "runs_on": null, "lines": [], "quotes": [{"id": 745226225, "item_id": 46576639, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46576639", "by": "exq", "date": "2026-01-11", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "It feels more like an extension of my mind than a tool I'm interacting with.", "excerpt": "Until reading this thread I never knew so many in the industry were against performant software and workflows, but I suppose that explains the state of things. Oh My Zsh is more sluggish than benching zsh -ic 'exit 0' would suggest. This benchmark will show command lag among other things, which is very noticeable on a slower computer. https://github.com/romkatv/zsh-bench I use https://github.com/romkatv/zsh4humans. I", "context": "", "use_case": "zsh configuration", "switched_from": "Oh My Zsh", "story": "You probably don't need Oh My Zsh"}, {"id": 745029824, "item_id": 46564364, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46564364", "by": "simonair", "date": "2026-01-10", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "`zsh4humans` by `romkatv` (author of powerlevel10k) is worth a look", "excerpt": "For anyone who cares about zsh startup performance, `zsh4humans` by `romkatv` (author of powerlevel10k) is worth a look: https://github.com/romkatv/zsh4humans It achieves instant startup by rendering the prompt before the full shell initializes. Since adopting it, I am done fiddling with my shell config and the fact that `zsh4humans` is in maintenance-mode is actually an advantage as it keeps me from wasting time ref", "context": "", "use_case": "Fast zsh setup", "switched_from": "", "story": "You probably don't need Oh My Zsh"}, {"id": 745010176, "item_id": 46563136, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46563136", "by": "seaal", "date": "2026-01-09", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Love the ssh teleport feature.", "excerpt": "Surprised no one has shout out zsh4humans, perhaps because it's basically in maintenance mode but it's not like I need any new features. Love the ssh teleport feature. https://github.com/romkatv/zsh4humans", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "You probably don't need Oh My Zsh"}, {"id": 741759392, "item_id": 46359962, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46359962", "by": "5-0", "date": "2025-12-22", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I didn't see any mention of https://github.com/romkatv/zsh4humans/blob/master/tips.md#extra-dotfiles , so there.", "excerpt": "It's nice to read the different takes on this. On that note, I didn't see any mention of https://github.com/romkatv/zsh4humans/blob/master/tips.md#extra-dotfiles , so there.", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Show HN: Shittp \u2013 Volatile Dotfiles over SSH"}]}