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Zimfw

Zim Framework: The Zsh configuration framework with blazing speed and modular extensions.

Install / Use

/learn @zimfw/Zimfw
About this skill

Quality Score

0/100

Supported Platforms

Universal

README

<div align="center"> <a href="https://zimfw.sh" target="_blank"> <picture> <source media="(prefers-color-scheme: dark)" srcset="https://zimfw.github.io/images/logo-dark.svg"/> <source media="(prefers-color-scheme: light)" srcset="https://zimfw.github.io/images/logo.svg"/> <img alt="Zim Framework logo" src="https://zimfw.github.io/images/logo.svg"/> </picture> </a> </div> <p align="center"> <a href="https://zimfw.sh" target="_blank">Zim Framework</a>: The Zsh configuration framework with blazing speed and modular extensions. </p> <p align="center"> <a href="https://github.com/zimfw/zimfw/releases"><img src="https://img.shields.io/github/v/release/zimfw/zimfw"></a> <a href="https://github.com/zimfw/zimfw/issues"><img src="https://img.shields.io/github/issues/zimfw/zimfw.svg"></a> <a href="https://github.com/zimfw/zimfw/network/members"><img src="https://img.shields.io/github/forks/zimfw/zimfw.svg"></a> <a href="https://github.com/zimfw/zimfw/stargazers"><img src="https://img.shields.io/github/stars/zimfw/zimfw.svg"></a> <a href="https://github.com/zimfw/zimfw/releases"><img src="https://img.shields.io/github/downloads/zimfw/zimfw/total.svg"></a> <a href="https://github.com/zimfw/zimfw/discussions"><img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/forum-online-green.svg"></a> <a href="https://github.com/zimfw/zimfw/blob/master/LICENSE"><img alt="GitHub" src="https://img.shields.io/github/license/zimfw/zimfw"></a> </p> <hr/>

Zim Framework is a Zsh configuration framework that bundles a plugin manager, useful [modules] and a wide variety of [themes], without compromising on [speed].

Check how Zim Framework compares to other frameworks and plugin managers:

<a href="https://github.com/zimfw/zimfw/wiki/Speed"> <img src="https://zimfw.github.io/images/results.svg"> </a>

Table of Contents

Installation

Installing Zim Framework is easy. You can choose either the automatic or manual method below:

Automatic installation

This will install a predefined set of modules and a theme for you.

  • With curl:

    curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/zimfw/install/master/install.zsh | zsh
    
  • With wget:

    wget -nv -O - https://raw.githubusercontent.com/zimfw/install/master/install.zsh | zsh
    

Restart your terminal and you're done. Enjoy your Zsh IMproved! Take some time to tweak your ~/.zshrc file and to also check the available [modules] and [themes] you can add to your ~/.zimrc.

Homebrew

  1. Install zimfw with brew:

    brew install --formula zimfw
    
  2. Add the following to your ~/.zshrc:

    <details id="homebrew-apple-silicon-macos"> <summary>Apple Silicon macOS</summary>
    ZIM_HOME=${ZDOTDIR:-${HOME}}/.zim
    # Install missing modules and update ${ZIM_HOME}/init.zsh if missing or outdated.
    if [[ ! ${ZIM_HOME}/init.zsh -nt ${ZIM_CONFIG_FILE:-${ZDOTDIR:-${HOME}}/.zimrc} ]]; then
      source /opt/homebrew/opt/zimfw/share/zimfw.zsh init
    fi
    # Initialize modules.
    source ${ZIM_HOME}/init.zsh
    
    </details> <details id="homebrew-intel-macos"> <summary>Intel macOS</summary>
    ZIM_HOME=${ZDOTDIR:-${HOME}}/.zim
    # Install missing modules and update ${ZIM_HOME}/init.zsh if missing or outdated.
    if [[ ! ${ZIM_HOME}/init.zsh -nt ${ZIM_CONFIG_FILE:-${ZDOTDIR:-${HOME}}/.zimrc} ]]; then
      source /usr/local/opt/zimfw/share/zimfw.zsh init
    fi
    # Initialize modules.
    source ${ZIM_HOME}/init.zsh
    
    </details> <details id="homebrew-linux"> <summary>Linux</summary>
    ZIM_HOME=${ZDOTDIR:-${HOME}}/.zim
    # Install missing modules and update ${ZIM_HOME}/init.zsh if missing or outdated.
    if [[ ! ${ZIM_HOME}/init.zsh -nt ${ZIM_CONFIG_FILE:-${ZDOTDIR:-${HOME}}/.zimrc} ]]; then
      source /home/linuxbrew/.linuxbrew/opt/zimfw/share/zimfw.zsh init
    fi
    # Initialize modules.
    source ${ZIM_HOME}/init.zsh
    
    </details>
  3. Restart your terminal and you're done. Enjoy your Zsh IMproved!

Arch Linux

  1. Install zimfw from AUR:

    yay -S --noconfirm zimfw
    
  2. Add the following to your ~/.zshrc:

    ZIM_HOME=${ZDOTDIR:-${HOME}}/.zim
    # Install missing modules and update ${ZIM_HOME}/init.zsh if missing or outdated.
    if [[ ! ${ZIM_HOME}/init.zsh -nt ${ZIM_CONFIG_FILE:-${ZDOTDIR:-${HOME}}/.zimrc} ]]; then
      source /usr/share/zimfw/zimfw.zsh init
    fi
    # Initialize modules.
    source ${ZIM_HOME}/init.zsh
    
  3. Restart your terminal and you're done. Enjoy your Zsh IMproved!

Manual installation

  1. Set Zsh as the default shell, if you haven't done so already:

    chsh -s $(which zsh)
    
  2. Set up your ~/.zshrc file

  3. Restart your terminal and you're done. Enjoy your Zsh IMproved!

Set up ~/.zshrc

Add the lines below to your ~/.zshrc file, in the following order:

  1. To set where the zimfw plugin manager configuration file will be located:

    ZIM_CONFIG_FILE=~/.config/zsh/zimrc
    

    This is optional. The value of ZIM_CONFIG_FILE can be any path your user has at least read access to. By default, the file must be at ~/.zimrc, if the ZDOTDIR environment variable is not defined. Otherwise, it must be at ${ZDOTDIR}/.zimrc.

  2. To set the directory where the zimfw plugin manager will keep necessary files:

    ZIM_HOME=${ZDOTDIR:-${HOME}}/.zim
    

    The value of ZIM_HOME can be any directory your user has write access to. You can even set it to a cache directory like ${XDG_CACHE_HOME}/zim or ~/.cache/zim.

  3. To automatically download the zimfw plugin manager if missing:

    # Download zimfw plugin manager if missing.
    if [[ ! -e ${ZIM_HOME}/zimfw.zsh ]]; then
      curl -fsSL --create-dirs -o ${ZIM_HOME}/zimfw.zsh \
          https://github.com/zimfw/zimfw/releases/latest/download/zimfw.zsh
    fi
    

    Or if you use wget instead of curl:

    # Download zimfw plugin manager if missing.
    if [[ ! -e ${ZIM_HOME}/zimfw.zsh ]]; then
      mkdir -p ${ZIM_HOME} && wget -nv -O ${ZIM_HOME}/zimfw.zsh \
          https://github.com/zimfw/zimfw/releases/latest/download/zimfw.zsh
    fi
    

    This is optional. Alternatively, the zimfw.zsh script can be installed with a package manager or downloaded anywhere your user has write access to: just replace the occurrences of ${ZIM_HOME}/zimfw.zsh by the preferred path, like /usr/local/share/zimfw/zimfw.zsh for example. If you choose to not include this step, you should install or manually download the zimfw.zsh script once and keep it at the preferred path.

  4. To automatically install missing modules and update the static initialization script if missing or outdated:

    # Install missing modules and update ${ZIM_HOME}/init.zsh if missing or outdated.
    if [[ ! ${ZIM_HOME}/init.zsh -nt ${ZIM_CONFIG_FILE:-${ZDOTDIR:-${HOME}}/.zimrc} ]]; then
      source ${ZIM_HOME}/zimfw.zsh init
    fi
    

    This step is optional, but highly recommended. If you choose to not include it, you must remember to manually run zimfw install every time you update your ~/.zimrc file. If you have chosen to keep the zimfw.zsh script in a different path as mentioned in the previous step, replace ${ZIM_HOME}/zimfw.zsh by the chosen path.

  5. To source the static script, that will initialize your modules:

    # Initialize modules.
    source ${ZIM_HOME}/init.zsh
    

Usage

The zimfw plugin manager installs your modules at ${ZIM_HOME}/modules and builds a static script at ${ZIM_HOME}/init.zsh that will initialize them. Your modules are defined in your ~/.zimrc file.

The ~/.zimrc file must contain zmodule calls to define the modules to be initialized. The modules will be initialized in the same order they're defined.

The ~/.zimrc file is not sourced during Zsh startup and it's only used to configure the zimfw plugin manager.

zmodule

Below are some usage examples:

  • A module from the [@zimfw] organization: zmodule archive
  • A module from another GitHub organization: zmodule StackExchange/blackbox
  • A module with a custom URL: zmodule https://gitlab.com/Spriithy/basher.git
  • A module at an absolute path, that is already installed: zmodule /usr/local/share/zsh-autosuggestions
  • A module with a custom fpath: zmodule zsh-users/zsh-completions --fpath src
  • A module with a custom initialization file and with git submodules disabled: zmodule spaceship-prompt/spaceship-prompt --source spaceship.zsh --no-submodules or zmodule spaceship-prompt/spaceship-prompt --name spaceship --no-submodules
  • A module with two custom initialization files: zmodule sindresorhus/pure --source async.zsh --source pure.zsh. Separate zmodule calls can also be used. In this equivalent example, the second call automatically discovers the second file to be sourced:
    zmodule sindresorhus/pure --source async.zsh
    zmodule sindresorhus/pure
    
  • A module with a custom initialization command: zmodule skywind3000/z.lua --cmd 'eval "$(lua {}/z.lua --init zsh enhanced once)"'
  • A module with an on-pull command. It can be used to create a cached initialization script: zmodule skywind3000/z.lua --on-pull 'lua z.lua --init zsh enhanced once >! init.zsh'
  • A module with a big git repository: zmodule romkatv/powerlevel10k --use degit
  • A module with a custom root subdirectory: `zmodule ohmyzsh/ohmyzsh --root plugins/vim-interac

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GitHub Stars4.6k
CategoryDevelopment
Updated7h ago
Forks184

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Security Score

100/100

Audited on Apr 2, 2026

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