If you’ve recently got a new Mac or just want to improve your terminal experience, this guide is for you. By the end of this, your terminal will not only look amazing but also make your development workflow faster and easier.

A clean, powerful terminal setup makes everyday tasks — like navigating projects, managing git, and running commands — feel smooth and efficient. Let’s set this up step by step.

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1. Install Homebrew

Homebrew is a package manager for macOS — it makes installing software super easy. Open your terminal and run:

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

2. Add Homebrew to Your Path

Run this command (replace [username] with your actual Mac username):

echo 'eval "$(/opt/homebrew/bin/brew shellenv)"' >> /Users/[username]/.zprofile
eval "$(/opt/homebrew/bin/brew shellenv)"

3. Install iTerm2 (a Better Terminal App)

brew install --cask iterm2

4. Install Git (if needed)

brew install git

5. Install Oh My Zsh

sh -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ohmyzsh/ohmyzsh/master/tools/install.sh)"

6. Install PowerLevel10K Theme

git clone https://github.com/romkatv/powerlevel10k.git $ZSH_CUSTOM/themes/powerlevel10k

7. Set PowerLevel10K Theme in .zshrc

Open ~/.zshrc and update:

ZSH_THEME="powerlevel10k/powerlevel10k"

Reload the configuration:

source ~/.zshrc

8. Install Meslo Nerd Font

PowerLevel10K works best with MesloLGS NF font. Download it if needed from:

https://github.com/romkatv/powerlevel10k#fonts

9. Update VSCode Terminal Font (Optional)

For VSCode users, add this to your settings.json:

"terminal.integrated.fontFamily": "MesloLGS NF"

10. Configure PowerLevel10K

Run this command to customize your prompt:

p10k configure

11. Install Useful Zsh Plugins

Boost your terminal with these productivity plugins:

a) zsh-autosuggestions

git clone https://github.com/zsh-users/zsh-autosuggestions ${ZSH_CUSTOM:-~/.oh-my-zsh/custom}/plugins/zsh-autosuggestions

b) zsh-syntax-highlighting

git clone https://github.com/zsh-users/zsh-syntax-highlighting.git ${ZSH_CUSTOM:-~/.oh-my-zsh/custom}/plugins/zsh-syntax-highlighting

c) Enable Plugins in .zshrc

Open ~/.zshrc and update the plugins list:

plugins=(git zsh-autosuggestions zsh-syntax-highlighting web-search)

Reload the shell:

source ~/.zshrc

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That’s It! 🎉

Now your Mac terminal is faster, smarter, and looks fantastic! Whether you’re a beginner or experienced developer, this setup helps with:

• ✅ Easier project navigation
• ✅ Instant git branch visibility
• ✅ Auto-suggestions based on history
• ✅ Beautifully organized command prompts

Want to go further? Explore more Oh My Zsh plugins and tweak your PowerLevel10K appearance.

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