From bash to z shell

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1. oostevoOct 2013
   I've also found the book "From Bash to Z Shell - Conquering the Command Line" very, very useful.[1] It's written as a beginner text, but even after ~15 years of *nix usage, I've learned a huge amount of new information, as well as learning the reasoning behind a number of the cargo-cult command line tricks that I had.

   [1] http://www.bash2zsh.com/

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2. gcvJun 2012
   I recommend a book called "From Bash to Z Shell" (http://www.bash2zsh.com/). It favors zsh, but teaches tons of bash tricks, too.

   The files you're describing are just startup files, read by bash as it starts up in various modes. I put my configuration into .zshrc. It will take some effort to understand your new shell's default behaviors and how to customize them.

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3. gcvSep 2009
   1. Check out z: http://github.com/rupa/z. It's a pretty nice productivity booster for flipping between different directories. It's quite easy to port to zsh, also.

   2. Learn to use the editor modes on your shell. If you use Emacs mode in zsh, for example, things like transient-mark mode work with all the standard Emacs keybindings, and you can easily copy and paste pieces of your command line. vi mode also supports similar bells and whistles.

   3. In zsh, if you are typing a command and then realize you need to look up its man page, move your cursor back to the command and hit Esc-h (or Meta-h or Alt-h, depending on your terminal). Once you quit the man viewer, your command line will be restored.

   4. In zsh, if your command line gets too unwieldy to edit in zle, just hit Esc-e (Meta-e). It'll let you edit the command line in your editor (be sure your EDITOR environment variable is set).

   5. zsh has an awesome buffer stack feature. Imagine you're typing a long command (call it command A), then realize that you need to run something else first (call it command B). Don't Ctrl-u or delete anything; leave your current command alone, and hit Esc-q. You'll get a fresh prompt. Run B. Once B executes, zsh will restore the command line from A. You can do this as many times as you want.

   Anyway --- go and read "From Bash to Z Shell, Conquering the Command Line" by Kiddle, Peek, and Stephenson. I've never seen a better book on using shells with maximum efficiency (and I'm still only learning). Just learning to use and extend the autocompletion features of zsh was invaluable to me.

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4. gcvMar 2009
   I personally like "From Bash to Z Shell: Conquering the Command Line."

   It focuses somewhat more on zsh (my shell of choice) than on bash, but one of the authors contributes heavily to zsh. Even so, bash users will see lots of great hints and tips. The shells' own man pages are more reference-style (see zshall), which I find heavy going when it comes to learning how to use the environment more effectively. The book explains use cases and provides examples in a way that makes the reference material more understandable.

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5. tdavisMay 2008
   I not too recently became a big proponent of zsh (http://www.zsh.org/) and as such would like to recommend the book "From Bash to Z Shell" (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1590593766/ref...) as it covers both of these popular shells and how to "Conquer" them.
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6. dredmorbiusJun 2019
   Correction: Jerry, not Larry.

   mh and xmh

   http://shop.oreilly.com/product/9781565920934.do

   He's a co-author of the classic UNIX Power Tools

   http://shop.oreilly.com/product/9780596003302.do

   Add'l ORA pubs:

   https://www.oreilly.com/pub/au/28#Books

   "Power Tools" columns for Linux Magazine:

   http://www.jpeek.com/articles/linuxmag/

   Though I've not read it specifically, From Bash to Z Shell seems likely to focus on shell art and arcana most closely.

   https://www.apress.com/us/book/9781590593769

   His 1999 SVLUG talk was a classic, the slides don't give it justice, though there are some nuggets there for many users.

   http://www.jpeek.com/talks/svlug_19991103/

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