Rat Zsh is a plugin manager for Zsh that emphasizes reproducible configuration and predictable plugin loading. Its configuration is stored in TOML, allowing the complete plugin set and relevant loading information to be kept in an ordinary text file.
Repository synchronization can run in parallel, while initialization generates the shell code required to load the configured plugins. It also understands the distinction between files that should be sourced and directories that should be added to Zsh’s function path.
This approach provides more explicit control than plugin managers which infer most behaviour automatically.
This is free and open source software.
Key Features
- Defines the complete plugin configuration using TOML.
- Fetches plugins directly from GitHub repositories.
- Synchronizes multiple plugins in parallel.
- Supports source-style Zsh plugins.
- Supports plugins that add completion functions or other directories to
$fpath. - Handles Git submodules associated with configured plugins.
- Lets users pin plugins to branches or tags.
- Supports selecting a particular plugin file within a repository.
- Allows several separate plugins to be loaded from the same repository.
- Provides aliases for distinguishing multiple plugin definitions.
- Supports dependency-style requirements based on commands available in
$PATH. - Skips cloning and loading plugins whose declared command requirements are unavailable.
- Controls plugin load order automatically.
- Applies special ordering for zsh-autosuggestions and zsh-syntax-highlighting.
- Provides commands for initialization, synchronization, configuration, upgrading and listing plugins.
- Can open its configuration file using the user’s preferred editor.
- Checks configured repositories for upstream updates.
- Reports whether local plugin branches are ahead of or behind upstream.
- Indicates repositories containing uncommitted local changes.
- Provides a self-upgrade mechanism for the plugin manager itself.
Website: github.com/gotokazuki/rat-zsh
Support:
Developer: gotokazuki
License: MIT License
Rat Zsh is written in Rust. Learn Rust with our recommended free books and free tutorials.
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| Zap | Minimal zsh plugin manager |
| Zpm | Combines the imperative and declarative approach |
| Antigen | Small set of functions that help you easily manage your shell (zsh) plugins |
| zgen | Lightweight plugin manager for Zsh |
Read our verdict in the software roundup.
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