iTerm2 Setup Guide

Step 1: Install iTerm2

1. 1. Visit iterm2.com
2. 2. Download the latest version (free)
3. 3. Drag to Applications folder
4. 4. Open iTerm2 once to complete installation

Step 2: Install Oh My Zsh

Oh My Zsh gives you themes, plugins, and a better prompt:

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

This will:

• Install the Zsh shell (if not already installed)
• Set up Oh My Zsh framework
• Make Zsh your default shell

Step 3: Install Powerlevel10k Theme

A beautiful, fast, and customizable theme:

git clone --depth=1 https://github.com/romkatv/powerlevel10k.git ${ZSH_CUSTOM:-$HOME/.oh-my-zsh/custom}/themes/powerlevel10k

Edit your Zsh config:

nano ~/.zshrc
# Change: ZSH_THEME="robbyrussell"
# To: ZSH_THEME="powerlevel10k/powerlevel10k"

Restart iTerm2 and follow the setup wizard.

Step 4: Essential Plugins

Install these Oh My Zsh plugins:

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

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

Add to your ~/.zshrc:

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

Essential iTerm2 Features

Recommended Settings

Open iTerm2 → Preferences:

• • Profiles → Terminal: Set scrollback to "Unlimited"
• • Profiles → Colors: Choose a theme (Solarized Dark is popular)
• • Profiles → Text: Set font to "MesloLGS NF" 14pt (install via Homebrew: brew tap homebrew/cask-fonts && brew install --cask font-meslo-lg-nerd-font)
• • General → Selection: Check "Copy to pasteboard on selection"
• • Advanced → Tabs: Check "Double-click in tab bar to create new tab"

🔧 Troubleshooting