Adding Git Information to Your zsh Prompt (PS1)

Customizing your zsh prompt (PS1) to display Git information is a great way to enhance your command line experience, providing immediate context about the status of your repositories. In this blog, we will walk through adding Git status information to your zsh prompt, including clean/sync status indicators and color customization.

Step 1: Install `zsh` and `git`

Before we start, ensure you have zsh and git installed on your system.

# Install zsh
sudo apt install zsh

# Install git
sudo apt install git

Step 2: Install `oh-my-zsh`

oh-my-zsh is a popular framework for managing your zsh configuration. It includes a variety of plugins and themes that can simplify the process of adding Git information to your prompt.

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

Step 3: Choose and Configure a Theme

Many oh-my-zsh themes come with Git information built-in. One such theme is agnoster. To use it, open your .zshrc file and set the ZSH_THEME variable:

# Open .zshrc in your preferred editor
nano ~/.zshrc

# Set the theme
ZSH_THEME="agnoster"

After editing, reload your zsh configuration:

source ~/.zshrc

Step 4: Customize the Prompt for Git Status

If you prefer a custom prompt or need specific Git information not covered by a pre-made theme, you can manually configure your PS1. First, create a function to fetch Git status information.

Open your .zshrc file and add the following:

# Function to get the current Git branch
function git_branch() {
  git symbolic-ref --short HEAD 2>/dev/null
}

# Function to get the Git status
function git_status() {
  git status --porcelain 2>/dev/null | grep -E "^\s?[MADRCU]|\?\?" &> /dev/null
  if [[ $? -eq 0 ]]; then
    echo "%F{red}✗%f"  # Uncommitted changes
  else
    echo "%F{green}✓%f"  # Clean working directory
  fi
}

# Function to get the remote status
function git_remote_status() {
  local branch=$(git_branch)
  if [ -n "$branch" ]; then
    local local_hash=$(git rev-parse @)
    local remote_hash=$(git rev-parse @{u} 2>/dev/null)
    local base_hash=$(git merge-base @ @{u} 2>/dev/null)
    if [ "$local_hash" = "$remote_hash" ]; then
      echo "%F{yellow}⇡⇣%f"  # Up to date
    elif [ "$local_hash" = "$base_hash" ]; then
      echo "%F{blue}⇣%f"  # Need to pull
    elif [ "$remote_hash" = "$base_hash" ]; then
      echo "%F{magenta}⇡%f"  # Need to push
    else
      echo "%F{red}⚡%f"  # Diverged
    fi
  fi
}

Next, customize your PS1 to include these functions. Add this to your .zshrc file:

# Custom PS1 with Git information
export PS1='%F{cyan}%n@%m%f %F{yellow}%~%f $(git_branch)$(git_status)$(git_remote_status) %# '

This configuration sets your prompt to display:

Your username and host (%n@%m)
The current working directory (%~)
The current Git branch ($(git_branch))
The Git status ($(git_status))
The remote sync status ($(git_remote_status))

Step 5: Reload the Configuration

To apply your changes, reload your zsh configuration:

source ~/.zshrc

Conclusion

By following these steps, you now have a zsh prompt that shows valuable Git information, including the branch name, working directory status, and remote sync status, all color-coded for quick recognition. This setup can significantly boost your productivity by keeping you informed about your Git repository status directly from your terminal prompt. Happy coding!