Powerlevel10k

Powerlevel10k is a theme for ZSH. It emphasizes speed, flexibility and out-of-the-box experience. Powerlevel10k is committed to being best-in-class in each of these categories.

To see what Powerlevel10k is about, scroll through features.

Powerlevel9k users, go here.

Ready to give Powerlevel10k a try?

1. Install the recommended font. Optional but highly recommended.
2. Install Powerlevel10k for your plugin manager.
   • Manual 👈 choose this if confused or uncertain
   • Oh My Zsh
   • Prezto
   • Zim
   • Antigen
   • Zplug
   • Zgen
   • Antibody
   • Zplugin
3. Restart Zsh.
4. Type p10k configure if the configuration wizard doesn't start automatically.

Features

Configuration wizard

Type p10k configure to access the builtin configuration wizard right from your terminal.

All styles except Pure are functionally equivalent. They display the same information and differ only in presentation.

Configuration wizard creates ~/.p10k.zsh based on your preferences. Additional prompt customization can be done by editing this file. It has many comments to help you navigate through configuration options.

Tip: Install the recommended font before running p10k configure.

Unparalleled performance

When you hit ENTER, the next prompt appears instantly. With Powerlevel10k there is no prompt lag. If you install Cygwin on Raspberry Pi, cd into a Linux Git repository and activate enough prompt segments to fill four prompt lines on both sides of the screen... wait, that's just crazy and no one ever does that. Probably impossible, too. The point is, Powerlevel10k prompt is always fast, no matter what you do!

Note how the effect of every command is instantly reflected by the very next prompt.

Command	Prompt Indicator	Meaning
timew start hack linux	🛡️ hack linux	time tracking enabled in timewarrior
touch x y	?2	2 untracked files in the Git repo
rm COPYING	!1	1 unstaged change in the Git repo
echo 2.7.3 >.python-version	🐍 2.7.3	the current python version in pyenv

Other Zsh themes capable of displaying the same information either produce prompt lag or print prompt that doesn't reflect the current state of the system and then refresh it later. With Powerlevel10k you get fast prompt and up-to-date information.

Powerlevel9k compatibility

Powerlevel10k understands all Powerlevel9k configuration parameters.

If you are currently using Powerlevel9k, you can switch to Powerlevel10k in just a few seconds. All your POWERLEVEL9K configuration parameters will still work. Prompt will look the same as before (almost) but it will be much faster (certainly).

FAQ: I'm using Powerlevel9k with Oh My Zsh. How do I migrate?

Pure compatibility

Powerlevel10k can produce the same prompt as Pure. Type p10k configure and select Pure style.

You can still use Powerlevel10k features such as Transient Prompt or Instant Prompt when sporting Pure style.

To customize prompt, edit ~/.p10k.zsh. Powerlevel10k doesn't recognize Pure configuration parameters, so you need to use POWERLEVEL9K_COMMAND_EXECUTION_TIME_THRESHOLD=3 instead of PURE_CMD_MAX_EXEC_TIME=3, etc. All relevant parameters are in the config.

Instant prompt

If your ~/.zshrc loads many plugins, or perhaps just a few slow ones (pyenv and nvm are the usual suspects), you may have noticed that it takes some time for Zsh to start.

Powerlevel10k can remove Zsh startup lag even if it's not caused by a theme.

This feature is called Instant Prompt. You need to explicitly enable it through p10k configure or manually. It does what it says on the tin -- prints prompt instantly upon Zsh startup allowing you to start typing while plugins are still loading.

Other themes increase Zsh startup lag -- some by a lot, others by a just a little. Powerlevel10k removes it outright.

For details, see FAQ.

Show on command

The behavior of some commands depends on global environment. For example, kubectl run ... runs an image on the cluster defined by the current kubernetes context. If you frequently change context between "prod" and "testing", you might want to display the current context in Zsh prompt. If you do likewise for AWS, Azure and Google Cloud credentials, prompt will get pretty crowded.

Enter Show On Command. This feature makes prompt segments appear only when they are relevant to the command you are currently typing.

Configs created by p10k configure enable Show On Command for several prompt segments by default. Here's the relevant parameter for kubernetes context:

# Show prompt segment "kubecontext" only when the command you are typing
# invokes kubectl, helm, kubens, kubectx or oc.
typeset -g POWERLEVEL9K_KUBECONTEXT_SHOW_ON_COMMAND='kubectl|helm|kubens|kubectx|oc'

To customize when different prompt segments are shown, open ~/.p10k.zsh, search for SHOW_ON_COMMAND and either remove these parameters to display affected segments unconditionally, or change their values.

Transient prompt

When Transient Prompt is enabled through p10k configure, Powerlevel10k will trim down every prompt when accepting a command line.

Transient Prompt makes it much easier to copy-paste series of commands from the terminal scrollback.

Tip: If you enable Transient Prompt, take advantage of two-line prompt. You'll get the benefit of extra space for typing commands without the usual drawback of reduced scrollback density.

Current directory that just works

The current working directory is perhaps the most important prompt segment. Powerlevel10k goes to great length to highlight its important parts and to truncate it with the least loss of information.

When the full directory doesn't fit, the leftmost segment gets truncated to its shortest unique prefix. In the screencast, ~/work becomes ~/wo. It couldn't be truncated to ~/w because it would be ambiguous (there was ~/wireguard when the session was recorded). The next segment -- projects -- turns into p as there was nothing else that started with p in ~/work.

Directory segments are shown in one of three colors:

• Truncated segments are bleak.
• Important segments are bright and never truncated. These include the first and the last segment, roots of Git repositories, etc.
• Regular segments (not truncated but can be) use in-between color.

Tip: If you copy-paste a truncated directory and hit TAB, it'll complete to the original.

Extremely customizable

Powerlevel10k can be configured to look like any other Zsh theme.

Pure and Powerlevel9k emulation is built-in. To emulate the appearence of other themes, you'll need to write a suitable configuration file. The best way to go about it is to run p10k configure, select the style that is the closest to your goal and then edit ~/.p10k.zsh.

The full range of Powerlevel10k appearance spans from spartan:

To ridiculous extravagant:

Batteries included

Powerlevel10k comes with dozens of built-in high quality segments. When you run p10k configure and choose any style except Pure, most of these segments get enabled by default. Some must be manually enabled by opening ~/.p10k.zsh and uncommenting them. You can enable as many segments as you like. It won't slow down your prompt or Zsh startup.

Segment	Meaning
os_icon	your OS logo (apple for macOS, swirl for debian, etc.)
dir	current working directory
vcs	Git repository status
prompt_char	multi-functional prompt symbol; changes depending on vi mode: ❯, ❮, Ⅴ, ▶ for insert, command, visual and replace mode respectively; turns red on error
context	user@hostname
status	exit code of the last command
command_execution_time	duration (wall time) of the last command
background_jobs	presence of background jobs
time	current time
direnv	direnv status
virtualenv	python environment from venv
anaconda	virtual environment from conda
pyenv	python environment from pyenv
goenv	go environment from goenv
nodenv	node.js environment from nodenv
nvm	node.js environment from nvm
nodeenv	node.js environment from nodeenv
rbenv	ruby environment from rbenv
rvm	ruby environment from rvm
fvm	flutter environment from fvm
luaenv	lua environment from luaenv
jenv	java environment from jenv
plenv	perl environment from plenv
node_version	node.js version
go_version	go version
rust_version	rustc version
dotnet_version	dotnet version
kubecontext	current kubernetes context
terraform	terraform workspace
aws	aws profile
aws_eb_env	aws elastic beanstalk environment
azure	azure account name
gcloud	google cloud cli acccount and project
google_app_cred	google application credentials
nordvpn	nordvpn connection status
ranger	ranger shell
nnn	nnn shell
vim_shell	vim shell (:sh)
midnight_commander	midnight commander shell
todo	todo items
timewarrior	timewarrior tracking status
vpn_ip	virtual private network indicator
load	CPU load
disk_usage	disk usage
ram	free RAM
swap	used swap
public_ip	public ip address
proxy	system-wide http/https/ftp proxy
battery	internal battery state and charge level (yep, batteries literally included)

Installation

Manual

git clone --depth=1 https://github.com/romkatv/powerlevel10k.git ~/powerlevel10k
echo 'source ~/powerlevel10k/powerlevel10k.zsh-theme' >>! ~/.zshrc

This is the simplest kind of installation and it works even if you are using a plugin manager. Just make sure to disable your current theme in your plugin manager. See FAQ for help.

Oh My Zsh

git clone --depth=1 https://github.com/romkatv/powerlevel10k.git $ZSH_CUSTOM/themes/powerlevel10k

Set ZSH_THEME=powerlevel10k/powerlevel10k in your ~/.zshrc.

Prezto

Add zstyle :prezto:module:prompt theme powerlevel10k to your ~/.zpreztorc.

Zim

Add zmodule romkatv/powerlevel10k to your .zimrc and run zimfw install.

Antigen

Add antigen theme romkatv/powerlevel10k to your ~/.zshrc. Make sure you have antigen apply somewhere after it.

Zplug

Add zplug romkatv/powerlevel10k, as:theme, depth:1 to your ~/.zshrc.

Zgen

Add zgen load romkatv/powerlevel10k powerlevel10k to your ~/.zshrc.

Antibody

Add antibody bundle romkatv/powerlevel10k to your ~/.zshrc.

Zplugin

Add zplugin ice depth=1; zplugin light romkatv/powerlevel10k to your ~/.zshrc.

The use of depth=1 ice is optional. Other types of ice are neither recommended nor officially supported by Powerlevel10k.

Configuration

For new users

On the first run, Powerlevel10k configuration wizard will ask you a few questions and configure your prompt. If it doesn't trigger automatically, type p10k configure. You can further customize your prompt by editing ~/.p10k.zsh.

For Powerlevel9k users

If you've been using Powerlevel9k before, do not remove the configuration options. Powerlevel10k will pick them up and provide you with the same prompt UI you are used to. Powerlevel10k recognized all configuration options used by Powerlevel9k. See Powerlevel9k configuration guide.

To go beyond the functionality of Powerlevel9k, type p10k configure and explore the unique styles and features Powerlevel10k has to offer. You can further customize your prompt by editing ~/.p10k.zsh.

Fonts

Powerlevel10k doesn't require custom fonts but can take advantage of them if they are available. It works well with Nerd Fonts, Source Code Pro, Font Awesome, Powerline, and even the default system fonts. The full choice of style options is available only when using Nerd Fonts.

👇 Recommended font: Meslo Nerd Font patched for Powerlevel10k. 👇

Meslo Nerd Font patched for Powerlevel10k

Gorgeous monospace font designed by Jim Lyles for Apple, customized by André Berg, patched by Ryan L McIntyre of Nerd Fonts, and hand-edited in FontForge by yours trully. Contains all glyphs and symbols that Powerlevel10k may need. Battle-tested in dozens of different terminals on all major operating systems.

Automatic font installation

If you are using iTerm2 or Termux, p10k configure can install the recommended font for you. Simply answer Yes when asked whether to install Meslo Nerd Font.

If you are using a different terminal, proceed with manual font installation.

Manual font installation

Download these four ttf files:

• MesloLGS NF Regular.ttf
• MesloLGS NF Bold.ttf
• MesloLGS NF Italic.ttf
• MesloLGS NF Bold Italic.ttf

Double-click on each file and press "Install". This will make MesloLGS NF font available to all applications on your system. Configure your terminal to use this font:

• iTerm2: Open iTerm2 → Preferences → Profiles → Text and set Font to MesloLGS NF.
• Apple Terminal Open Terminal → Preferences → Profiles → Text, click Change under Font and select MesloLGS NF family.
• Hyper: Open Hyper → Edit → Preferences and change the value of fontFamily under module.exports.config to MesloLGS NF.
• Visual Studio Code: Open File → Preferences → Settings, enter terminal.integrated.fontFamily in the search box and set the value to MesloLGS NF.
• GNOME Terminal (the default Ubuntu terminal): Open Terminal → Preferences and click on the selected profile under Profiles. Check Custom font under Text Appearance and select MesloLGS NF Regular.
• Konsole: Open Settings → Edit Current Profile → Appearance, click Select Font and select MesloLGS NF Regular.
• Tilix: Open Tilix → Preferences and click on the selected profile under Profiles. Check Custom font under Text Appearance and select MesloLGS NF Regular.
• Windows Console Host (the old thing): Click the icon in the top left corner, then Properties → Font and set Font to MesloLGS NF.
• Windows Terminal (the new thing): Open Settings (Ctrl+,), search for fontFace and set value to MesloLGS NF for every profile.
• Termux: Type p10k configure and answer Yes when asked whether to install Meslo Nerd Font.

Run p10k configure to pick the best style for your new font.

Using a different terminal and know how to set the font for it? Share your knowledge by sending a PR to expand the list!

Try it in Docker

Try Powerlevel10k in Docker. You can safely make any changes to the file system while trying out the theme. Once you exit zsh, the image is deleted.

docker run -e TERM -it --rm debian:buster bash -uec '
  apt update
  apt install -y git zsh
  git clone --depth=1 https://github.com/romkatv/powerlevel10k.git ~/powerlevel10k
  echo "source ~/powerlevel10k/powerlevel10k.zsh-theme" >>~/.zshrc
  cd ~/powerlevel10k
  exec zsh'

License

Powerlevel10k is released under the MIT license.

FAQ

I'm using Powerlevel9k with Oh My Zsh. How do I migrate?

1. Run this command:

# Add powerlevel10k to the list of Oh My Zsh themes.
git clone --depth=1 https://github.com/romkatv/powerlevel10k.git $ZSH_CUSTOM/themes/powerlevel10k
# Replace ZSH_THEME="powerlevel9k/powerlevel9k" with ZSH_THEME="powerlevel10k/powerlevel10k".
sed 's/powerlevel9k/powerlevel10k/g' -i ~/.zshrc
# Restart Zsh.
exec zsh

2. Optional but highly recommended:
   1. Install the recommended font.
   2. Type p10k configure and chose your favorite prompt style.

Related: Powerlevel9k compatibility.

Is it really fast?

Yes.

Benchmark results obtained with zsh-prompt-benchmark on an Intel i9-7900X running Ubuntu 18.04 with the config from the demo.

Theme	Prompt Latency
powerlevel9k/master	1046 ms
powerlevel9k/next	1005 ms
powerlevel10k	8.7 ms

Powerlevel10k is over 100 times faster than Powerlevel9k in this benchmark.

In fairness, Powerlevel9k has acceptable latency when given a spartan configuration. If all you need is the current directory without truncation or shortening, Powerlevel9k can render it for you in 17 ms. Powerlevel10k can do the same 30 times faster but it won't matter in practice because 17 ms is fast enough (the threshold where latency becomes noticeable is around 50 ms). You have to be careful with Powerlevel9k configuration as it's all too easy to make prompt frustratingly slow. Powerlevel10k, on the other hand, doesn't require trading latency for utility -- it's virtually instant with any configuration. It stays well below the 50 ms mark, leaving most of the latency budget for other plugins you might install.

What is instant prompt?

Instant Prompt is an optional feature of Powerlevel10k. When enabled, it gives you a limited prompt within a few milliseconds of starting zsh, allowing you to start hacking right away while zsh is initializing. Once initialization is complete, the full-featured Powerlevel10k prompt will seamlessly replace instant prompt.

You can enable instant prompt either by running p10k configure or by manually adding the following code snippet at the top of ~/.zshrc:

# Enable Powerlevel10k instant prompt. Should stay close to the top of ~/.zshrc.
# Initialization code that may require console input (password prompts, [y/n]
# confirmations, etc.) must go above this block, everything else may go below.
if [[ -r "${XDG_CACHE_HOME:-$HOME/.cache}/p10k-instant-prompt-${(%):-%n}.zsh" ]]; then
  source "${XDG_CACHE_HOME:-$HOME/.cache}/p10k-instant-prompt-${(%):-%n}.zsh"
fi

It's important that you copy the lines verbatim. Don't replace source with something else, don't call zcompile, don't redirect output, etc.

When instant prompt is enabled, for the duration of zsh initialization standard input is redirected to /dev/null and standard output with standard error are redirected to a temporary file. Once zsh is fully initialized, standard file descriptors are restored and the content of the temporary file is printed out.

When using instant prompt, you should carefully check any output that appears on zsh startup as it may indicate that initialization has been altered, or perhaps even broken, by instant prompt. Initialization code that may require console input, such as asking for a keyring password or for a [y/n] confirmation, must be moved above the instant prompt preamble in ~/.zshrc. Initialization code that merely prints to console but never reads from it will work correctly with instant prompt, although output that normally has colors may appear uncolored. You can either leave it be, suppress the output, or move it above the instant prompt preamble.

Here's an example of ~/.zshrc that breaks when instant prompt is enabled:

if [[ -r "${XDG_CACHE_HOME:-$HOME/.cache}/p10k-instant-prompt-${(%):-%n}.zsh" ]]; then
  source "${XDG_CACHE_HOME:-$HOME/.cache}/p10k-instant-prompt-${(%):-%n}.zsh"
fi

keychain id_rsa --agents ssh  # asks for password
chatty-script                 # spams to stdout even when everything is fine

Fixed version:

keychain id_rsa --agents ssh  # moved before instant prompt

# OK to perform console I/O before this point.
if [[ -r "${XDG_CACHE_HOME:-$HOME/.cache}/p10k-instant-prompt-${(%):-%n}.zsh" ]]; then
  source "${XDG_CACHE_HOME:-$HOME/.cache}/p10k-instant-prompt-${(%):-%n}.zsh"
fi
# From this point on, until zsh is fully initialized, console input won't work and
# console output may appear uncolored.

chatty-script >/dev/null      # spam output suppressed

If POWERLEVEL9K_INSTANT_PROMPT is unset or set to verbose, Powerlevel10k will print a warning when it detects console output during initialization to bring attention to potential issues. You can silence this warning (without suppressing console output) with POWERLEVEL9K_INSTANT_PROMPT=quiet. This is recommended if some initialization code in ~/.zshrc prints to console and it's infeasible to move it above the instant prompt preamble or to suppress its output. You can completely disable instant prompt with POWERLEVEL9K_INSTANT_PROMPT=off. Do this if instant prompt breaks zsh initialization and you don't know how to fix it.

NOTE: Instant prompt requires zsh >= 5.4. It's OK to enable it even when using an older version of zsh but it won't do anything.

Why do my icons and/or powerline symbols look bad?

It's likely your font's fault. Install the recommended font and run p10k configure.

I'm getting "character not in range" error. What gives?

Type echo '\u276F'. If you get an error saying "zsh: character not in range", your locale doesn't support UTF-8. You need to fix it. If you are running zsh over SSH, see this. If you are running zsh locally, Google "set UTF-8 locale in your OS".

Why is my cursor in the wrong place?

Type echo '\u276F'. If you get an error saying "zsh: character not in range", see the previous question.

If the echo command prints ❯ but the cursor is still in the wrong place, install the recommended font and run p10k configure.

If this doesn't help, add unset ZLE_RPROMPT_INDENT at the bottom of ~/.zshrc.

Still having issues? Run the following command to diagnose the problem:

() {
  emulate -L zsh
  setopt err_return no_unset
  local text
  print -rl -- 'Select a part of your prompt from the terminal window and paste it below.' ''
  read -r '?Prompt: ' text
  local -i len=${(m)#text}
  local frame="+-${(pl.$len..-.):-}-+"
  print -lr -- $frame "| $text |" $frame
}

If the prompt line aligns with the frame

+------------------------------+
| romka@adam ✓ ~/powerlevel10k |
+------------------------------+

If the output of the command is aligned for every part of your prompt (left and right), this indicates a bug in the theme or your config. Use this command to diagnose it:

print -rl -- ${(eq+)PROMPT} ${(eq+)RPROMPT}

Look for %{...%} and backslash escapes in the output. If there are any, they are the likely culprits. Open an issue if you get stuck.

If the prompt line is longer than the frame

+-----------------------------+
| romka@adam ✓ ~/powerlevel10k |
+-----------------------------+

This is usually caused by a terminal bug or misconfiguration that makes it print ambiguous-width characters as double-width instead of single width. For example, this issue.

If the prompt line is shorter than the frame and is mangled

+------------------------------+
| romka@adam ✓~/powerlevel10k |
+------------------------------+

Note that this prompt is different from the original as it's missing a space after the checkmark.

This can be caused by a low-level bug in macOS. See this issue.

If the prompt line is shorter than the frame and is not mangled

+--------------------------------+
| romka@adam ✓ ~/powerlevel10k |
+--------------------------------+

This can be caused by misconfigured locale. See this issue.

Why is my prompt wrapping around in a weird way?

See Why is my cursor in the wrong place?

Why is my right prompt in the wrong place?

See Why is my cursor in the wrong place?

Why does the configuration wizard run automatically every time I start zsh?

When Powerlevel10k starts, it automatically runs p10k configure if no POWERLEVEL9K_* parameters are defined. Based on your prompt style choices, the configuration wizard creates ~/.p10k.zsh with a bunch of POWERLEVEL9K_* parameters in it and adds a line to ~/.zshrc to source this file. The next time you start zsh, the configuration wizard shouldn't run automatically. If it does, this means the evaluation of ~/.zshrc terminates prematurely before it reaches the line that sources ~/.p10k.zsh. This most often happens due to syntax errors in ~/.zshrc. These errors get hidden by the configuration wizard screen, so you don't notice them. Scroll up in the first configuration wizard screen to see these errors. Alternatively, run POWERLEVEL9K_DISABLE_CONFIGURATION_WIZARD=true zsh to start zsh without automatically running the configuration wizard. Once you can see the errors, fix ~/.zshrc to get rid of them.

I cannot install the recommended font. Help!

Once you download the recommended font, you can install it just like any other font. Google "how to install fonts on your OS".

Why do I have a question mark symbol in my prompt? Is my font broken?

If it looks like a regular ?, that's normal. It means you have untracked files in the current Git repository. Type git status to see these files. You can change this symbol or disable the display of untracked files altogether. Search for untracked files in ~/.p10k.zsh.

You can also get a weird-looking question mark in your prompt if your terminal's font is missing some glyphs. To fix this problem, install the recommended font and run p10k configure.

What do different symbols in Git status mean?

When using Lean, Classic or Rainbow style, Git status may look like this:

feature:master ⇣42⇡42 *42 merge ~42 +42 !42 ?42

Symbol	Meaning	Source
feature	current branch; replaced with #tag or @commit if not on a branch	git status
master	remote tracking branch; only shown if different from local branch	git rev-parse --abbrev-ref --symbolic-full-name @{u}
⇣42	this many commits behind the remote	git status
⇡42	this many commits ahead of the remote	git status
*42	this many stashes	git stash list
merge	repository state	git status
~42	this many merge conflicts	git status
+42	this many staged changes	git status
!42	this many unstaged changes	git status
?42	this many untracked files	git status

See also: How do I change the format of Git status?

How do I change the format of Git status?

To change the format of Git status, open ~/.p10k.zsh, search for my_git_formatter and edit its source code.

How do I add username and/or hostname to prompt?

When using Lean, Classic or Rainbow style, prompt shows username@hostname when you are logged in as root or via SSH. There is little value in showing username or hostname when you are logged in to your local machine as a normal user. So the absence of username@hostname in your prompt is an indication that you are working locally and that you aren't root. You can change it, however.

Open ~/.p10k.zsh. Close to the top you can see the most important parameters that define which segments are shown in your prompt. All generally useful prompt segments are listed in there. Some of them are enabled, others are commented out. One of them is of interest to you.

typeset -g POWERLEVEL9K_RIGHT_PROMPT_ELEMENTS=(
  ...
  context                 # user@hostname
  ...
)

Search for context to find the section in the config that lists parameters specific to this prompt segment. You should see the following lines:

# Don't show context unless running with privileges or in SSH.
# Tip: Remove the next line to always show context.
typeset -g POWERLEVEL9K_CONTEXT_{DEFAULT,SUDO}_{CONTENT,VISUAL_IDENTIFIER}_EXPANSION=

If you follow the tip and remove (or comment out) the last line, you'll always see username@hostname in prompt. You can change the format to just username, or change the color, by adjusting the values of parameters nearby. There are plenty of comments to help you navigate.

Finally, you can move context segment to where you want it to be in your prompt. Perhaps somewhere within POWERLEVEL9K_LEFT_PROMPT_ELEMENTS.

Why some prompt segments appear and disappear as I'm typing?

Prompt segments can be configured to be shown only when the current command you are typing invokes a releavant tool.

# Show prompt segment "kubecontext" only when the command you are typing
# invokes kubectl, helm, kubens, kubectx or oc.
typeset -g POWERLEVEL9K_KUBECONTEXT_SHOW_ON_COMMAND='kubectl|helm|kubens|kubectx|oc'

Configs created by p10k configure may contain parameters of this kind. To customize when different prompt segments are shown, open ~/.p10k.zsh, search for SHOW_ON_COMMAND and either remove these parameters or change their values.

How do I change colors?

You can either change the color palette used by your terminal or set colors through Powerlevel10k configuration parameters.

Change the color palette used by your terminal

How exactly you change the terminal color pallete (a.k.a. color scheme, or theme) depends on the kind of terminal you are using. Look around in terminal's settings/preferences or consult documentation.

When you change the color palette used by your terminal, it usually affects only the first 16 colors, numbered from 0 to 15. In order to see any effect on Powerlevel10k prompt, you need to use prompt style that utilizes these low-numbered colors. Type p10k configure and select Rainbow, Lean with 8 colors or Pure with original colors. Other styles use higher-numbered colors, so they look the same in any terminal color palette.

Set colors through Powerlevel10k configuration parameters

Open ~/.p10k.zsh, search for "color", "foreground" and "background" and change values of appropriate parameters. For example, here's how you can set the foreground of time prompt segment to bright red:

typeset -g POWERLEVEL9K_TIME_FOREGROUND=160

Colors are specified using numbers from 0 to 255. Colors from 0 to 15 look differently in different terminals. Many terminals also support customization of these colors through color palettes (a.k.a. color schemes, or themes). Colors from 16 to 255 always look the same.

To see how different colors look in your terminal, run the following command:

for i in {0..255}; do print -Pn "%K{$i} %k%F{$i}${(l:3::0:)i}%f " ${${(M)$((i%8)):#7}:+$'\n'}; done

Why does Powerlevel10k spawn extra processes?

Powerlevel10k uses gitstatus as the backend behind vcs prompt; gitstatus spawns gitstatusd and zsh. See gitstatus for details. Powerlevel10k may also spawn zsh to trigger async prompt refresh. To avoid security hazard, these background processes aren't shared by different interactive shells.

Are there configuration options that make Powerlevel10k slow?

No, Powerlevel10k is always fast, with any configuration you throw at it. If you have noticeable prompt latency when using Powerlevel10k, please open an issue.

Is Powerlevel10k fast to load?

Yes, provided that you are using zsh >= 5.4.

Loading time, or time to first prompt, can be measured with the following benchmark:

time (repeat 1000 zsh -dfis <<< 'source ~/powerlevel10k/powerlevel10k.zsh-theme')

NOTE: This measures time to first complete prompt. Powerlevel10k can also display a limited prompt before the full-featured prompt is ready.

Running this command with ~/powerlevel10k as the current directory on the same machine as in the prompt benchmark takes 29 seconds (29 ms per invocation). This is about 6 times faster than powerlevel9k/master and 17 times faster than powerlevel9k/next.

Does Powerlevel10k always render exactly the same prompt as Powerlevel9k given the same config?

This is the goal. You should be able to switch from Powerlevel9k to Powerlevel10k with no visible changes except for performance. There are, however, several differences.

• By default only git vcs backend is enabled in Powerlevel10k. If you need svn and hg, you'll need to add them to POWERLEVEL9K_VCS_BACKENDS.
• Powerlevel10k strives to be bug-compatible with Powerlevel9k but not when it comes to egregious bugs. If you accidentally rely on these bugs, your prompt will differ between Powerlevel9k and Powerlevel10k. Some examples:
  • Powerlevel9k doesn't respect ZLE_RPROMPT_INDENT. As a result, right prompt in Powerlevel10k can have an extra space at the end compared to Powerlevel9k. Set ZLE_RPROMPT_INDENT=0 if you don't want that space.
  • Powerlevel9k ignores some options that are set after the theme is sourced while Powerlevel10k respects all options. If you see different icons in Powerlevel9k and Powerlevel10k, you've probably defined POWERLEVEL9K_MODE before sourcing the theme. This parameter gets ignored by Powerlevel9k but honored by Powerlevel10k. If you want your prompt to look in Powerlevel10k the same as in Powerlevel9k, remove POWERLEVEL9K_MODE.
  • There are dozens more bugs in Powerlevel9k that don't exist in Powerlevel10k.

If you notice any other changes in prompt appearance when switching from Powerlevel9k to Powerlevel10k, please open an issue.

Is there an AUR package for Powerlevel10k?

Yes, zsh-theme-powerlevel10k-git. This package is owned by an unaffiliated volunteer.

I cannot make Powerlevel10k work with my plugin manager. Help!

If the installation instructions didn't work for you, try disabling your current theme (so that you end up with no theme) and then installing Powerlevel10k manually.

1. Disable the current theme in your framework / plugin manager.

• oh-my-zsh: Open ~/.zshrc and remove the line that sets ZSH_THEME. It might look like this: ZSH_THEME="powerlevel9k/powerlevel9k".
• zplug: Open ~/.zshrc and remove the zplug command that refers to your current theme. For example, if you are currently using Powerlevel9k, look for zplug bhilburn/powerlevel9k, use:powerlevel9k.zsh-theme.
• prezto: Open ~/.zpreztorc and put zstyle :prezto:module:prompt theme off in it. Remove any other command that sets theme such as zstyle :prezto:module:prompt theme powerlevel9k.
• antigen: Open ~/.zshrc and remove the line that sets antigen theme. It might look like this: antigen theme powerlevel9k/powerlevel9k.

2. Install Powerlevel10k manually.

git clone --depth=1 https://github.com/romkatv/powerlevel10k.git ~/powerlevel10k
echo 'source ~/powerlevel10k/powerlevel10k.zsh-theme' >>! ~/.zshrc

This method of installation won't make anything slower or otherwise sub-par.

What is the minimum supported zsh version?

Zsh 5.1 or newer should work. Fast startup requires zsh >= 5.4.

How were these screenshots and animated gifs created?

All screenshots and animated gifs were recorded in GNOME Terminal with the recommended font and Tango Dark color scheme with custom background color (#171A1B instead of #2E3436 -- twice as dark).

Table of contents

1. Features
   1. Configuration wizard
   2. Unparalleled performance
   3. Powerlevel9k compatibility
   4. Pure compatibility
   5. Instant prompt
   6. Show On Command
   7. Transient prompt
   8. Current directory that just works
   9. Extremely customizable
   10. Batteries included
2. Installation
   1. Manual
   2. Oh My Zsh
   3. Prezto
   4. Zim
   5. Antigen
   6. Zplug
   7. Zgen
   8. Antibody
   9. Zplugin
3. Configuration
   1. For new users
   2. For Powerlevel9k users
4. Fonts
   1. Meslo Nerd Font patched for Powerlevel10k
      1. Automatic font installation
      2. Manual font installation
5. Try it in Docker
6. License
7. FAQ
   1. I'm using Powerlevel9k with Oh My Zsh. How do I migrate?
   2. Is it really fast?
   3. What is instant prompt?
   4. Why do my icons and/or powerline symbols look bad?
   5. I'm getting "character not in range" error. What gives?
   6. Why is my cursor in the wrong place?
   7. Why is my prompt wrapping around in a weird way?
   8. Why is my right prompt in the wrong place?
   9. Why does the configuration wizard run automatically every time I start zsh?
   10. I cannot install the recommended font. Help!
   11. Why do I have a question mark symbol in my prompt? Is my font broken?
   12. What do different symbols in Git status mean?
   13. How do I change the format of Git status?
   14. How do I add username and/or hostname to prompt?
   15. How do I change colors?
   16. Why some prompt segments appear and disappear as I'm typing?
   17. Why does Powerlevel10k spawn extra processes?
   18. Are there configuration options that make Powerlevel10k slow?
   19. Is Powerlevel10k fast to load?
   20. Does Powerlevel10k always render exactly the same prompt as Powerlevel9k given the same config?
   21. Is there an AUR package for Powerlevel10k?
   22. I cannot make Powerlevel10k work with my plugin manager. Help!
   23. What is the minimum supported zsh version?
   24. How were these screenshots and animated gifs created?