Install Oh My Zsh on Asus routers

[mr_radar]

First thanks all the developers for the great work on asuswrt-merlin.

I come with something that might interest some of you. I like the possibility to use Oh My Zsh on my terminal but I noticed the installation process does not go well on Asus router (I have a RT-AC86U) because some commands are missing (like « command » and « chsh »).

So, after analysis, I forked the installation script with a tiny changement.

All you need to know for the installation of Oh My ZSH is here :
https://github.com/usercase/oh-my-zsh

If you have a problem please file an issue on Github with a maximum of details. I don’t know if all Asus routers are basically having the same set of commands, especially the old one. Actually I am pretty new with my own Asus router.

 

[heysoundude]

What are the benefits of zsh?

I’m hoping a bunch of people see this and chime in, not the least of whom being @RMerlin himself.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ColinTaylor]

I’m hoping a bunch of people see this ...

Why?

 

[mr_radar]

@heysoundude
I would say the main benefit is to get a very confy terminal, in terms of scripting it is not that different to bash :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Z_shell#Features

Getting Oh My Zsh is really appreciable, you can see some screenshots online.

They have a big community, the project is very stable, tons of features. You can installl your Oh My Zsh setup on pretty much any Unix device.

Combining that with iterm2 (macOS) you can have all the customization you want.

Apple even decided to replace bash by zsh.

Conclusion : it is up to you

 

[heysoundude]

Why?

Because I like different viewpoints. Pros and cons seen through different eyes make me consider how I do things differently.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ColinTaylor]

Because I like different viewpoints. Pros and cons seen through different eyes make me consider how I do things differently.

Fair enough I suppose. But there's already plenty of information on the web about zsh, IMHO you don't really need a "bunch of people" to tell you about it. At the end of the day it's just personal preference.

 

[heysoundude]

Thank you.
I’m actually looking for specific insight into zsh on my Merlin-flashed router than computing/computers in general. I probably should’ve been more specific about that from the start, but I assumed given the forum it would be understood.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[heysoundude]

Any screenshots to share @mr_radar ? The links to github and wiki are rather generic - how do amtm and diversion and skynet look and feel?
I'm the type of person who when dealing with the command line much prefers the cold, hard, fast to the warm and fuzzy. it helps me differentiate between human and machine further

 

[XIII]

I use zsh and ohmyzsh on my Mac (in iTerm2).

How well do all the great custom scripts (amtm, Diversion, SkyNet, etc.) work when one uses zsh instead of bash on an Asus router running the Asuswrt-Merlin firmware?

 

[ColinTaylor]

How well do all the great custom scripts (amtm, Diversion, SkyNet, etc.) work when one uses zsh instead of bash on an Asus router running the Asuswrt-Merlin firmware?

The router doesn't have bash (natively), it has ash. I'm guessing they would run exactly the same as the first line of each script invokes the router's built-in shell (#!/bin/sh) rather than zsh.

 

[heysoundude]

The router doesn't have bash (natively), it has ash. I'm guessing they would run exactly the same as the first line of each script invokes the router's built-in shell (#!/bin/sh) rather than zsh.

Maybe mr_radar is energetic enough to re-write everything for zsh, so we can see the difference.


I'll wait.

 

[thelonelycoder]

Any screenshots to share @mr_radar ? The links to github and wiki are rather generic - how do amtm and diversion and skynet look and feel?
I'm the type of person who when dealing with the command line much prefers the cold, hard, fast to the warm and fuzzy. it helps me differentiate between human and machine further

What shell is used does not change the way amtm and Diversion work and feel. My scripts fall back to the built in BusyBox Almquist shell (ash) and some choice binaries that come with Entware.
My scripts come with a very distinctive UI and behavior that allows novices and pros on a terminal prompt to interactively navigate through the options.

 

[thelonelycoder]

Maybe mr_radar is energetic enough to re-write everything for zsh, so we can see the difference.


I'll wait.

For what benefit? amtm and Diversion have 11 themes to choose from, how many more colors do you want?
Is there something I miss?

 

[mr_radar]

Well, I am going to try to answer to everyone and to try to be clear.

Zsh+Oh My Zsh is useful when you are "SSHing" your router and want a more confortable environment to work with, especially if you create some custom scripts or analyse some logs.

When you log to your router, your session can be by defualt Zsh
https://github.com/usercase/oh-my-zsh/README.md
Point no 3

Zsh is just for your SSH sessions. Again it is a matter of confort, ergonomy, and productivity.

But your router still execute the scripts with Ash. Ash is the default shell for the Unix firmware. I didn't change the default shell for router with the setup.

For the amtm and other scripts related, I installed most of them, no problem which is normal. Those scripts use Ash, ie the default local shell. @thelonelycoder is right, well he knows better he is the developer.

For the beginners :
- If you use to work with Bash you may get interested with Zsh+Oh My Zsh.
- If you don't know your router is using by default Ash, you won't need Zsh at all.

Hope I am clear

 

[heysoundude]

looks like I over-stirred the pot...but I did get good answers and some understanding in doing that, so all good I hope.

 

[busch09]

fully agree with MR Radar, ZSh and Oh my ZSh are awesome. I cant shell without them anymore.

 

[JGrana]

Vote me as another zsh fan. Path expansion and autopushd are a few favorites.

 

[underdose]

First thanks all the developers for the great work on asuswrt-merlin.

I come with something that might interest some of you. I like the possibility to use Oh My Zsh on my terminal but I noticed the installation process does not go well on Asus router (I have a RT-AC86U) because some commands are missing (like « command » and « chsh »).

So, after analysis, I forked the installation script with a tiny changement.

All you need to know for the installation of Oh My ZSH is here :
https://github.com/usercase/oh-my-zsh

If you have a problem please file an issue on Github with a maximum of details. I don’t know if all Asus routers are basically having the same set of commands, especially the old one. Actually I am pretty new with my own Asus router.

Is it possible to keep oh-my-zsh and other installed plugins related to it (read: powerlevel10k) persistent between reboots? If so, how?

Thanks for the installer script btw, I use Oh-My-Zsh on my mac wiith iTerm2 and it is a game/life changer even for myself.

 

[XIII]

Is it possible to keep oh-my-zsh and other installed plugins related to it (read: powerlevel10k) persistent between reboots? If so, how?

Yes: https://www.snbforums.com/threads/how-can-i-make-zsh-my-optional-default-shell.61873/#post-552421