Fish is a user-friendly command-line shell that can be used on Linux and other Unix-like operating systems. It is a powerful and customizable shell that offers features such as autocompletion, syntax highlighting, and autosuggestions, making it easier and more efficient to use the command line.
In this article, we will show you how to install Fish on Debian 10 (also known as “Buster”). We will be using the command line for this tutorial, so you will need to have a basic understanding of how to use the Linux command line.
Before we begin, there are a few prerequisites that you will need to have in place in order to install Fish on your system:
- A server running Debian 10
- A user account with sudo privileges
- The apt package manager installed
Once you have these prerequisites in place, you can proceed with the installation.
- Update your system
Before you begin the installation, it is always a good idea to update your system to ensure that you have the latest security updates and bug fixes. To do this, log in to your server and run the following command:
sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade
This will update the package list on your system and then upgrade any outdated packages to their latest versions.
- Install Fish
To install Fish, run the following command:
sudo apt install fish
This will install Fish on your system.
- Set Fish as your default shell
By default, the Bash shell is used as the default shell on most Linux systems. To set Fish as your default shell, run the following command:
chsh -s /usr/bin/fish
This will set Fish as your default shell. You will need to log out and log back in for the changes to take effect.
- Start using Fish
To start using Fish, simply open a new terminal window and you will be presented with the Fish shell. You can now begin using it to run commands, just as you would with any other shell.
Fish offers a number of features that make it easier and more efficient to use the command line. For example, it automatically suggests commands based on your command history, provides syntax highlighting to make your commands easier to read, and offers autocompletion for commands, options, and arguments.
To see a complete list of the features offered by Fish, you can run the following command:
fish --help
Here are a few examples of how you might use Fish:
- Running commands: Just like with any other shell, you can use Fish to run commands on your system. For example, you can use the “ls” command to list the files in a directory, the “cd” command to change directories, and the “mv” command to move or rename files.
- Autocompleting commands and arguments: Fish offers autocompletion for commands, options, and arguments, which can save you time and effort when typing commands. For example, if you start typing a command, Fish will suggest possible completions based on your command history and the contents of your current directory.
- Syntax highlighting: Fish provides syntax highlighting for your commands, which makes them easier to read and understand. For example, it will highlight keywords in different colors, making it easier to see which parts of a command are commands, options, and arguments.
- Autosuggestions: Fish automatically suggests commands based on your command history and the contents of your current directory. For example, if you have previously used the “ls” command in a particular directory
Conclusion
In this article, we showed you how to install Fish on Debian 10. We covered all of the necessary steps, including updating your system, installing Fish, setting it as your default shell, and starting to use it. With Fish installed and configured, you can now enjoy its user-friendly and customizable features to make your command-line experience more efficient and enjoyable.