Learn how to install Powerline fonts on your Mac to enhance the appearance of your terminal when using Oh-My-Zsh. This guide provides detailed steps to ensure a smooth installation and setup.

Powerline fonts are popular for their sleek and modern look, providing additional glyphs used in terminal prompts, especially with Oh-My-Zsh. This guide walks you through installing Powerline fonts on a Mac, making your terminal both visually appealing and functional.

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Prerequisites

Before we start, make sure you have:

  • A Mac running macOS.

  • Homebrew installed. If you don’t have Homebrew, you can install it by running the following command in your terminal:

    /bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

2. Install Git

You’ll need Git to clone the Powerline fonts repository. If you don’t have Git installed, you can install it using Homebrew:

brew install git

3. Clone the Powerline Fonts Repository

Now, clone the Powerline fonts repository from GitHub:

git clone https://github.com/powerline/fonts.git --depth=1

This will download the Powerline fonts to a directory named fonts.

4. Install the Powerline Fonts

Navigate to the fonts directory and run the installation script:

cd fonts
./install.sh

This script will install the Powerline fonts on your system.

5. Refresh the Font Cache

To ensure the fonts are available for use, refresh the font cache:

fc-cache -fv

6. Configure iTerm2 or Terminal to Use Powerline Fonts

iTerm2
  1. Open iTerm2.
  2. Go to Preferences (Cmd + ,).
  3. Navigate to the Profiles tab.
  4. Under Text, change the font to one of the Powerline fonts (e.g., Meslo LG M for Powerline).
Terminal
  1. Open Terminal.
  2. Go to Preferences (Cmd + ,).
  3. Under the Profiles tab, click on the profile you are using.
  4. Click Text.
  5. Change the font to one of the Powerline fonts.

7. Configure Oh-My-Zsh to Use Powerline Theme

  1. Open your Zsh configuration file:

    nano ~/.zshrc

  2. Set the ZSH_THEME to a Powerline-compatible theme, such as agnoster:

    ZSH_THEME="agnoster"

  3. Save the file and restart your terminal:

    source ~/.zshrc

Conclusion

By following these steps, you will have successfully installed Powerline fonts on your Mac and configured Oh-My-Zsh to use them. Enjoy your enhanced terminal experience with sleek, modern visuals and additional glyphs!