How do I assign alias(es) to my Z Shell (zsh)?    Syntax for Defining Alias Bourne Again shell (bash) alias examples Managing Alias(es) Syntax for Defining Alias    Alias is a pseudonym or shorthand for a command or series of commands, i.e., a convenient macro for frequently used command or a series of commands. An alias definition affects the current shell execution environment and the execution environments of the subshells of the current shell. The alias definition will not affect the parent process of the current shell nor any utility environment invoked by the shell. For Z shell (zsh), you can define alias(es) using alias alias_name='command' syntax in .zshrc file in your root directory. You can define as many aliases as you want (as long as you can remember alias names) in .zshrc. Z shell (zsh) alias examples    Collection of useful aliases For example, to create a simple command alias, first open your .zshrc file in your home directory using any text editor of your choice. alias del='rm -i' This creates an alias del for the command "rm -i" which prompts you for confirmation that you want to remove a file before it does so. To create a command alias that consists of a series of commands, alias llm='/usr/bin/ls -Flsa $1' This creates an alias llm for the command "ls" with "Flsa" flags on a user-given directory name (=$1). Of course, you can refer to another command alias within an alias, alias h=history alias rev='h | tail -10' The first command assigns an alias h to the "history" command. The next command assigns another alias rev to the command "h | tail -10". This takes the output from the alias h (= the "history" command) and pipes it through the "tail" command to list the ten most recent commands in the command history. Here's an example for using more than one alias on the same command line, alias root='cd /; ' alias slist='ls -l | head -5' Provided the last character in the root alias definition is a blank space (" "). Thus any argument to this alias as also checked to see if it is an alias. If so, it is executed. Also, notice that in the first alias definition the command ends in a ";" (semicolon) to allow another command to follow it. If you type these two aliases, root slist at the command prompt, then you're changing to your system root directory and its contents is listed in a long format with only the first five lines of output being displayed. Here an example to pass command arguments to the alias, alias print='lpr $1 -Php4' Now, to print a file to the CEE UCL default printer "hp4," you can enters a command such as: $ print ohboy.f The notation "$1" causes the first argument to the command alias print to be inserted in the command at this point. The command that is carried out is: lpr ohboy.f -Php4 Of course, you can also pass multiple arguments to a command alias. alias mprint='lpr $* -Php4' The notation "$*" causes multiple arguments given to the alias mprint to be inserted in the command. If you enters following command $ mprint ohboy.f headache.txt huge_bug_list.ps the actual command would look like lpr ohboy.f headache.txt huge_bug_list.ps -Php4 Managing Alias(es)    To display the value of an alias known to the shell, type; $ alias To display the current value for a particular alias, use the command; $ alias name_of_alias For example, to display the current value of the alias named llm; $ alias llm llm='/usr/bin/ls -Flsa $1' Once alias definition is save in .bashrc, the alias will be in effect next time you login. If you wish to make the alias in effect immediately, update your alias definition by sourcing out .zshrc. $ . .zshrc To cancel a command alias during your current login session use the command; $ unalias name_of_alias For example, $ unalias llm will cancel the command alias llm for your current login session. You will have to remove the alias definition from your .zshrc file if you want to cancel the alias permanently. For further details, RTFM on "alias."