Best way to install xonsh on macOS or Linux and using it as core shell.

If you like the idea click ⭐ on the repo and tweet.

Motivation

Xonsh is a Python-based shell, and to run xonsh you must have Python installed. The Python version and its packages can be installed and located anywhere and when you execute import or any other Python code during a xonsh session, it will be executed in the Python environment that was used to run the current instance of xonsh. You must have good knowledge of this process after reading xonsh-cheatsheet.

When xonsh becomes a core shell it's needed to keep python environment with xonsh stable, predictable and independent of any changes in the system. The lightweight environment managers like venv, pipx or rye will not help with this and it's needed to use package managers that have ability to install isolated python invironment as core feature e.g. miniconda, micromamba.

mamba-install-xonsh

The mamba-install-xonsh.sh script creates independent python environment for xonsh using mamba in $TARGET_DIR without affect any other things on the system. It's isolated xonsh-specific environment that can't be affected by upgrading the system packages, python version and other experiments around environments. You can use xpip and xmamba to install packages into this environment intentionally.

Install stable: the latest xonsh release with mostly tested python version:

TARGET_DIR=$HOME/.local/xonsh-env PYTHON_VER=3.11 XONSH_VER='xonsh[full]>=0.18.3' \
 /bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/anki-code/xonsh-install/main/mamba-install-xonsh.sh)"

Install the front line: xonsh from main git branch with latest python version (known issues: #5166):

TARGET_DIR=$HOME/.local/xonsh-env PYTHON_VER=3.12 XONSH_VER='git+https://github.com/xonsh/xonsh#egg=xonsh[full]' \
 /bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/anki-code/xonsh-install/main/mamba-install-xonsh.sh)"

Install with stuff: preinstall and preload xontribs (good for ssh and as manual alternative to xxh):

TARGET_DIR=$HOME/.local/xonsh-env PYTHON_VER=3.11 XONSH_VER='git+https://github.com/xonsh/xonsh#egg=xonsh[full]' \
 PIP_INSTALL="uv xontrib-sh xontrib-jump-to-dir xontrib-dalias xontrib-pipeliner xontrib-whole-word-jumping" \
 XONSHRC="\$XONSH_HISTORY_BACKEND = 'sqlite'; xontrib load -s sh jump_to_dir pipeliner whole_word_jumping dalias; \$PROMPT = \$PROMPT.replace('{prompt_end}', '\n{prompt_end}')" \
 /bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/anki-code/xonsh-install/main/mamba-install-xonsh.sh)"

Usage

Now forget about the cases where manipulations around python and packages break the shell unintended. Use pip, brew and other package managers without corrupting xonsh-env.

After installation:

• xonsh refers to ~/.local/xonsh-env/xbin/xonsh.
• xpip refers to ~/.local/xonsh-env/bin/python -m pip.
• You can run source xmamba to activate mamba. See below.

Additions:

• xbin-xonsh is to run xonsh from xonsh-env if xonsh overwritten by $PATH.
• xbin-python is to run python from xonsh-env.
• Use executable script from xonsh-env:
  • xbin-hidden is to list xonsh-env internal hidden bin directory. E.g. xpip install lolcat && xbin-hidden # lolcat.
  • xbin-add is to add executer from hidden bin to visible xbin. E.g. xbin-add lolcat.
  • xbin-list is to list visible xbin directory. E.g. xbin-list # lolcat.
  • xbin-del is to delete executer from xbin. E.g. xbin-del lolcat. It will stay in bin.

Note:

We do not recommend to use xonsh as a default login shell if you are not feel you strong and experienced. Because of most tools are waiting that login shell is POSIX-compliant you can face with issues when some tool is trying to run sh commands in xonsh.

Tips and tricks

Using mamba from xonsh-env

To bind xonsh-env micromamba to xmamba alias run:

source xmamba

Now you can:

xmamba activate base  # Env where xonsh was installed.
pip install lolcat  # Install `lolcat` into `base` env.
xmamba deactivate

xmamba create --name myenv python=3.12
xmamba activate myenv
pip install lolcat  # Install `lolcat` into `myenv`.
xmamba deactivate

Cleaning

If you have no plans to use xmamba clean the disk space:

source xmamba
xmamba clean -a

Uninstall

Just delete $TARGET_DIR e.g. ~/.local/xonsh-env/ by default.

Known issues

std::bad_alloc

If you see terminate called after throwing an instance of 'std::bad_alloc' just delete the target directory (e.g. rm -rf ~/.local/xonsh-env/) and try to install again.

Another way to install xonsh

If you know how to install xonsh using another package manager - PR is welcome!

See also

• xonsh-cheatsheet - Cheat sheet for xonsh shell with copy-pastable examples. The best doc for the new users.
• xonsh.AppImage - one executable file which contains both xonsh and Python. AppImage allows xonsh to be run on any AppImage supported Linux distribution without installation or root access.