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fd and fzf Installation

This guide provides platform-specific installation instructions for fd and fzf, which are required dependencies for ZSH Support file tagging functionality.

Requirements

Both fd (fast file finder) and fzf (fuzzy finder) are required for the @filename<Tab> file tagging feature in ZSH Support. Without these tools, pressing Tab after @ will not trigger the fuzzy finder, and you'll need to type full file paths manually.

Install fd (Fast File Finder)​

fd is a fast and user-friendly alternative to the traditional find command, used by ZSH Support to quickly locate files in your project.

macOS​

brew install fd

Ubuntu/Debian​

sudo apt install fd-find
Ubuntu/Debian Note

On Ubuntu/Debian systems, the binary is installed as fdfind instead of fd due to a naming conflict. The ZSH integration handles this automatically.

Arch Linux​

sudo pacman -S fd

Other Linux Distributions​

Using cargo (if Rust is installed):

cargo install fd-find

Manual installation from GitHub releases:

  1. Visit fd releases page
  2. Download the appropriate binary for your system
  3. Extract and place in your PATH

Verify fd Installation​

fd --version

Install fzf (Fuzzy Finder)​

fzf is a command-line fuzzy finder that provides the interactive file selection interface in ZSH Support.

macOS​

brew install fzf

Ubuntu/Debian​

sudo apt install fzf

Arch Linux​

sudo pacman -S fzf

Other Linux Distributions​

Manual installation using git:

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/junegunn/fzf.git ~/.fzf
~/.fzf/install

Using package managers:

  • CentOS/RHEL/Fedora: sudo dnf install fzf or sudo yum install fzf
  • openSUSE: sudo zypper install fzf

Verify fzf Installation​

fzf --version

Troubleshooting​

Command Not Found After Installation​

If fd or fzf commands are not found after installation:

  1. Check if they're in your PATH:

    which fd fzf

  2. Restart your terminal or reload your shell configuration:

    source ~/.zshrc

  3. For Ubuntu/Debian fd issues: The binary might be installed as fdfind. Create a symlink:

    ln -s $(which fdfind) ~/.local/bin/fd

Permission Issues​

If you encounter permission errors during installation:

  • Avoid using sudo with cargo install - this can create permission issues
  • Use a package manager instead when available
  • For manual installations, ensure the binary is placed in a directory you own (like ~/.local/bin)

ZSH Support Still Not Working​

After installing both tools, if file tagging still doesn't work in ZSH Support:

  1. Verify both tools are installed:

    fd --version && fzf --version

  2. Reload ZSH configuration:

    source ~/.zshrc

  3. Test the integration:

    : test file tagging @package.json<Tab>

  4. Check the ZSH Support troubleshooting section for additional help.

Platform-Specific Notes​

macOS​

  • Homebrew installation is the most reliable method
  • Both tools integrate seamlessly with the system PATH

Linux​

  • Most modern distributions include both tools in their repositories
  • Ubuntu/Debian users should be aware of the fdfind vs fd naming

Windows (WSL)​

  • Use the Linux installation methods within WSL
  • Ensure your WSL distribution is up to date before installing

Alternative Installation Methods​

If the standard installation methods don't work for your system:

Using Nix​

nix-env -i fd fzf

Using Snap (Ubuntu)​

sudo snap install fd fzf

Building from Source​

Both tools are written in Rust and can be built from source:

fd:

git clone https://github.com/sharkdp/fd.git
cd fd
cargo build --release

fzf:

git clone https://github.com/junegunn/fzf.git
cd fzf
make install