I uninstalled Fig, which I had been using as a terminal completion tool, and replaced it with zsh-autosuggestions.

Why I Uninstalled Fig

Fig was a handy tool that added autocomplete functionality to the terminal, but I decided to uninstall it for the following reasons:

• Development has stopped: Fig was acquired by Amazon, and the repository has been archived

Uninstalling Fig

Since I had installed it as a Homebrew Cask, I uninstalled it with the following command:

brew uninstall --cask --force fig

On Homebrew Formulae, Fig is listed as “⛔️ fig (disabled)”, but the --force flag allows you to uninstall even disabled Casks.

Installing zsh-autosuggestions

I chose zsh-autosuggestions as a replacement for Fig. It’s a simple Zsh plugin that displays suggestions based on command history.

1. Install via Homebrew

brew install zsh-autosuggestions

2. Add configuration to .zshrc

After installation, add the following to the end of your .zshrc to activate the plugin:

source $(brew --prefix)/share/zsh-autosuggestions/zsh-autosuggestions.zsh

3. Apply the configuration

source ~/.zshrc

That’s it. When typing commands, history-based suggestions will appear in light gray text. Press the right arrow key to accept a suggestion.

Comparing Fig and zsh-autosuggestions

Conclusion

With Fig’s development discontinued, I migrated to the simpler and lighter zsh-autosuggestions. Using Homebrew, the migration can be completed in just a few commands.

From a feature-rich tool to a simple tool with just the functionality you need. Keeping the terminal environment minimal seems to be the way to go.

That’s all from the Gemba, where we switched from Fig to zsh-autosuggestions.