After installation (apt-get install zsh), one can change the default shell by invoking chsh command. If the person is root, the default shell for every user is changed, otherwise just the current users.

ctrl+r searches, ctrl+r again searches even further … ctrl+u deletes line (like pressing backspace until line is empty)

(Almost) All infos come from Beters Plog.

.zshrc

# default prompt
PROMPT="$(print '%{\e[0;31m%}%n@%m\%{\e[1;30m%}%B[%{\e[1;34m%}%~%{\e[1;30m%}]%b%{\e[0;31m%}%{\e[0m%}') "
# prompt for right side of screen
RPROMPT="$(print '%{\e[1;30m%}%B[%{\e[1;34m%}%*%{\e[1;30m%}]%b%{\e[0m%}')"

#Titelzeile des Terminalfensters
case $TERM in
        xterm*)
                 precmd () {print -Pn "\e]0;%n@%m: %~\a"}
         ;;
esac

#keep history file between sessions
HISTSIZE=1000
SAVEHIST=1000
HISTFILE=~/.history
setopt APPEND_HISTORY
#for sharing history between zsh processes
setopt INC_APPEND_HISTORY

#spelling correction
setopt CORRECT

#automagically go to a directory, eg type $/etc and hit enter, zsh will chage to /etc
setopt AUTO_CD

#global aliases, use with e.g. cd ....
alias -g '...'='../..'
alias -g '....'='../../..'
alias -g '.....'='../../../..'
alias -g 'grep'='grep -n --colour'

# case-insensitive -> partial-word (cs) -> substring completion:
# http://zsh.dotsrc.org/Guide/zshguide06.html
zstyle ':completion:*' matcher-list 'm:{a-z}={A-Z}' 'r:|[._-]=* r:|=*' 'l:|=* r:|=*'

# farbige menuauswahl und spezielle auswahl mit strg+space im menü
# http://zsh.dotsrc.org/Guide/zshguide06.html#l149
zmodload -i zsh/complist
zstyle ':completion:*' menu select=1
zstyle ':completion:*' list-colors ${(s.:.)LS_COLORS}
bindkey -M menuselect '^@' accept-and-infer-next-history

# enable color support of ls and also add handy aliases
if [ "$TERM" != "dumb" ]; then
    eval "`dircolors -b`"
    alias ls='ls --color=auto'
fi
# some more ls aliases
alias ll='ls -oah'
alias df="df -h"
alias clu="clustalw"

# prefix searching
# ^xp is a sequence: ctrl+x followed by p. usage: type beginning
# of command you remember and then the sequence
bindkey '^x' history-beginning-search-backward
bindkey '^x' history-beginning-search-forward

autoload -U zmv
alias mmv='noglob zmv -W'