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What is ZLS?

ZLS (Zig Language Server) is a Language Server Protocol implementation for Zig written in Zig by the zigtools community. It provides developers with modern IDE features like autocomplete, goto definition, hover information, and semantic analysis in their favorite editors. With over 4k GitHub stars, it's the essential tool for productive Zig development.

            🚀 Why Latest Versions Matter: ZLS is rapidly evolving alongside Zig itself, with frequent releases containing new language feature support, performance improvements, and enhanced IDE capabilities. The latest versions include better semantic analysis, improved completions, and compatibility with Zig 0.14+.
        

⚡ Key Features of ZLS

💡 Smart Completions

Intelligent autocomplete for functions, variables, types, and imports. Context-aware suggestions based on current scope and available symbols.

🔍 Navigation Features

Goto definition/declaration, find references, and document symbols. Navigate large Zig codebases with ease and precision.

📝 Code Intelligence

Hover information, semantic token highlighting, and inlay hints. Understand code structure and types without manual lookup.

🛠️ Development Tools

Automatic formatting with zig fmt, code actions, selection ranges, and folding regions for better code organization.

🔄 Symbol Operations

Rename symbols across entire codebase, find all references, and document symbol outline for project navigation.

📦 Package Support

Custom package resolution, cImport support, and namespace handling for complex Zig projects and dependencies.

🎯 Supported Editors & IDEs

VS Code: Official Zig extension with ZLS integration
Neovim/Vim: Native LSP support and dedicated plugins
Emacs: lsp-mode and eglot compatibility
Sublime Text: LSP package integration
Kate/KDevelop: Built-in LSP support
Any LSP-compatible editor: Universal Language Server Protocol support

🆕 What's New in ZLS 0.14.0+

Zig 0.14 Compatibility: Full support for latest Zig language features
Enhanced Semantic Analysis: Better type resolution and error detection
Improved Completions: More accurate and context-aware suggestions
Performance Optimizations: Faster analysis and reduced memory usage
Better Error Handling: More robust handling of incomplete or invalid code
Enhanced Debugging: Better integration with debugging workflows

📦 Installation from debian.griffo.io

Step 1: Add Repository

# Add GPG key
curl -sS https://debian.griffo.io/EA0F721D231FDD3A0A17B9AC7808B4DD62C41256.asc | sudo gpg --dearmor --yes -o /etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/debian.griffo.io.gpg

# Add repository
echo "deb https://debian.griffo.io/apt $(lsb_release -sc 2>/dev/null) main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/debian.griffo.io.list

# Update package list
sudo apt update
            

Step 2: Install ZLS

# Install latest stable ZLS
sudo apt install zls

# Or install nightly builds for cutting-edge features
sudo apt install zls-master

# Verify installation
zls --version
            

🎯 Editor Setup Examples

VS Code setup:

# Install Zig extension from marketplace
# Extension automatically detects ZLS if installed in PATH

# Or configure custom ZLS path in settings.json:
{
    "zig.zls.path": "/usr/bin/zls"
}
        

Neovim setup (with nvim-lspconfig):

-- In your init.lua
require('lspconfig').zls.setup{
    cmd = { "zls" },
    filetypes = { "zig" },
    root_dir = require('lspconfig.util').root_pattern("build.zig", ".git"),
}
        

Basic ZLS configuration:

# Create ZLS config file
mkdir -p ~/.config/zls
cat > ~/.config/zls/zls.json << 'EOF'
{
    "enable_semantic_tokens": true,
    "enable_inlay_hints": true,
    "enable_snippets": true,
    "warn_style": true,
    "highlight_global_var_declarations": true
}
EOF
        

🚀 Why Choose debian.griffo.io?

📊 Repository Comparison:

Official Debian: ZLS not available in official repositories
Manual Compilation: Requires Zig master and complex build process
Binary Downloads: Manual updates and no package management
debian.griffo.io: Latest version (0.14.0+) with automatic updates

✅ Latest Language Support: Get newest Zig language feature support immediately
✅ No Manual Compilation: Pre-built binaries, no Zig master required
✅ Automatic Updates: Packages updated within hours of upstream releases
✅ Stable & Nightly: Both stable and cutting-edge versions available
✅ Multi-Distribution: Works on Bookworm, Trixie, and Sid
✅ Easy Maintenance: Standard apt commands for updates

🔗 Related Packages

Also available from debian.griffo.io:

Zig Programming Language - Required for ZLS development
Ghostty Terminal - Modern terminal for development
fzf Fuzzy Finder - Enhanced file navigation

            🎯 Perfect for: Zig developers who want modern IDE features, teams working on large Zig projects, anyone wanting autocomplete and navigation in their editor, and developers who appreciate productive development environments.
        

🇿 Install Latest ZLS on Debian