diff --git a/commonsh/00_helper b/commonsh/00_helper
index 8d802e3..e515d0c 100755
--- a/commonsh/00_helper
+++ b/commonsh/00_helper
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ if [ -z "${MANPATH}" ] ; then
 	case `uname -s` in
 			SunOS)
 				# some solaris systems have manpath
-				if ( command -v manpath >/dev/null 2>&1 ) ; then
+				if command -v manpath >/dev/null 2>&1 ; then
 					MANPATH=`manpath`
 					export MANPATH
 				else
diff --git a/commonsh/02_term b/commonsh/02_term
index 84d1a42..500ba13 100755
--- a/commonsh/02_term
+++ b/commonsh/02_term
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 fix_term ()
 {
 	# we were requested to go on screen and we are on a mac
-	if ( infocmp $1 >/dev/null 2>&1 ) ; then
+	if infocmp $1 >/dev/null 2>&1 ; then
 		echo $1
 	else
 		case $1 in
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ fix_term ()
 				fix_term screen-256colors
 			;;
 			screen-256colors)
-				if ( infocmp xterm-256colors >/dev/null 2>&1 ) ; then
+				if infocmp xterm-256colors >/dev/null 2>&1 ; then
 					fix_term xterm-256colors
 				else
 					fix_term screen
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ fix_terminfo_db ()
 	fi
 }
 
-if ( command -v infocmp >/dev/null 2>&1 ) ; then
+if command -v infocmp >/dev/null 2>&1 ; then
 	# terminal surgery
 	case `uname -s` in
 		Interix)
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ if ( command -v infocmp >/dev/null 2>&1 ) ; then
 
 	# I am sorry to hear that you are running an
 	# xterm that has no colors (I am looking at you solaris)
-	if [ $TERM = xterm ] && ( command -v tput >/dev/null 2>&1 ) && [ `tput -T xterm colors` = -1 ] ; then
+	if [ $TERM = xterm ] && command -v tput >/dev/null 2>&1 && [ `tput -T xterm colors` = -1 ] ; then
 		# lets see what we can do about your terrible term
 		TERM=`fix_term xterm-color`
 	fi
diff --git a/commonsh/10_alias b/commonsh/10_alias
index ace0355..1e40707 100755
--- a/commonsh/10_alias
+++ b/commonsh/10_alias
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #! /bin/sh
 # colors
 for dircolors in gdircolors dircolors ; do
-	if ( command -v $dircolors >/dev/null 2>&1 ) ; then
+	if command -v $dircolors >/dev/null 2>&1 ; then
 		dircolor_text=''
 		if [ -f "${HOME}/.dir_colors" ] ; then
 			dircolor_text=`cat "${HOME}/.dir_colors"`
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ for dircolors in gdircolors dircolors ; do
 			eval `$dircolors -b /etc/DIR_COLORS`
 		fi
 
-		if ( $dircolors --version 2>/dev/null | grep GNU >/dev/null 2>&1 ) ; then
+		if $dircolors --version 2>/dev/null | grep GNU >/dev/null 2>&1 ; then
 			dircolor_text="${dircolor_text}\nSTICKY_OTHER_WRITABLE 01;04;34;40"
 			dircolor_text="${dircolor_text}\nOTHER_WRITABLE 01;34;40"
 		fi
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ done
 
 # gimmie an editor, make it a nice vi clone
 for EDITOR in vimx vim elvis vile nvi vi ; do
-	( command -v $EDITOR >/dev/null 2>&1 ) && break
+	command -v $EDITOR >/dev/null 2>&1 && break
 done
 export EDITOR
 
@@ -46,13 +46,13 @@ case `uname -s` in
 		alias grep='grep -d skip --color=auto'
 	;;
 	FreeBSD|Darwin|DragonFly)
-		if ( command -v top >/dev/null 2>&1 ) ; then
+		if command -v top >/dev/null 2>&1 ; then
 			alias top="top -o cpu"
 		fi
 
-		if ( command -v gls >/dev/null 2>&1 ) ; then
+		if command -v gls >/dev/null 2>&1 ; then
 			alias ls="gls -h --color=auto"
-		elif ( ls --version 2>/dev/null | grep GNU >/dev/null 2>&1 ) ; then
+		elif ls --version 2>/dev/null | grep GNU >/dev/null 2>&1 ; then
 			alias ls="ls -h --color=auto"
 		else
 			LSCOLORS="ExGxFxDxCxDxDxHbaDEaEa"
@@ -65,31 +65,31 @@ case `uname -s` in
 		alias ls="ls --color"
 	;;
 	SunOS)
-		if ( command -v gls >/dev/null 2>&1 ) ; then
+		if command -v gls >/dev/null 2>&1 ; then
 			alias ls="gls -h --color=auto"
-		elif ( ls --version 2>/dev/null | grep GNU >/dev/null 2>&1 ) ; then
+		elif ls --version 2>/dev/null | grep GNU >/dev/null 2>&1 ; then
 			alias ls="ls -h --color=auto"
 		else
 			alias ls="ls -h"
 		fi
 
-		if ( command -v ggrep >/dev/null 2>&1 ) ; then
+		if command -v ggrep >/dev/null 2>&1 ; then
 			alias grep='ggrep -d skip --color=auto'
-		elif ( grep --version 2>/dev/null | grep GNU >/dev/null 2>&1 ) ; then
+		elif grep --version 2>/dev/null | grep GNU >/dev/null 2>&1 ; then
 			alias grep='grep -d skip --color=auto'
 		fi
 
 		for locate in glocate slocate ; do
-			( command -v $locate >/dev/null 2>&1 ) && alias locate=$locate
+			command -v $locate >/dev/null 2>&1 && alias locate=$locate
 		done
 	;;
 esac
 
-if ( command -v gobjdump >/dev/null 2>&1 ) ; then
+if command -v gobjdump >/dev/null 2>&1 ; then
 	alias objdump=gobjdump
 fi
 
-if ( command -v ack-grep >/dev/null 2>&1 ) ; then
+if command -v ack-grep >/dev/null 2>&1 ; then
 	alias ack=ack-grep
 fi
 
@@ -100,4 +100,4 @@ alias du='du -h'
 
 alias ping='ping -c4'
 
-( command -v time >/dev/null 2>&1 ) && alias time='command time'
+command -v time >/dev/null 2>&1 && alias time='command time'
diff --git a/commonsh/10_pager b/commonsh/10_pager
index 4713020..d03c0e9 100755
--- a/commonsh/10_pager
+++ b/commonsh/10_pager
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #! /bin/sh
 for PAGER in less more pg ; do
-	( command -v $PAGER >/dev/null 2>&1 ) && break
+	command -v $PAGER >/dev/null 2>&1 && break
 done
 export PAGER
 
diff --git a/commonsh/10_rlwrap b/commonsh/10_rlwrap
index 1314fff..1eda987 100755
--- a/commonsh/10_rlwrap
+++ b/commonsh/10_rlwrap
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 #! /bin/sh
 for wrap in rlwrap rlfe cle ; do
-	( command -v $wrap >/dev/null 2>&1 ) && alias ocaml="$wrap ocaml" && break
+	command -v $wrap >/dev/null 2>&1 && alias ocaml="$wrap ocaml" && break
 done
diff --git a/commonsh/10_utility b/commonsh/10_utility
index e6b97ea..329b10c 100755
--- a/commonsh/10_utility
+++ b/commonsh/10_utility
@@ -14,13 +14,13 @@ err ()
          E*)
             errconst=$1
             unset errno
-            if [ "${errno}" = "" ] && ( command -v python > /dev/null 2>&1 ); then
+            if [ "${errno}" = "" ] && command -v python > /dev/null 2>&1 ; then
                errno=`python -c "import errno;print(errno.${errconst})" 2>/dev/null`
             fi
-            if [ "${errno}" = "" ] && ( command -v perl > /dev/null 2>&1 ); then
+            if [ "${errno}" = "" ] && command -v perl > /dev/null 2>&1 ; then
                errno=`perl -MErrno -e "print &Errno::${errconst}.\"\n\";" 2>/dev/null`
             fi
-            if [ "${errno}" = "" ] && ( command -v ruby > /dev/null 2>&1 ); then
+            if [ "${errno}" = "" ] && command -v ruby > /dev/null 2>&1 ; then
                errno=`ruby -e "puts Errno::${errconst}::Errno" 2>/dev/null`
             fi
             if [ "${errno}" = "" ] && [ -e /usr/include/errno.h ] ; then
@@ -36,10 +36,10 @@ err ()
          *)
             errno=$1
             unset errconst
-            if [ "${errconst}" = "" ] && ( command -v ruby > /dev/null 2>&1 ); then
+            if [ "${errconst}" = "" ] && command -v ruby > /dev/null 2>&1 ; then
                errconst=`ruby -e "puts Errno.constants.find_all{|err| eval('Errno::' + err + '::Errno') == ${errno} }" 2>/dev/null`
             fi
-            if [ "${errconst}" = "" ] && ( command -v python > /dev/null 2>&1 ); then
+            if [ "${errconst}" = "" ] && command -v python > /dev/null 2>&1 ; then
                errconst=`python -c "import errno;print(errno.errorcode[${errno}])" 2>/dev/null`
             fi
             if [ "${errconst}" ] ; then
@@ -58,10 +58,10 @@ err ()
    esac
 
    unset errstr
-   if [ "${errstr}" = "" ] && ( command -v perl > /dev/null 2>&1 ) ; then
+   if [ "${errstr}" = "" ] && command -v perl > /dev/null 2>&1 ; then
       errstr=`perl -MPOSIX -e 'print strerror($ARGV[0])."\n";' $errno`
    fi
-   if [ "${errstr}" = "" ] && ( command -v python > /dev/null 2>&1 ) ; then
+   if [ "${errstr}" = "" ] && command -v python > /dev/null 2>&1 ; then
       errstr=`python -c "import os;print(os.strerror($errno))" 2>/dev/null`
    fi
 
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ extract ()
       return
    fi
 
-   if ( command -v aunpack > /dev/null 2>&1 ) ; then
+   if command -v aunpack > /dev/null 2>&1 ; then
       aunpack "${1}"
       return
    fi
diff --git a/zsh/00_options b/zsh/00_options
index ea693b8..11252bc 100755
--- a/zsh/00_options
+++ b/zsh/00_options
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 WORDCHARS=''
 
 # disable core dumps
-if ( ulimit -c >/dev/null 2>&1 ) ; then
+if ulimit -c >/dev/null 2>&1 ; then
 	ulimit -c 0
 fi
 
diff --git a/zsh/prompt b/zsh/prompt
index e1e2e92..b2613ef 100755
--- a/zsh/prompt
+++ b/zsh/prompt
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ case "${TERM}" in
 	dumb)
 	;;
 	*)
-		if ( command -v tput >/dev/null 2>&1 ) && [ `tput colors` != -1 ] ; then
+		if command -v tput >/dev/null 2>&1 && [ `tput colors` != -1 ] ; then
 			RESETCOLOR=$'%{\e[00;00m%}'
 			if [ -z "${SSH_TTY}" ] ; then
 				HOSTCOLOR=$'%{\e[01;32m%}'