Do you customize your shell prompt

CrackerPunk · 08-25-2013, 05:17 PM

hi

Do you customize your shell prompt or do you keep the default setup. I personally like to keep the shell prompt very simple looking.

I use the \W and the percent symbol % to simulate an old style unix terminal. Below is how my shell prompt looks.

[~] %

ozar · 08-25-2013, 05:40 PM

Hello

I do customize it after installing a couple of distros, CRUX being one example. Otherwise, I generally go with the default prompt for most distros.

TobiSGD · 08-25-2013, 05:54 PM

I do. Usually it shows my username, the current directory and a green smiley (or red sad smiley, dependent if the last command returned an error code). When I SSH into one of my other machines it also shows the hostname.

frankbell · 08-25-2013, 08:09 PM

I like to see the current directory in my prompt.

astrogeek · 08-25-2013, 08:21 PM

I too, like to see the current directory in my prompt.

I also color the prompt for remote logins, different colors for each host, and always make root prompt red.

fogpipe · 08-25-2013, 08:38 PM

Code:

PS1="[\[\033[1;32m\]\u\[\033[1;31m\]@\[\033[1;34m\]\h\[\033[1;31m\]\[\033[0;32m\]\[\033[1;35m\]:\W\[\033[0m\]]\[\033[0;31m\]$\[\033[0m\]"

Thats what i have been using for a few years. Shows the working dir and i adjust for different colors for different machines and have "root" appear in red. I never use the default prompt.

I also echo the host and working dir in term window title bars.

kooru · 08-26-2013, 06:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frankbell

I like to see the current directory in my prompt.

i too

H_TeXMeX_H · 08-26-2013, 06:33 AM

I use the default as long as it is short. Using the current directory is useful if your terminal doesn't already tell you, however it's too long for me.

druuna · 08-26-2013, 06:40 AM

Yep, prompt is blue for normal users and red for root.

Prompt shows the following info: [hostname] username path $ (or # if root)

TobiSGD · 08-26-2013, 06:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by H_TeXMeX_H

I use the default as long as it is short. Using the current directory is useful if your terminal doesn't already tell you, however it's too long for me.

I have configured it in that way that the full path is only displayed if it is not more than 3 subdirectories long, if it is longer only the name of the current directory is displayed.

CrackerPunk · 08-26-2013, 10:05 AM

My PS1 only shows the current working directory because I hate long paths. However you can control how deep into the directory you want display using the system variable PROMPT_DIRTRIM. I will demonstrate with a example

Code:

export PROMPT_DIRTRIM=3

cd TEST/dir1/dir2/dir3/dir4/dir5

[~/.../dir3/dir4/dir5] %

As you can see, it trim the path to just 3 directories. If you want two directories, then

Code:

export PROMPT_DIRTRIM=2
[~/.../dir4/dir5] %

This is not permanentm it will expire when you close the terminal. To make it permanent add it to your .bashrc file

szboardstretcher · 08-26-2013, 10:24 AM

I like mine a bit Fancy.

Code:

PS1='\e[0;31m(\e[1;31m\u\e[0;37m@\e[1;37m\h\e[0;31m)-(\e[0;37m\@ \e[1;37m\d\e[0;31m)-(\e[0;31m\w\e[0;31m)\e[0;31m\n\e[1;37m\$ \e[1;31m>\e[0;37m'

Which gives me this:

There is never any doubt as to which server I am on, who i am logged in as, and what directory i am in.

TobiSGD · 08-26-2013, 10:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrackerPunk

My PS1 only shows the current working directory because I hate long paths. However you can control how deep into the directory you want display using the system variable PROMPT_DIRTRIM. I will demonstrate with a example

Code:

export PROMPT_DIRTRIM=3

cd TEST/dir1/dir2/dir3/dir4/dir5

[~/.../dir3/dir4/dir5] %

As you can see, it trim the path to just 3 directories. If you want two directories, then

Code:

export PROMPT_DIRTRIM=2
[~/.../dir4/dir5] %

This is not permanentm it will expire when you close the terminal. To make it permanent add it to your .bashrc file

Does not work on Zsh. Keep in mind that not all people use Bash.

CrackerPunk · 08-26-2013, 11:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TobiSGD

Does not work on Zsh. Keep in mind that not all people use Bash.

Didn't know that. But the majority of linux users do use bash

I think zsh or other shells can do something similar I presumed

Habitual · 08-26-2013, 01:41 PM

Code:

DOS='C:${PWD//\//\\\}>'
PS1="\[\033[00m\]\[\033[00m\]\[\033[01;39m\]$DOS\[\033[00m\]"

C:\home\jj>