Bash PS1

Fraeco · 06-03-2011, 11:21 AM

Hey

I just figured out how I can change the look of my shell and I've been tinkering arround with the PS1 and adding some colour to it (for now :-)). I'm quite happy with the new look, it has only 1 problem.

If i type a command that's too long and should continue on a new line, it just jumps to the start of the line and prints over the shell prompt. If i use the default prompt, it works like it should

Eg:
fraeco@linux:/this/is/a/long/path$ with_an_even_l
onger_command

This is ok, but now with the modification I made it goes like this

onger_command/this/is/a/long/path$ with_an_even_l

My default PS1 is this
\[\e]0;\u@\h: \w\a\]${debian_chroot:+($debian_chroot)}\u@\h:\w\$

The one I made is this: "\e[1;34m\u@\h:\e[m\w\$ "
What needs to be there, to make it function like before again?

szboardstretcher · 06-03-2011, 11:27 AM

Hello!

Mine is this:

Code:

PS1='\[\033[1;31m\]\[\033[1;30m\](\[\033[1;34m\]\u\[\033[1;37m\]@\[\033[0;37m\]\h\[\033[1;30m\])-(\[\033[0;37m\]\@\[\033[0;32m\] \[\033[1;34m\]\d\[\033[1;30m\])-(\[\033[1;32m\]\w\[\033[1;30m\])\[\033[0;34m\]\n\[\033[1;34m\]\$ \[\033[1;37m\]>\[\033[0;37m\]'

export PS1

wpeckham · 06-03-2011, 11:38 AM

There are several tricks you can use, even placing some of the information at the TOP pf the screen and the REST at the cursor location. What I decided in your position was that more than one half line is too long a prompt!

rknichols · 06-03-2011, 01:00 PM

When your prompt includes a non-printing terminal control sequence, you need to bracket that sequence with \[ and \] to tell bash that the characters within the brackets do not advance the cursor position.

Fraeco · 06-05-2011, 04:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rknichols

When your prompt includes a non-printing terminal control sequence, you need to bracket that sequence with \[ and \] to tell bash that the characters within the brackets do not advance the cursor position.

This was what I was looking for, after inserting the brackets before and after my shell behaves the way it shouls again. Thnx all!