LQ Poll: What is your favorite Linux Prompt?

fatmac · 03-18-2021, 02:31 PM

I don't need to know the hostname, or which directory I'm presently in, because I will be using a file manager, often mc, if I am running around in the system, & most tell you which directory you are in; if not, I'll just switch back to my home directory before doing work, (cd or cd ~).

jefro · 03-18-2021, 02:34 PM

I like Green on Black background.

dugan · 03-18-2021, 05:21 PM

I use this:

https://starship.rs/

These are also worth checking out:

https://github.com/nojhan/liquidprompt
https://github.com/romkatv/powerlevel10k

jmccue · 03-18-2021, 07:25 PM

For me it is:

Code:

set prompt="$HOST % "

in tcsh

allend · 03-19-2021, 02:09 AM

Quote:

heh. Jeremy is obviously running out of ideas for polls.

heh. Maybe not.
Personally, I just accept the default and do not futz. Maintaining personal preferences across multiple systems is too much of a chore.

hazel · 03-19-2021, 05:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jefro

I like Green on Black background.

That takes me back! The first VDU terminals I ever used had that colour scheme.

boughtonp · 03-19-2021, 07:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by allend

Maintaining personal preferences across multiple systems is too much of a chore.

Does it need to be more complex than "rsync -a me@primary.host:/home/me/.bashrc ~/" after the first login?

craigevil · 03-19-2021, 07:43 AM

powerline

cjspizz · 03-19-2021, 11:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hazel

I also like an all-red prompt when I'm root.

I've had no trouble tweaking my regular user prompt, but I'd also like to tweak the root prompt to be red and yellow but can't figure out how to do that. I've searched this forum and the webs (here, here, and here were the best I found). I tried editing /root/.bashrc, but that doesn't seem to do anything. My prompt settings are in ~/.bashrc and look like this:

Code:

if [ "$color_prompt" = yes ]; then
    PS1='${debian_chroot:+($debian_chroot)}\[\033[00;32m\]u\[\033[00;37m\]@\[\033[00;32m\]\h\[\033[00;37m\]:\[\033[00;34m\]\w\[\033[00;37m\]\$\[\033[00m\] '
else
    PS1='${debian_chroot:+($debian_chroot)}\u@\h:\w\$ '
fi
unset color_prompt force_color_prompt

# If this is an xterm set the title to user@host:dir
case "$TERM" in
xterm*|rxvt*)
    PS1="\[\e]0;${debian_chroot:+($debian_chroot)}\u@\h: \w\a\]$PS1"
    ;;
*)
    ;;
esac

Most of what I read is someone saying 'For regular users, I use

Code:

PS1='${debian_chroot:+($debian_chroot)}\[\033[01;32m\]\u@\h\[\033[00m\]:\[\033[01;34m\]\w\[\033[00m\]\$ '

and for root I use:'

Code:

PS1='${debian_chroot:+($debian_chroot)}\[\033[01;31m\]\u@\h\[\033[00m\]:\[\033[01;34m\]\w\[\033[00m\]\$ '

but these are almost identical except for one color change. No one has said where to put this code or how Bash will know which to use.

Can someone please help this poor tortured soul and tell me where to put the PS1 settings for root? Or, how to I differentiate the root settings from the regular user settings?

verndog · 03-19-2021, 06:36 PM

favorite-> $

scasey · 03-19-2021, 07:08 PM

Re #39
Yes, the prompt for a user is defined in that user’s .bashrc Note that you’ll need to source it, or log out and back in to see any changes you make.

cjspizz · 03-19-2021, 07:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by verndog

favorite-> $

Couldn't be less helpful. Thanks.

cjspizz · 03-19-2021, 07:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scasey

Re #39
Yes, the prompt for a user is defined in that user’s .bashrc Note that you’ll need to source it, or log out and back in to see any changes you make.

Would you mind elaborating? You're speaking in the short-hand of someone who knows, and I'm not able to interpret it.

scasey · 03-19-2021, 07:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cjspizz

Would you mind elaborating? You're speaking in the short-hand of someone who knows, and I'm not able to interpret it.

You asked about how to manage different prompts for different users. I pointed out that what you “understood” is correct. You need to set the prompt for each user in the user’s .bashrc...so the colored prompt for root goes in /root/.bashrc

Also, changes to a user’s .bashrc are not immediate...you’ll need to log out and back in to see them...or source the file:

Code:

. ~/.bashrc

so that the changes get read.

cjspizz · 03-19-2021, 08:26 PM

Thanks for the clarification scasey. I think I understand now.