i am trying to set up two aliases:

alias ls='ls -lh'
alias df='df -h'

these lines are in my .bashrc in my user directory as well as in the global /etc/bashrc, they both work for root, but not for a common user. (And, yes, I did restart the terminal after making the changes--it still doesn't work).

Seems like it should be an easy fix, I just can't find the answer anywhere else!

Thanks!

(Edit...)

Here's something strange: the df alias does work, just the ls doesn't. I know the syntax is correct, because it's identical to the syntax in root's bashrc and that works for root.

Post your .bash_profile

# .bash_profile

# Get the aliases and functions
if [ -f ~/.bashrc ]; then
. ~/.bashrc
fi

# User specific environment and startup programs

PATH=$PATH:$HOME/bin

export PATH
unset USERNAME


*****************************************************************************************

#.bashrc

# User specific aliases and functions

alias ls='ls -lh'
alias df='df -h'

# Source global definitions
if [ -f /etc/bashrc ]; then
. /etc/bashrc
fi

What happens when you do ls -lh from a terminal?

it prints the way it should: with colums (permissions, size, owner, creator, etc.)

Here's something strange: the df alias does work, just the ls doesn't. I know the syntax is correct, because it's identical to the syntax in root's bashrc and that works for root.

Seems strange to me also!

See what's in there relating to ls. Maybe something's clobbering your setting.

All that's in /etc/bashrc regarding ls is the same thing that's in my personal ~/.bashrc:

alias ls='ls -lh'

Hm. Works for root. Works when issued directly. Not being clobbered. I'm stumped. 'Strange to me also'

Try putting
alias ls='echo hi'
alias foo='ls -lh'
in your .bashrc and run them. Then put it back the way you had it.

If you get 'hi' and an '-lh' listing, then I'm completely stumped. If you don't get a 'hi' but do get an '-lh' listing, then something somewhere in the chain of bash invocation is messing something up and I'd check every file in the chain. If you get a 'hi' and no '-lh' listing, then something inexplicable is goofed up with your ls command.

yeah, that didn't work.

I put those lines in ~/.bashrc and reset. No good. 'foo' gives me a "bad command" type of error. and 'ls' is just plain old ls.

oh well

thanks for your help.

I still haven't actualy solved this problem, but I did discover the ll command (short for "Long List," I guess). It provides the functionality I wanted right out of the box.

Thanks to those who gave their insights, though.