Bash Prompt HOWTO

Giles Orr, giles@interlog.com

v0.55, 1 December 1998

Creating and controlling terminal and xterm prompts is discussed, including incorporating standard escape sequences to give username, current working directory, time, etc. Further suggestions are made on how to modify xterm title bars, use external functions to provide prompt information, and how to use ANSI colours.

1. Introduction

1.1 Requirements
1.2 Send Me Comments and Suggestions
1.3 Credits

2. Bash and Bash Prompts

2.1 What is Bash?
2.2 What can tweaking your Bash Prompt do for you?
2.3 Why bother?
2.4 The First Step
2.5 Bash Escape Sequences

3. External Commands

3.1 PROMPT_COMMAND
3.2 External Commands in the Prompt
3.3 Other Things to Put in Prompts
3.4 Bash Environment and Functions

4. Xterm Title Bar Manipulations

5. Colours

6. The Bash Prompt Package

6.1 Availability
6.2 Changing the Xterm Font

7. Loading a Different Prompt

7.1 Loading a Different Prompt, Later
7.2 Loading a Different Prompt, Immediately

8. Loading Prompt Colours Dynamically

8.1 A "Proof of Concept" Example

9. Example Prompts

9.1 A "Lightweight" Prompt
9.2 Elite from Bashprompt Themes
9.3 A "Power User" Prompt
9.4 A Prompt the Width of Your Term