Bash Prompt HOWTO

Giles Orr, giles@interlog.com

1. Introduction and Administrivia

• 1.1 Requirements
• 1.2 How To Use This Document
• 1.3 Translations
• 1.4 Problems
• 1.5 Send Me Comments and Suggestions
• 1.6 Credits
• 1.7 Copyright and Disclaimer

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 Prompt Escape Sequences
• 2.6 Setting the PS? Strings Permanently

3. Bash Programming and Shell Scripts

• 3.1 Variables
• 3.2 Quotes and Special Characters
• 3.3 Command Substitution
• 3.4 Non-Printing Characters in Prompts
• 3.5 Sourcing a File
• 3.6 Functions, Aliases, and the Environment

4. External Commands

• 4.1 PROMPT_COMMAND
• 4.2 External Commands in the Prompt
• 4.3 What to Put in Your Prompt

5. Xterm Title Bar Manipulations

6. ANSI Escape Sequences: Colours and Cursor Movement

• 6.1 Colours
• 6.2 Cursor Movement
• 6.3 Moving the Cursor With tput

7. Special Characters: Octal Escape Sequences

8. The Bash Prompt Package

• 8.1 Availability
• 8.2 Xterm Fonts
• 8.3 Changing the Xterm Font

9. Loading a Different Prompt

• 9.1 Loading a Different Prompt, Later
• 9.2 Loading a Different Prompt, Immediately

10. Loading Prompt Colours Dynamically

• 10.1 A "Proof of Concept" Example

11. Prompt Code Snippets

• 11.1 Built-in Escape Sequences
• 11.2 Date and Time
• 11.3 Counting Files in the Current Directory
• 11.4 Total Bytes in the Current Directory
• 11.5 Checking the Current TTY
• 11.6 Suspended Job Count
• 11.7 Uptime and Load
• 11.8 Number of Processes
• 11.9 Controlling the Width of $PWD
• 11.10 Laptop Power
• 11.11 Having the Prompt Ignored on Cut and Paste
• 11.12 Setting the Window Title and Icon Title Separately

12. Example Prompts

• 12.1 Examples on the Web
• 12.2 A "Lightweight" Prompt
• 12.3 Elite from Bashprompt Themes
• 12.4 A "Power User" Prompt
• 12.5 Prompt Depending on Connection Type
• 12.6 A Prompt the Width of Your Term
• 12.7 The Elegant Useless Clock Prompt