Jamie's PS1 collection, and how to customize your bash prompt

Tired of your dull bash prompt?

I rock a different bash prompt on each machine I use to help tell them apart. Vary the colors, add a dash of bold… parentheses, braces, brackets? Heck, maybe even a datestamp.

This here is my PS1 collection, for my reference and your inspiration. Also some notes on crafting your own sweet prompts.

Introducing PS1

What’s your current prompt?

echo $PS1

How to change your prompt (throw it into your .profile or .bashrc for long-lasting fun)

export PS1='lolcatz$ '

The Collection

The Classic (blue):

export PS1="[\u@\[\e[34;1m\]\H \[\e[0m\]\w]\$ "

The Classic (green):

export PS1="[\u@\[\e[32;1m\]\H \[\e[0m\]\w]\$ "

The Classic (magenta):

export PS1="[\u@\[\e[35;1m\]\H \[\e[0m\]\w]\$ "

My old BeOS prompt:

export PS1="\[\e[34;40m\]B\[\e[31;40m\]e \[\e[0m\]\[\e[37;40m\]\w\[\e[0m\]]\$ "

Minimalist:

export PS1="\h:\w]\$ "

Solaris Remix (bold white):

export PS1="[\[\e[28;1m\]\H \[\e[0m\]\w]\$ "

Ubuntu Remix (green/pink):

export PS1="\e[32;1m\]\u@\[\e[35;1m\]\H \[\e[0m\]\w]\$ "

D-lux

export PS1="\[\033[36m\][\t] \[\033[1;33m\]\u\[\033[0m\]@\h:\[\033[36m\][\w]:\[\033[0m\] "

Prompt in the titlebar (works with rxvt & Terminal.app)

export PS1="\[\e]2;\u@\H \w\a\e[32;1m\]>\[\e[0m\] "

Approval prompt (via Slashdot comment)
(colored smileys depending on your success)

export PS1="\[\e[01;32m\]\u@\h \[\e[01;34m\]\W \`if [ \$? = 0 ]; then echo -e '\e[01;32m:)'; else echo -e '\e[01;31m:('; fi\` \[\e[01;34m\]$\[\e[00m\] "

Send me your pimp prompt and I’ll tack it on what what.

The Manual

Color escape code general syntax:

\e[XX;YYm]
XX = foreground color
YY = background color, but really text styling

Foreground colors

30 = black
31 = red
32 = green
33 = yellow
34 = blue
35 = magenta
36 = teal

Background colors are 40, 41, 42, etc.

Text styles:

0 = reset
1 = bold
4 = underline
5 = blink (!)
7 = invert background & foreground

Reset to plain (always put at the end!):

\[\e[0m\]

Available variables:

\u = your username
\H = full hostname, e.g. bob.example.com
\h = reduced hostname, e.g. bob
\w = full working directory, e.g. /home/jamie/bin
\W = basename of the working directory, e.g. bin
\t = time in 24-hour format
\# = command number
\$ = root identifier; $ for regular users, # for root
\T = time in 12-hour format
\l = terminal device, e.g. tty4
\j = number of background/suspended processes

References

• Daniel Robbins of Gentoo: Tip: prompt magic
• TLDP’s thorough Bash prompt HOWTO
• Custom bash prompts webapp — userfriendly site to generate the above codes

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