Comments on: BASH Shell change the color of my shell prompt under Linux or UNIX http://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/bash-shell-change-the-color-of-my-shell-prompt-under-linux-or-unix/ Every answer asks a more beautiful question. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 19:55:56 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Nat Harwardhttp://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/bash-shell-change-the-color-of-my-shell-prompt-under-linux-or-unix/#comment-67865 Nat Harward Wed, 08 Feb 2012 23:17:42 +0000 http://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/bash-shell-change-the-color-of-my-shell-prompt-under-linux-or-unix/#comment-67865 Just type: tput rev However, if you run any program that manipulates the terminal settings (like running "ls" with the "--color" option, for example) it will probably get reset at that point. To make it permanent you'd need to adjust the settings of whatever your terminal program is (as Richie says below). Just type: tput rev

However, if you run any program that manipulates the terminal settings (like running “ls” with the “–color” option, for example) it will probably get reset at that point. To make it permanent you’d need to adjust the settings of whatever your terminal program is (as Richie says below).

]]> By: Richiehttp://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/bash-shell-change-the-color-of-my-shell-prompt-under-linux-or-unix/#comment-67861 Richie Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:10:58 +0000 http://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/bash-shell-change-the-color-of-my-shell-prompt-under-linux-or-unix/#comment-67861 You will want to modify the terminal parameters. If you are using xterm or putty, etc, change it there. If you are using true terminal no gui then this i am afraid may not be fully possible. You will want to modify the terminal parameters. If you are using xterm or putty, etc, change it there. If you are using true terminal no gui then this i am afraid may not be fully possible.

]]> By: JJhttp://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/bash-shell-change-the-color-of-my-shell-prompt-under-linux-or-unix/#comment-64912 JJ Sun, 27 Nov 2011 09:03:36 +0000 http://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/bash-shell-change-the-color-of-my-shell-prompt-under-linux-or-unix/#comment-64912 I just want to thank you for having a simple, concise explanation after each bash expression. Too often guides simply say: "Paste X at the bottom of file Y. Got that? Ok, GTFO" I just want to thank you for having a simple, concise explanation after each bash expression.

Too often guides simply say: “Paste X at the bottom of file Y. Got that? Ok, GTFO”

]]> By: Cqhttp://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/bash-shell-change-the-color-of-my-shell-prompt-under-linux-or-unix/#comment-64352 Cq Fri, 11 Nov 2011 17:20:12 +0000 http://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/bash-shell-change-the-color-of-my-shell-prompt-under-linux-or-unix/#comment-64352 I do not see the answer to an earlier questio: Is it possible to simply reverse everything on the screen, including the normal outputs of utilities and scripts. By default the background is black with foreground white. I wish to reverse this everywhere to reduce reflections on the screen. Any way? I do not see the answer to an earlier questio: Is it possible to simply reverse everything on the screen, including the normal outputs of utilities and scripts. By default the background is black with foreground white. I wish to reverse this everywhere to reduce reflections on the screen. Any way?

]]> By: Thibauthttp://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/bash-shell-change-the-color-of-my-shell-prompt-under-linux-or-unix/#comment-61317 Thibaut Fri, 05 Aug 2011 08:35:15 +0000 http://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/bash-shell-change-the-color-of-my-shell-prompt-under-linux-or-unix/#comment-61317 That was helpful, thanks. That was helpful, thanks.

]]> By: Sassy Grrrlhttp://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/bash-shell-change-the-color-of-my-shell-prompt-under-linux-or-unix/#comment-59887 Sassy Grrrl Thu, 09 Jun 2011 14:52:45 +0000 http://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/bash-shell-change-the-color-of-my-shell-prompt-under-linux-or-unix/#comment-59887 Files that start with a . are invisible if you just run a regular ls command you can't see them so run ls -la instead. Also, even when you don't see them you can still edit them using your favorite editor by just making sure that when you load the file you use the dot. For example: emacs .bash_rc Files that start with a . are invisible if you just run a regular ls command you can’t see them so run ls -la instead. Also, even when you don’t see them you can still edit them using your favorite editor by just making sure that when you load the file you use the dot. For example: emacs .bash_rc

]]> By: Nat Harwardhttp://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/bash-shell-change-the-color-of-my-shell-prompt-under-linux-or-unix/#comment-59661 Nat Harward Sat, 28 May 2011 03:04:36 +0000 http://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/bash-shell-change-the-color-of-my-shell-prompt-under-linux-or-unix/#comment-59661 This inspired me to create Baven [https://github.com/nharward/baven] by not ever wanting to write "tput" ever again :) It is a plugin loader for BASH allowing to dynamically load BASH functions, over the network if needed (similar to Maven plugins). One is there specifically to handle ANSI colors, see https://github.com/nharward/baven/blob/master/bin/samples/ansi-colors.bash for a working example. If anyone has suggestions for making it better, I'm all ears... This inspired me to create Baven [https://github.com/nharward/baven] by not ever wanting to write “tput” ever again :)

It is a plugin loader for BASH allowing to dynamically load BASH functions, over the network if needed (similar to Maven plugins). One is there specifically to handle ANSI colors, see https://github.com/nharward/baven/blob/master/bin/samples/ansi-colors.bash for a working example.

If anyone has suggestions for making it better, I’m all ears…

]]> By: Fabiano PShttp://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/bash-shell-change-the-color-of-my-shell-prompt-under-linux-or-unix/#comment-59625 Fabiano PS Wed, 25 May 2011 20:14:48 +0000 http://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/bash-shell-change-the-color-of-my-shell-prompt-under-linux-or-unix/#comment-59625 Thanks! Finally set with one scheme that does not break my lines using CTRL+R ou checking history! green=$(tput setaf 2) blue=$(tput setaf 4) reset=$(tput sgr0) PS1='\[$green\]\u\[$reset\] \[$blue\]\w\[$reset\] \$ ' Thanks! Finally set with one scheme that does not break my lines using CTRL+R ou checking history!

green=$(tput setaf 2)
blue=$(tput setaf 4)
reset=$(tput sgr0)
PS1=’\[$green\]\u\[$reset\] \[$blue\]\w\[$reset\] \$ ‘

]]> By: Jinhttp://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/bash-shell-change-the-color-of-my-shell-prompt-under-linux-or-unix/#comment-59561 Jin Sun, 22 May 2011 18:26:44 +0000 http://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/bash-shell-change-the-color-of-my-shell-prompt-under-linux-or-unix/#comment-59561 Duh...10 seconds after I post the question, I figured out. Basically any sequence like "\e[32m" needs to be enclosed by "\[" and "\]", just like Tynged mentioned below. PS1='\[\e[0;31m\][\u@h \w]\$ \[\e[m\]' Duh…10 seconds after I post the question, I figured out. Basically any sequence like “\e[32m" needs to be enclosed by "\[" and "\]“, just like Tynged mentioned below.

PS1=’\[\e[0;31m\][\u@h \w]\$ \[\e[m\]‘

]]> By: Jinhttp://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/bash-shell-change-the-color-of-my-shell-prompt-under-linux-or-unix/#comment-59560 Jin Sun, 22 May 2011 18:19:41 +0000 http://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/bash-shell-change-the-color-of-my-shell-prompt-under-linux-or-unix/#comment-59560 Yes, I have exactly the same problem with my Mac OS X: My PS1 is: PS1='\e[0;31m[\u@h \w]\$ \e[m' And then, if my command line is really long, it wraps around and overwrites the prompt; and if the command line is super long and it wraps around the second time, this time it would correctly push the terminal output one line up and start to print in the new line. Help please~ Yes, I have exactly the same problem with my Mac OS X:

My PS1 is:

PS1=’\e[0;31m[\u@h \w]\$ \e[m’

And then, if my command line is really long, it wraps around and overwrites the prompt; and if the command line is super long and it wraps around the second time, this time it would correctly push the terminal output one line up and start to print in the new line.

Help please~

]]> By: Nat Harwardhttp://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/bash-shell-change-the-color-of-my-shell-prompt-under-linux-or-unix/#comment-57011 Nat Harward Fri, 01 Apr 2011 22:42:01 +0000 http://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/bash-shell-change-the-color-of-my-shell-prompt-under-linux-or-unix/#comment-57011 This thread is old but if anyone is still reading it, you probably want to change "tput" with "tput -T${TERM:-dumb}" so that if by some chance you are *not* in a nice TTY you won't get garbage characters. This thread is old but if anyone is still reading it, you probably want to change “tput” with “tput -T${TERM:-dumb}” so that if by some chance you are *not* in a nice TTY you won’t get garbage characters.

]]> By: Rohithttp://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/bash-shell-change-the-color-of-my-shell-prompt-under-linux-or-unix/#comment-55662 Rohit Tue, 15 Feb 2011 20:22:59 +0000 http://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/bash-shell-change-the-color-of-my-shell-prompt-under-linux-or-unix/#comment-55662 I changed the color of my Linux prompt successfully. But now the commands that I run do not carry forward to the same line. If I have a tar -zcvf command with 5 or 6 log files, the command rolls over to the same line. Its so confusing that I cant see the first part of my own command. Is there a way out of this? Thanks guys... I changed the color of my Linux prompt successfully. But now the commands that I run do not carry forward to the same line. If I have a tar -zcvf command with 5 or 6 log files, the command rolls over to the same line. Its so confusing that I cant see the first part of my own command. Is there a way out of this?

Thanks guys…

]]> By: Michaelhttp://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/bash-shell-change-the-color-of-my-shell-prompt-under-linux-or-unix/#comment-48612 Michael Mon, 02 Aug 2010 16:01:36 +0000 http://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/bash-shell-change-the-color-of-my-shell-prompt-under-linux-or-unix/#comment-48612 Can we change the colors of terminal that is appearing on the booting? Can we change the colors of terminal that is appearing on the booting?

]]> By: Stefan Lasiewskihttp://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/bash-shell-change-the-color-of-my-shell-prompt-under-linux-or-unix/#comment-48022 Stefan Lasiewski Thu, 24 Jun 2010 00:20:20 +0000 http://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/bash-shell-change-the-color-of-my-shell-prompt-under-linux-or-unix/#comment-48022 Sadly, tput on FreeBSD 7.x doesn't support these fancy options. The tput man page has no mention of options like 'bold' and 'color'. This works on Linux. $ echo $TERM xterm-color $ echo "$(tput bold)BOLD$(tput sgr0)" BOLD Sadly, tput on FreeBSD 7.x doesn’t support these fancy options. The tput man page has no mention of options like ‘bold’ and ‘color’. This works on Linux.

$ echo $TERM
xterm-color
$ echo “$(tput bold)BOLD$(tput sgr0)”
BOLD

]]> By: Christian Haarmannhttp://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/bash-shell-change-the-color-of-my-shell-prompt-under-linux-or-unix/#comment-47923 Christian Haarmann Fri, 18 Jun 2010 15:04:44 +0000 http://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/bash-shell-change-the-color-of-my-shell-prompt-under-linux-or-unix/#comment-47923 You can give three arguments, not only two! "\e[x,y,zm" with x=brightness, y=foreground, z=background. For example: "\e[0;33;40m" shows dark (=0) yellow (=33) characters on black (=40) background The alternate way using "tput" doesn't work in my cygwin and prints the error message: tput: unknown Terminal "xterm-color" You can give three arguments, not only two!
“\e[x,y,zm” with x=brightness, y=foreground, z=background. For example:
“\e[0;33;40m” shows dark (=0) yellow (=33) characters on black (=40) background

The alternate way using “tput” doesn’t work in my cygwin and prints the error message:
tput: unknown Terminal “xterm-color”

]]> By: Stefan Lasiewskihttp://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/bash-shell-change-the-color-of-my-shell-prompt-under-linux-or-unix/#comment-47695 Stefan Lasiewski Tue, 08 Jun 2010 17:55:16 +0000 http://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/bash-shell-change-the-color-of-my-shell-prompt-under-linux-or-unix/#comment-47695 Vivek, this is great stuff as always. However, if PS1 will run the $(tput foo) command, won't it fork the tput commands every time PS1 is displayed? The suggestion at http://mywiki.wooledge.org/BashFAQ/037?highlight=%28ps1%29 is to store the tput output in environment variables, and use those variables: # Bash red=$(tput setaf 1) green=$(tput setaf 2) blue=$(tput setaf 4) reset=$(tput sgr0) PS1='\[$red\]\u\[$reset\]@\[$green\]\h\[$reset\]:\[$blue\]\w\[$reset\]\$ ' Vivek, this is great stuff as always. However, if PS1 will run the $(tput foo) command, won’t it fork the tput commands every time PS1 is displayed?

The suggestion at http://mywiki.wooledge.org/BashFAQ/037?highlight=%28ps1%29 is to store the tput output in environment variables, and use those variables:

# Bash
red=$(tput setaf 1)
green=$(tput setaf 2)
blue=$(tput setaf 4)
reset=$(tput sgr0)
PS1=’\[$red\]\u\[$reset\]@\[$green\]\h\[$reset\]:\[$blue\]\w\[$reset\]\$ ‘

]]> By: Stefan Lasiewskihttp://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/bash-shell-change-the-color-of-my-shell-prompt-under-linux-or-unix/#comment-47681 Stefan Lasiewski Tue, 08 Jun 2010 04:51:52 +0000 http://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/bash-shell-change-the-color-of-my-shell-prompt-under-linux-or-unix/#comment-47681 If you use `export PS1="\[$(tput setaf 1)\]\u@\h:\w $ \[$(tput sgr0)\]"`, then won't this be forking 'tput' every time PS1 is set? The BashFAQ at http://mywiki.wooledge.org/BashFAQ/037?highlight=%28ps1%29 suggests doing this instead: # Bash red=$(tput setaf 1) green=$(tput setaf 2) blue=$(tput setaf 4) reset=$(tput sgr0) PS1='\[$red\]\u\[$reset\]@\[$green\]\h\[$reset\]:\[$blue\]\w\[$reset\]\$ ' If you use `export PS1=”\[$(tput setaf 1)\]\u@\h:\w $ \[$(tput sgr0)\]“`, then won’t this be forking ‘tput’ every time PS1 is set? The BashFAQ at http://mywiki.wooledge.org/BashFAQ/037?highlight=%28ps1%29 suggests doing this instead:

# Bash
red=$(tput setaf 1)
green=$(tput setaf 2)
blue=$(tput setaf 4)
reset=$(tput sgr0)
PS1=’\[$red\]\u\[$reset\]@\[$green\]\h\[$reset\]:\[$blue\]\w\[$reset\]\$ ‘

]]> By: aciDhttp://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/bash-shell-change-the-color-of-my-shell-prompt-under-linux-or-unix/#comment-47353 aciD Sun, 16 May 2010 13:26:06 +0000 http://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/bash-shell-change-the-color-of-my-shell-prompt-under-linux-or-unix/#comment-47353 The best PS1 :P : PS1='\[33[1;33m\]\u\[33[1;37m\]@\[33[1;32m\]\h\[33[1;37m\]: \[33[1;31m\]\w\n\[33[1;36m\]\$ \[33[0m\]' (dont forget to change it in .bashrc in all home folders include /root ;) ) The best PS1 :P :

PS1=’\[33[1;33m\]\u\[33[1;37m\]@\[33[1;32m\]\h\[33[1;37m\]: \[33[1;31m\]\w\n\[33[1;36m\]\$ \[33[0m\]‘

(dont forget to change it in .bashrc in all home folders include /root ;) )

]]> By: masenyhttp://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/bash-shell-change-the-color-of-my-shell-prompt-under-linux-or-unix/#comment-47165 maseny Mon, 03 May 2010 15:44:31 +0000 http://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/bash-shell-change-the-color-of-my-shell-prompt-under-linux-or-unix/#comment-47165 i want to modify the way dirctory a creaded in bash i want to modify the way dirctory a creaded in bash

]]> By: Tyngedhttp://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/bash-shell-change-the-color-of-my-shell-prompt-under-linux-or-unix/#comment-46882 Tynged Wed, 14 Apr 2010 19:57:04 +0000 http://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/bash-shell-change-the-color-of-my-shell-prompt-under-linux-or-unix/#comment-46882 I figured out how to color parts separately. Here's what I used: export PS1="\[\e[0;33m\][\[\e[0;32m\]\u\[\e[0;33m\]@\h:\[\e[0;39m\]\w\[\e[0;33m\]]\$\[\e[0m\] " To get the neon colors in the video linked above I assume you'd have to change the precise display colors used by your ssh client. So, using PuTTY for example, you'd have to modify the RGB values of each ANSI color in the Window->Colours menu. I figured out how to color parts separately. Here’s what I used:

export PS1=”\[\e[0;33m\][\[\e[0;32m\]\u\[\e[0;33m\]@\h:\[\e[0;39m\]\w\[\e[0;33m\]]\$\[\e[0m\] ”

To get the neon colors in the video linked above I assume you’d have to change the precise display colors used by your ssh client. So, using PuTTY for example, you’d have to modify the RGB values of each ANSI color in the Window->Colours menu.

]]>