Home / server / Questions / 148209
Accepted
takeshin
Asked: 2010-06-05 06:40:54 +0800 CST

What's wrong with this bash prompt?

  • 772

I use the following entry in ~/.bashrc file to colorize the prompt and display current branch of git repository:

PS1='\[\e[1;32m\]\[\u@\h\]\[\e[m\] \[\w\]\[\e[1;1m\]\[$(__git_ps1 " (%s)")\] \[\e[1;1m\]\[$\] \[\e[m\]'

This works almost fine, except when I use bash history (up arrow key few times), the command line becomes 'outdented' (just the first characters of the prompt remains untouched), and the visible is:

usemmand

when my username is user and the command is command.

bash command-line-interface git prompt

3 Answers

  1. \[ and \] should only be used around parts of the command prompt that do not advance the cursor, despite having actual text. if __git_ps1 produces any visible output then this will desynchronize your command line.

    • 4
  2. Best Answer

    This is the correct version:

    COLOR1="\[\e[1;32m\]"
COLOR2='\[\e[1;1m\]'
COLOR3='\[\e[m\]'
GIT_STATUS=$(__git_ps1 " %s")
PROMPT_CHAR="$"

PROMPT="${COLOR1}\u@\h${COLOR3} \w${COLOR2}${GIT_STATUS} ${COLOR2}${PROMPT_CHAR} ${COLOR3}"
PS1="$PROMPT"
export PS1
    • 2

  3. Anyone working with this issue, here is the example that worked for me:

    BEFORE:

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

    AFTER:

    export PS1='\[\033[0;34m\][\u@\h]\[\033[1m\e[m\] \w \[\033[35m\][>>]\[\033[0m\e[m\] '

    Notes all the '\\[\\]' around the colors.

    • 1