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Accepted
kidcapital
Asked: 2011-05-07 10:41:09 +0800 CST

Terminal only shows $?

  • 772

I recently set up a new user using "adduser username" on my server and noticed that when I login I get:

$

Also, with my new user there is no folder highlighting, or tab completion.

However when I login as root I get a full terminal prompt plus highlighting, completion etc.

root@lin01:~#

Anyone have any idea what I did wrong?

Edit: Solution was to type 

chsh -s /bin/bash

While logged in with the $.

linux ubuntu command-line-interface shell

2 Answers

  1. Best Answer

    Your new user's login shell has been set to /bin/sh, which on Ubuntu is dash. This is a shell intended to be small and fast, to run scripts efficiently. It doesn't have any interactive features. Change your shell to zsh (better) or bash (more common):

    chsh -s /bin/bash

    If you want to change adduser's default shell, edit /etc/adduser.conf:

    DSHELL=/bin/bash
    • 13

  2. After you follow Gilles' advice, increase the awesomocity of the prompt by adding this code to the user's ~/.bashrc (and your root's .bashrc):

    # Black       0;30     Dark Gray     1;30
# Blue        0;34     Light Blue    1;34
# Green       0;32     Light Green   1;32
# Cyan        0;36     Light Cyan    1;36
# Red         0;31     Light Red     1;31
# Purple      0;35     Light Purple  1;35
# Brown       0;33     Yellow        1;33
# Light Gray  0;37     White         1;37

BLUE="\[\033[0;34m\]"
PINK="\[\033[1;35m\]"
WHITE="\[\033[1;37m\]"
LGREY="\[\033[0;37m\]"
LBLUE="\[\033[1;34m\]"
YELLOW="\[\033[1;33m\]"
LRED="\[\033[1;31m\]"
RED="\[\033[0;31m\]"
DGREY="\[\033[1;30m\]"

if [ "$(whoami)" == 'root' ]; then
  PS1="$DGREY]$RED╢$PINK\h$RED╟$DGREY[$LBLUE\w$WHITE:$LGREY "
else
  PS1="$DGREY]$BLUE╢$PINK\h$BLUE╟$DGREY[$LBLUE\w$WHITE:$LGREY "
fi

    fiddle with it too.. fiddling is important.

    • -4