Help changing the PS1 prompt in Solaris

UNIX Solaris
1

Hi, I need help changing PS1 in Solaris. I tried this:

MYPROMPT="> "

PS1=$LOGNAME@$HOSTNAME:${PWD}$MYPROMPT (NOT SURE WHY IT'S HIGHLIGHTED HERE)

export PS1

My problem is that $PWD is not working, when I get the prompt and I change directories, the prompt is not displaying the current (changed) directory. I've seen other posts where people do single quotes:

PS1='$LOGNAME@$HOSTNAME:${PWD}$MYPROMPT'

but that didn't work for me as I get this:

$LOGNAME@$HOSTNAME:${PWD}$MYPROMPT

as the prompt !!!.

Please help.

Thanks.

2

FYI - for bash:

export PS1="[\$USER@\$(hostname):\$PWD] "
3

Just stop using /bin/sh as a login shell and switch to ksh or bash.

By the way, I would also recommend to avoid the final "> ".

Standard bourne shell prompt are usually ending with "$" for casual users and "#" for root. Sticking to that standard helps knowing who you are running command as. Moreover, "> " is risky as a terminal window copy/paste "accident" is less likely to create unwanted files, or worst, clear existing ones.

4

vgersh99: I'm using Korn shell, and your suggestion / command didn't work. Any ideas/code for the Korn shell (Solaris box).

SunOS kdsan004 5.10 Generic_150400-09 sun4u sparc SUNW,SPARC-Enterprise

jlliagre: I am using the Korn shell (/bin/ksh).

5

If BASH what you probably want is:

PS1="\u@\h:\w> "

Dont forget to export it if you like it.

hth

6

I'm afraid you are not.

This behavior can only be observed with the legacy bourne shell. All other Bourne shell style shells available under Solaris, including /bin/ksh, /bin/bash, /usr/xpg4/bin/sh, and /usr/dt/bin/dtksh will properly handle this PS1 setting (but not sea's suggestion which is bash specific).

1 Like
7

jlliagre: Yes I am:

 twsapps@kdsan004:/opt/apps/twsapps> echo $SHELL
/bin/ksh

Any other thoughts ?

Thanks.

8

Hmm, you were complaining about getting this prompt in your initial question:

$LOGNAME@$HOSTNAME:${PWD}$MYPROMPT

but you are now showing this quite different prompt shows up:

twsapps@kdsan004:/opt/apps/twsapps>

Can you please clarify what is not working?

9

jlliagre:

First of all, thank you for your willingness to help. You're very kind.
So, I got this prompt: twsapps@kdsan004:/opt/apps/twsapps> by defining PS1 in the .profile as :

PS1=$LOGNAME@$HOSTNAME1:$%7BPWD%7D$MYPROMPT"PS1=$LOGNAME@$HOSTNAME1:${PWD}$MYPROMPT

(MYPROMPT was previously defined as : MYPROMPT="> " .

Here's my dilemma: When I'm at the prompt and I type, let's say: cd mydir , the prompt should change to

twsapps@kdsan004:/opt/apps/twsapps/mydir>

, meaning, it should display the current directory, which now is

twsapps@kdsan004:/opt/apps/twsapps/mydir

, but instead, it stays as

twsapps@kdsan004:/opt/apps/twsapps>

, which means PWD is not getting updated/refreshed.
I hope the problem is now clear.
Thanks again.

10

Have you tried what'd been suggest previously?

export PS1="[\$USER@\$(hostname):\$PWD] "

Also when you're at the shell prompt, provide the output of echo $0

11

Put this in .profile:

export MYPROMPT="> "
[ -z "$HOSTNAME" ] && export HOSTNAME=`/bin/uname -n | /usr/bin/cut -f1 -d.`
export PS1='$LOGNAME@${HOSTNAME}:${PWD}$MYPROMPT'
12

Vgersh99:

I changed PS1 to:

PS1="[\$USER@\$(hostname):\$PWD] "
export PS1

and I got this:

[$USER@$(hostname):$PWD] pwd
/opt/apps/twsapps
[$USER@$(hostname):$PWD] cd TWA
[$USER@$(hostname):$PWD] pwd
/opt/apps/twsapps/TWA

So it didn't work. Thanks though, and any other thoughts are welcome.

---------- Post updated at 03:55 PM ---------- Previous update was at 03:49 PM ----------

vgersh99: I forgot to show you this:

twsapps@kdsan004:/opt/apps/twsapps> echo $0
-sh
13

sh != ksh (at least on Solaris).

14

MadeinGermany:

When I typed your suggestion, I get :

 HOSTNAME=kdsan004: is not an identifier

Also, if I type anything in ' ', I get the same stuff within the single quotes as a prompt:

 $LOGNAME@${HOSTNAME}:${PWD}$MYPROMPT

---------- Post updated at 04:11 PM ---------- Previous update was at 04:06 PM ----------

vgersh99: But at the beginning of my code I have:

 #!/bin/ksh (first line)

I even have this:

 SHELL=/bin/ksh
export SHELL

also, at the command line:

twsapps@kdsan004:/opt/apps/twsapps> echo $SHELL
/bin/ksh

finally, I checked the /etc/passwd file:

twsapps@kdsan004:/opt/apps/twsapps> more /etc/passwd |grep twsapps
twsapps:x:1200001858:20002:Service account for twsapps #cust# RM13600277:/opt/apps/twsapps:/bin/sh

Could that be the problem ? If so, how do I change the shell within the script, w/o changing the /etc/passwd file or is that absolutely necessary ?

Thanks.

15 
PS1='${PWD}'"$ "

it is not Solaris, but ksh.

16

Yes, echo $0 or ps -p $$ tell you the truth.
.profile is run by the login shell that is

getent passwd $LOGNAME

SHELL is just an environment variable that is set by the login shell.

---------- Post updated at 04:18 PM ---------- Previous update was at 04:10 PM ----------

You can try to change your login shell with

passwd -e

--
Another proposal: have the following in .profile

ENV=$HOME/.kshrc; export ENV

And put the ksh stuff in $HOME/.kshrc file, so that

cat $HOME/.kshrc
export MYPROMPT="> "
[ -z "$HOSTNAME" ] && export HOSTNAME=`/bin/uname -n | /usr/bin/cut -f1 -d.`
export PS1='$LOGNAME@${HOSTNAME}:${PWD}$MYPROMPT'

You can switch your current shell to ksh with

exec ksh
17

Too bad you stubbornly refused to accept you were running /bin/sh in the first place while that was the only reasonable explanation.

Are you talking about your .profile or something else?

18

now Solaris:

# uname
SunOS
# cat /etc/release
                   Oracle Solaris 10 8/11 s10s_u10wos_17b SPARC
  Copyright (c) 1983, 2011, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
                            Assembled 23 August 2011

                  Solaris 10 1/13 (Update 11) Patchset applied.
# PS1='${PWD}'" $ "
/export/home/user $ cd ..
/export/home $
/export/home $ echo $SHELL
/bin/ksh