Custom Webmaster Shell Environment

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Custom Webmaster Shell Environment

Webmasters often use SSH to remotely admin web sites and servers, learn how to make your shell colorful and powerful using my sample .bash_profile and you can be up and running in 30 seconds!

ScreenShot using the custom .bash_profile

Create the Custom Environment

All you have to do is create or edit your ~ root file .bash_profile to get the customization you want. The PS1 variable being exported below is the prompt. I included a few alias commands as well, which explains why the outputs from the 2 screen captures above are different for the ls command.

.bash_profile

Simply copy and paste the below or you can download text file: Custom Pretty DreamHost .bash_profile.

# ~/.bash_profile: executed by bash(1) for login shells.
 
umask 002
 
export PS1="\n\e[1;37m[\e[0;32m\u\e[0;35m@\e[0;32m\h\e[1;37m]\e[1;37m[\e[0;31m\w\e[1;37m]\n$ "
export JAVA_HOME=/usr/local/dh/java
 
alias dsiz='du -sk * | sort -n --'
alias bash='clear;/bin/bash -l'
alias ls='ls -lahF --color=auto'

More Reading

• Bash Man Page (html), (txt)
• HackTux Linux Help – Custom Bash Shell Prompts
• tldp.org – Advanced Bash-Scripting Guide – (pdf version)
• tldp.org – Bash Prompt HOWTO
• Life After Coffee – Customize your Bash Prompt
• TuxForums.org – Custom Bash Prompt How-To
• Google search results – “custom bash shell prompt”

« Rigging the DreamHost Site of the Month Contest
Want to know how to really hack? »