How to customize a prompt?

You can customize the terminal prompt by modifying the shell configuration file. The method varies depending on the shell you are using. Here are examples for two common shells: Bash and Zsh.

For Bash

1. Open the .bashrc file in your home directory:

   nano ~/.bashrc
   

2. Look for the line that starts with PS1=. This variable defines the primary prompt string.

3. Modify the PS1 variable to customize your prompt. For example:

   PS1='\u@\h:\w\$ '
   

   • \u - username
   • \h - hostname
   • \w - current working directory
   • \$ - shows # for root and $ for regular users

4. Save the file and exit the editor.

5. Apply the changes by running:

   source ~/.bashrc
   

For Zsh

1. Open the .zshrc file in your home directory:

   nano ~/.zshrc
   

2. Look for the line that starts with PROMPT=. This variable defines the prompt.

3. Modify the PROMPT variable to customize your prompt. For example:

   PROMPT='%n@%m:%~%# '
   

   • %n - username
   • %m - hostname
   • %~ - current working directory
   • %# - shows # for root and % for regular users

4. Save the file and exit the editor.

5. Apply the changes by running:

   source ~/.zshrc
   

After following these steps, your terminal prompt will reflect the customizations you made.