Exercise

Customizing the Prompt Exercise

Task

Change your prompt for one shell, decide which form you prefer, then keep it.

Hosts: workstation, then servera

Read the current value of PS1

Every character in the result is an escape sequence: \u is the user, \h the host, \W the working directory shortened to its last segment.
```
echo $PS1
```
Change \W to \w for the full working directory

Move somewhere with a path worth showing. \W displays only log; \w displays /var/log.
```
cd /var/log
PS1='\u@\h:\w\$ '
```
Judge the result

A full path is informative until it eats half the line. Create a deeply nested directory and see.
```
mkdir -p ~/app/backend/config/db_settings
cd ~/app/backend/config/db_settings
```
Going back to \W would show only db_settings. Pick whichever you can live with.
Confirm the change disappears

Log out of servera and log back in.
```
exit
ssh servera
echo $PS1
```
Persist the prompt you prefer

~/.bashrc is read every time you open a new session, so a line added here runs every time.
```
cd ~
vim ~/.bashrc
```
```
PS1='\u@\h:\w\$ '
```
```
exit
ssh servera
echo $PS1
```
Test before you persist A broken PS1 in ~/.bashrc greets you at every login. Set it in the shell first and make sure you like it.

Clean up
```
rm -rf ~/app
```