UNIX FAQ Version 2.1 92/12/04 -- Question 2.4
UNIX FAQ Version 2.1 92/12/04 -- Question 2.4
How do I get the current directory into my prompt?
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It depends which shell you are using. It's easy with some
shells, hard or impossible with others.
C Shell (csh):
Put this in your .cshrc - customize the prompt variable the
way you want.
alias setprompt 'set prompt="${cwd}% "'
setprompt # to set the initial prompt
alias cd 'chdir \!* && setprompt'
If you use pushd and popd, you'll also need
alias pushd 'pushd \!* && setprompt'
alias popd 'popd \!* && setprompt'
Some C shells don't keep a $cwd variable - you can use
`pwd` instead.
If you just want the last component of the current directory
in your prompt ("mail% " instead of "/usr/spool/mail% ")
you can use
alias setprompt 'set prompt="$cwd:t% "'
Some older csh's get the meaning of && and || reversed.
Try doing:
false && echo bug
If it prints "bug", you need to switch && and || (and get
a better version of csh.)
Bourne Shell (sh):
If you have a newer version of the Bourne Shell (SVR2 or newer)
you can use a shell function to make your own command, "xcd" say:
xcd() { cd $* ; PS1="`pwd` $ "; }
If you have an older Bourne shell, it's complicated but not
impossible. Here's one way. Add this to your .profile file:
LOGIN_SHELL=$$ export LOGIN_SHELL
CMDFILE=/tmp/cd.$$ export CMDFILE
# 16 is SIGURG, pick a signal that's not likely to be used
PROMPTSIG=16 export PROMPTSIG
trap '. $CMDFILE' $PROMPTSIG
and then put this executable script (without the indentation!),
let's call it "xcd", somewhere in your PATH
: xcd directory - change directory and set prompt
: by signalling the login shell to read a command file
cat >${CMDFILE?"not set"} <<EOF
cd $1
PS1="\`pwd\`$ "
EOF
kill -${PROMPTSIG?"not set"} ${LOGIN_SHELL?"not set"}
Now change directories with "xcd /some/dir".
Korn Shell (ksh):
Put this in your .profile file:
PS1='$PWD $ '
If you just want the last component of the directory, use
PS1='${PWD##*/} $ '
T C shell (tcsh)
Tcsh is a popular enhanced version of csh with some extra
builtin variables (and many other features):
%~ the current directory, using ~ for $HOME
%d or %/ the full pathname of the current directory
%c or %. the trailing component of the current directory
so you can do
set prompt='%~ '
BASH (FSF's "Bourne Again SHell")
\w in $PS1 gives the full pathname of the current directory,
with ~ expansion for $HOME; \W gives the basename of
the current directory. So, in addition to the above sh and
ksh solutions, you could use
PS1='\w $ '
or
PS1='\W $ '
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