Alias, history, _bash, prompt

Learning outcomes:

• Show how to use alias to substitute for a command string
• Describe the _bash files and their uses
• Show how to modify the user prompt

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• Alias
• Shortcut or synonym for frequently used commands
• Easy way to use complex command structures (lots of switches, pipes etc.)
• To create an alias use

  alias

  to delete

  unalias

• To make permanent add alias to .bashrc DANGER HERE easy to mess up the .bashrc file use caution
• Hidden bash config files
• Use the switch -a to see them,

  ls -a

  shows hidden files
• Also referred to as Bash Initialization files
• .bash_profile
• Runs on log in
• Used to set paths
• Changes you want to happen at log in
• .bash-history Records all commands used
• Prompts
• User prompt is environmental variable
• Show: echo $PS1
• Change: PS1=newprompt
• Permanent change by changing .bash_profile DANGER!! Can mess yourself up very easily and very badly
• Customizing the Bash Prompt: Terminal Layout Guide
• Customizing Bash Prompt
• Potentially useful prompts
• Show last command run
• Change color if last command run was successful
• Show working directory
• Show directory info
• $ _ Bash Prompt Generator
• Bash prompt generator with colours
• 8 Useful and Interesting Bash Prompts

Suggested Activities and Discussion Topics:

• Go to this GitHub "A curated list of delightful Bash scripts and resources." and pick one the resources to try. Which one did you pick? Why?

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