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From: livensw@rc.bel.alcatel.be (Wim Livens)
Message-Id: <199901221343.OAA26436@ rc.bel.alcatel.be>
To: questions@FreeBSD.ORG, pcollins@ocsny.com
Subject: Re: setting bash prompt
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> i added my dot profile file as below and it works great!
> date and everything which i discovered purely by accident!
> 
> PS1="\u@\h \d $ "
> SHELL=/usr/local/bin/bash export SHELL
> 
> however where are these commands from \u and \h
> i know what they mean but not why or where??
> 
I don't understand your question entirely but, see man bash, section PROMPTING.
\h is like hostname -s
\u is like id -un (i guess)
> how do i add (pwd) to the prompt also so i know which directory i'm currently 
at?
> 
\w
> and how do i get this prompt to appear in an xterm??
export PS1 in your .profile. Alternatively, you could also set PS1 in your 
.bashrc

Wim Livens.

Alcatel - Corporate Research Center     wim.livens@alcatel.be
Fr. Wellesplein 1                       livensw@rc.bel.alcatel.be
B-2018 Antwerpen                Tel:    +32 3 240 7570
Belgium.                        Fax:    +32 3 240 9932

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