Add a Dash of Color to the Terminal with Powerline-Like Prompt
Productivity Sauce
The terminal's default color scheme is uninspiring at best. Obviously, this is done on purpose, as colorful embellishments can be distracting. But adding just enough color to the terminal can liven it up a bit as well as offer useful clues when you are working from the command line. Earlier I wrote about the Liquid Prompt tool that adds a wealth of useful information to the command line prompt. But if all you want is to add a bit of color to the prompt, paste the content of this Gist into the ~/.bashrc file (remove the archey word at the end of the Gist). Open then the terminal, and you should see the prompt in all its colorful beauty.
By default, the code uses a special character as a path separator. If this doesn't work with your preferred terminal font, you can simply remove the separator character. To do this, open the bashrc file in a text editor and set the value of the separator variable to empty as follows: separator=''. That's all there is to it.
comments powered by DisqusSubscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
openKylin 3.0 Released with Expanded AI Integration
The latest release features a pre-installed AI agent to help perform tasks.
-
DigitalOcean Ends Open Source Credits Program
In a change that has surprised many open source developers, DigitalOcean has decided to sunset its Open Source Credits Program.
-
Office 365 Available for Testing on Linux via Bottles
Linux users can now test the official Office 365, thanks to Mirko Brombin's work on Bottles.
-
Dutch Government Turns to Open Source for Digital Sovereignty
Following in the footsteps of other European countries, the Netherlands is looking to increase its sovereign digital infrastructure with open source software.
-
Linux May Soon Work on Snapdragon X2-Based PCs
If you're thinking about buying a Snapdragon X2-based desktop or laptop, Linux may soon be an option.
-
KDE for People Initiative Calls for AI Ban in Plasma
A new community of KDE wants the project to adopt a strict no-AI policy for KDE Plasma.
-
KDE Sets Ambitious Goals for 2026 and Beyond
KDE Connect reveals the goals for the Linux desktop darling, with one of those goals long overdue.
-
It’s Time to Test Fedora 45 Beta
Fedora 45 beta has been released with updated Gnome, KDE Plasma, and kernel.
-
Ubuntu Stonking Stingray Gets Even Rustier
Ubuntu 26.10 has completed its migration to the Rust-based coreutils.
-
AI Fixes Linux Bottlenecks Using “Hideous” Code
A Linux developer used AI to fix bottlenecks that caused problems when building the kernel. The resulting AI-generated code needed a lot of work.
