Arch Linux

Cobra

Member

Registered: 2004-07-30

Posts: 109

Bash $PWD isn't correct [Solved]

This is my PS1 in /etc/profile

export PS1="[u@h]-[${PWD}]-#-$> "

That means my prompt will look like this:

[username@Hostname]-[/current/directory]-1-$>

This is okay initially, however, if I "cd /some/directory", the bash prompt doesn't say /some/directory, but it remains /current/directory (I know, not really the current directory but the initial directory)

How is this possible? I may have upgraded bash lately, so maybe bash is broken? Maybe it has something to do with initscripts? If I "echo ${PWD}", it echoes the correct new directory, but the prompt doesn't get updated.

baze

Member

Registered: 2005-10-30

Posts: 393

Re: Bash $PWD isn't correct [Solved]

why don't you use

export PS1="[u@h]-[w]-#-$> "

?
ok, it shows ~ instead of /home/foo, else it's what you want..

Cobra

Member

Registered: 2004-07-30

Posts: 109

Re: Bash $PWD isn't correct [Solved]

You're right, that works, although it doesn't solve the problem with ${PWD}... and to be honest, I prefer /home/myusername instead of ~.  :oops:

alterkacker

Member

From: Peoples Republic of Boulder

Registered: 2005-01-08

Posts: 52

Re: Bash $PWD isn't correct [Solved]

The problem is that "${PWD}" is being interpreted by the shell at the time you set the prompt. If you quote it like this "${PWD}" then the shell will interpret it at every prompt & you'll get the behavior you want.

Cobra

Member

Registered: 2004-07-30

Posts: 109

Re: Bash $PWD isn't correct [Solved]

Thanks, that works.
It is weird though, because it used to work all the time... (I'm using Arch for over a year now). Maybe something has changed, but it doesn't matter anymore, it works and I'm happy with the result.