Linux Shell Scripting Cookbook - Third Edition

Customizing bash with configuration files

Most commands you type on the command line can be placed in a special file, to be evaluated when you log in or start a new bash session. It's common to customize your shell by putting function definitions, aliases, and environment variable settings in one of these files.

Common commands to put into a configuration file include the following:

# Define my colors for ls 
LS_COLORS='no=00:di=01;46:ln=00;36:pi=40;33:so=00;35:bd=40;33;01' 
export LS_COLORS 
# My primary prompt 
PS1='Hello $USER'; export PS1 
# Applications I install outside the normal distro paths 
PATH=$PATH:/opt/MySpecialApplication/bin; export PATH 
# Shorthand for commands I use frequently 
function lc () {/bin/ls -C $* ; }

What customization ...