When a Linux user opens a terminal emulator, the username and hostname typically appear on the left side of the screen as part of the command prompt. On my Linux laptop, the prompt is [user@hostname ~]$. The $ means the account belongs to a non-root user (a # indicates a superuser terminal session with high privileges). You can determine the current prompt settings by displaying the contents of the PS1 environment variable with echo $PS1

The PS1 variable's contents are comprised of a difficult-to-read string of codes representing printing characters, non-printing characters, and optional variables that make up the parts of the prompt. Some of these codes appear in Table 1. If you have enough time and feel like immersing yourself in the Bash documentation, you can figure out how to adapt the command prompt by changing the PS1 environment variable directly. However, this article describes an easier way to customize your prompt with a pair of tools, Spaceship Prompt and Starship.

Why would you want to change the command prompt? From a user's point of view, the default prompt works well. However, the left side of the terminal is an important area that changes dynamically and is always under the user's focus. The prompt is therefore a top place for advertising, as well as a place for displaying useful information such as the IP address or Git tag. Some users prefer to use the current time as the prompt, which can be useful for time-critical tasks. Others might wish to display an icon that indicates a warning, a success, or something similar. Any brief information or graphics could potentially appear in the prompt. Lines longer than the default 80 characters will even work, although they aren't always aesthetically pleasing. If you feel like experimenting, Spaceship Prompt and Starship will help you craft the perfect prompt.

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