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How to Customize Your Bash Prompt on Ubuntu

Introduction​

Have you ever wanted to simplify your command prompt? The default terminal prompt on Ubuntu and other Linux systems is helpful, showing your username, hostname, and current directory (e.g., user@hostname:~/directory$). However, when creating tutorials, sharing screenshots, or simply aiming for a more minimalist look, you might prefer to hide this information.

This guide will walk you through how to customize your terminal prompt on Ubuntu Linux to create a cleaner, more private workspace.

Temporarily Changing Your Prompt​

You can change your prompt for the current terminal session. This is a great way to try it out without making any permanent changes.

  1. Open your terminal.

  2. Type the following command and press Enter:

    export PS1="> "

Your prompt will immediately change to a simple > character. This change will last until you close the terminal.

Making Your Custom Prompt Permanent​

To make your new prompt the default for every terminal session, you need to add the command to your .bashrc file, a script that runs every time you open a new terminal.

  1. Open the .bashrc file in a text editor. We'll use nano, which is a simple command-line editor:

    nano ~/.bashrc

  2. Add the command to the end of the file. Scroll to the bottom of the file and add the following line:

    export PS1="> "

  3. Save and exit. In nano, you can do this by pressing Ctrl+X, then Y to confirm, and finally Enter.

  4. Apply the changes. To see your new prompt in action without logging out, you can run this command:

    source ~/.bashrc

From now on, every new terminal you open will greet you with your clean, custom prompt.

How to Restore the Default Prompt​

If you decide you want to go back to the default Ubuntu prompt, simply remove the export PS1="> " line from your ~/.bashrc file and open a new terminal.

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