Bash PS1 Generator

You might want to use `git rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD` or `git name-rev --name-only HEAD` instead of `git branch`. Plumbing commands (such as rev-parse or name-ref) are generally more interface-stable to use in a script than porcelain commands (such as git branch) which are designed for interactive use where output may change depending on user environment and configuration.

tput query a terminfo database and return an escape code suitable for that $TERM. sgr0 is the name for "reset" (e.g. "\033[0;10m" in ANSI). Using tput instead of escape code directly is better in a lot of ways. For example, it allows the shell script to be adaptive to the type of TERM it runs on (e.g. not outputting color codes at all if TERM doesn't support colors).

You can see what each tput commands are doing by running infocmp. Most TERM implement ANSI-compatible escape codes, but may prefer other escape codes for the same effect (e.g. try comparing `infocmp -1 ansi` and `infocmp -1 xterm` and `infocmp -1 screen`). You can see the entire list of these commands in terminfo(5) (`man 5 terminfo`) in Predefined Capabilities section.

This is my prompt that shows my git branch, AWS_PROFILE etc:

    if [ "$color_prompt" = yes ]; then
        PS1='\[\033[0;32m\]\[\033[0m\033[0;32m\]\u\ 
        [\033[0;36m\] @ \[\033[0;36m\]\h \w\ 
        [\033[0;32m\]$(__git_ps1)\n\[\033[0;32m\]└─\ 
        [\033[0m\033[0;32m\] \$\[\033[0m\033[0;32m\] 
        AWS:${AWS_PROFILE} ▶\[\033[0m\] '
    else
        PS1='${debian_chroot:+($debian_chroot)}\u@\h:\w\$ '
    fi

I've been using this for years (output of 'echo $PS1' ):

  [\e[1;33m\u\e[1;32m@\e[1;31m\H \e[1;36m\t\e[0m]
  [\e[1;35m\w\e[0m](\e[1;32m\#\e[0m                                               
  )\n$

which presents as:

  [User@HOST 10:21:07][~](2)
  $

(Username, hostname, 24 hour local time, CWD, history count, newline, prompt)

More detail from my .bashrc:

  # Define some colors first:
  red='\e[0;31m'
  RED='\e[1;31m'
  blue='\e[0;34m'
  BLUE='\e[1;34m'
  cyan='\e[0;36m'
  CYAN='\e[1;36m'
  green='\e[0;32m'
  GREEN='\e[1;32m'
  NC='\e[0m' # No Color
  yellow='\e[0;33m'
  magenta='\e[0;35m'
  YELLOW='\e[1;33m'
  MAGENTA='\e[1;35m'
  export PS1="[${YELLOW}\u${GREEN}@${RED}\H ${CYAN} 
  \t$NC][${MAGENTA}\w$NC](${GREEN}\#$NC)\n\$ "

I define the colors as it makes it easier to modify PS1 when the spirit moves me.

I guess using a generator or toolkit could be useful, but I tweaked mine over the years and prefer it just this way.

Edit: I forgot to mention that I use different colors for user vs. root prompts, as that gives immediate visual confirmation of privilege level.

Why not just single click?