Configuration¶

Customize your bash environment for productivity and comfort. This section covers dotfiles, environment variables, aliases, functions, and prompt customization.

Topics¶

Dotfiles ¶

Understanding .bashrc, .bash_profile, .profile, and when each is loaded. Learn to organize configuration files effectively.

Environment Variables ¶

Working with environment variables, especially PATH. Learn about export, variable scope, and common environment variables.

Aliases ¶

Create shortcuts for frequently used commands. Organize aliases for readability and maintenance.

Functions ¶

Write shell functions for more complex reusable operations that go beyond what aliases can do.

Prompt Customization ¶

Customize your PS1 prompt, from simple username/path displays to complex prompts with git information. Introduction to Starship prompt.

Configuration Philosophy¶

Good shell configuration should be:

Portable - Works across machines (Linux, macOS)
Modular - Split into logical files
Documented - Comments explain non-obvious settings
Version controlled - Track changes with git

Quick Setup¶

Minimal .bashrc for productivity:

# ~/.bashrc

# History settings
HISTSIZE=10000
HISTFILESIZE=20000
HISTCONTROL=ignoreboth:erasedups
shopt -s histappend

# Better defaults
shopt -s checkwinsize
shopt -s globstar 2>/dev/null

# Common aliases
alias ll='ls -lah'
alias la='ls -A'
alias ..='cd ..'
alias ...='cd ../..'

# Safety
alias rm='rm -i'
alias cp='cp -i'
alias mv='mv -i'

# Prompt
PS1='\u@\h:\w\$ '

Loading Order¶

Understanding when configuration files load:

Login Shell (.bash_profile/.profile)
    │
    └── Sources .bashrc
            │
            └── Your configuration
                    │
                    └── Other sourced files

See Dotfiles for details.

Modern Tools¶

This section also covers modern configuration tools:

Starship - Cross-shell customizable prompt
direnv - Directory-specific environments
zoxide - Smarter directory navigation

What You'll Learn¶

By the end of this section, you'll be able to:

Structure your shell configuration files
Create useful aliases and functions
Customize your prompt
Manage environment variables properly
Keep configuration portable across systems