Perhaps you've just seen this in the bash prompt:

-bash-4.1#
 

Instead of the expected user@hostname#

It is probably because you are missing .bash_profile or .bashrc in your home directory

Check for yourself:

ls -al ~/|grep -E ".bash_profile|.bashrc"
-rw-r--r--.  1 root root       176 May 20  2009 .bash_profile
-rw-r--r--.  1 root root       176 Sep 22  2004 .bashrc


If you are missing either just take these default files that pull from /etc/bashrc and will give you what you want:

.bash_profile


# .bash_profile

# Get the aliases and functions
if [ -f ~/.bashrc ]; then
    . ~/.bashrc
fi

# User specific environment and startup programs

PATH=$PATH:$HOME/bin

export PATH
 

.bashrc

# .bashrc

# User specific aliases and functions

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

# Source global definitions
if [ -f /etc/bashrc ]; then
    . /etc/bashrc
fi
 

Once you've sorted this out just login again or open a new bash shell and things should be all good again

Latest Articles