From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: tuhs-bounces@minnie.tuhs.org X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.1 (2015-04-28) on inbox.vuxu.org X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-1.0 required=5.0 tests=HEADER_FROM_DIFFERENT_DOMAINS, HTML_MESSAGE,MAILING_LIST_MULTI,RCVD_IN_DNSWL_NONE autolearn=ham autolearn_force=no version=3.4.1 Received: from minnie.tuhs.org (minnie.tuhs.org [45.79.103.53]) by inbox.vuxu.org (OpenSMTPD) with ESMTP id 3c4be147 for ; Tue, 7 Aug 2018 01:11:10 +0000 (UTC) Received: by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix, from userid 112) id 31B53A19D1; Tue, 7 Aug 2018 11:11:09 +1000 (AEST) Received: from minnie.tuhs.org (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 0478DA19E3; Tue, 7 Aug 2018 11:10:46 +1000 (AEST) Received: by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix, from userid 112) id 5CC8BA19EE; Tue, 7 Aug 2018 11:10:44 +1000 (AEST) X-Greylist: delayed 14046 seconds by postgrey-1.35 at minnie.tuhs.org; Tue, 07 Aug 2018 11:10:32 AEST Received: from smtp-out-2.mxes.net (smtp-out-2.mxes.net [67.222.241.118]) by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix) with ESMTPS id 72BE8A19FD for ; Tue, 7 Aug 2018 11:10:32 +1000 (AEST) Received: from Customer-MUA (mua.mxes.net [10.0.0.1]) (using TLSv1.2 with cipher ECDHE-RSA-AES256-GCM-SHA384 (256/256 bits)) (No client certificate requested) by smtp.mxes.net (Postfix) with ESMTPSA id E970127570; Mon, 6 Aug 2018 21:10:30 -0400 (EDT) From: To: "'Henry Bent'" , "'TUHS main list'" References: <1533588813.1868321.1465431536.01CE36BC@webmail.messagingengine.com> <01c101d42dca$baa2eb70$2fe8c250$@ronnatalie.com> In-Reply-To: Date: Mon, 6 Aug 2018 21:10:28 -0400 Message-ID: <014e01d42deb$6e4ad730$4ae08590$@ronnatalie.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_014F_01D42DC9.E73B8120" X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook 16.0 Thread-Index: AQJqwLYcw+UE/oqpmw/m1eeuj1DkXAG0b1b1Am4ifA2jZT2LAA== Content-Language: en-us X-Sent-To: Subject: Re: [TUHS] Origins of shell prompt suffixes % $ > # X-BeenThere: tuhs@minnie.tuhs.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.20 Precedence: list List-Id: The Unix Heritage Society mailing list List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Errors-To: tuhs-bounces@minnie.tuhs.org Sender: "TUHS" This is a multipart message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_014F_01D42DC9.E73B8120 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable I suspect it was Steve=E2=80=99s personal preference on the Bourne = shell. There=E2=80=99s next to no comments in the thing and the = document on the shell just mentions the defaults and that you can change = it. Just for completeness, the PWBSH appears to allow the prompt to be = changed with a command line argument. =20 We used to have a shell called =E2=80=9Cuu=E2=80=9D at Hopkins which was = sort of a prehistoric =E2=80=9Csudo=E2=80=9D that ran certain commands = (icheck/dcheck/etc=E2=80=A6) as root while setting back to the regular = uid for others. It used =E2=80=9C@ =E2=80=9C for a prompt. =20 =20 =20 =20 From: TUHS On Behalf Of Henry Bent Sent: Monday, August 6, 2018 5:33 PM To: TUHS main list Subject: Re: [TUHS] Origins of shell prompt suffixes % $ > # =20 On 6 August 2018 at 17:16, > wrote: The early shells (Thompson, Mashey) used "% " for regular user (and # = for root). The Thompson shell didn't have a setable prompt. The Bourne shell (V7) had setable PS1 (start of command) and PS2 = (continuation prompts) and set the to "$ " and "> " respectively. = Again # was used for root=20 =20 Okay, but why did Bourne switch from "%" to "$"? Was it to inform the = user that they were using the new shell as opposed to the old one, or = was there some other reasoning behind the switch? =20 -Henry ------=_NextPart_000_014F_01D42DC9.E73B8120 Content-Type: text/html; charset="utf-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

I suspect = it was Steve=E2=80=99s personal preference on the Bourne = shell.=C2=A0=C2=A0 There=E2=80=99s next to no comments in the thing and = the document on the shell just mentions the defaults and that you can = change it.

Just for completeness, the = PWBSH appears to allow the prompt to be changed with a command line = argument.

 

We used to have a shell called =E2=80=9Cuu=E2=80=9D at = Hopkins which was sort of a prehistoric =E2=80=9Csudo=E2=80=9D that ran = certain commands (icheck/dcheck/etc=E2=80=A6) as root while setting back = to the regular uid for others.=C2=A0 It used =E2=80=9C@ =E2=80=9C for a = prompt.=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0

 

 

 

From: = TUHS <tuhs-bounces@minnie.tuhs.org> On Behalf Of Henry = Bent
Sent: Monday, August 6, 2018 5:33 PM
To: TUHS = main list <tuhs@minnie.tuhs.org>
Subject: Re: [TUHS] = Origins of shell prompt suffixes % $ > #

 

On 6 = August 2018 at 17:16, <ron@ronnatalie.com> = wrote:

The early = shells (Thompson, Mashey)  used "% " for regular user = (and # for root).   The Thompson shell didn't have a setable = prompt.
The Bourne shell (V7) had setable PS1 (start of command) and = PS2 (continuation prompts) and set the to "$ " and "> = " respectively.    Again # was used for root =

 

Okay, but why did Bourne switch from "%" to = "$"?  Was it to inform the user that they were using the = new shell as opposed to the old one, or was there some other reasoning = behind the switch?

 

-Henry

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