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, 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 9e00261b for ; Mon, 6 Aug 2018 21:22:43 +0000 (UTC) Received: by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix, from userid 112) id 6DF74A19D0; Tue, 7 Aug 2018 07:22:42 +1000 (AEST) Received: from minnie.tuhs.org (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 3B241A19CD; Tue, 7 Aug 2018 07:22:29 +1000 (AEST) Received: by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix, from userid 112) id 06AB1A19CD; Tue, 7 Aug 2018 07:22:27 +1000 (AEST) X-Greylist: delayed 358 seconds by postgrey-1.35 at minnie.tuhs.org; Tue, 07 Aug 2018 07:22:26 AEST Received: from fbo-1.mxes.net (fbo-1.mxes.net [205.237.194.110]) by minnie.tuhs.org (Postfix) with ESMTPS id 9E331A19CC for ; Tue, 7 Aug 2018 07:22:26 +1000 (AEST) Received: from smtp-out-2.mxes.net (smtp-out-2.mxes.net [67.222.241.118]) by fbi-1.mxes.net (Postfix) with ESMTP id 30313275AA for ; Mon, 6 Aug 2018 17:16:27 -0400 (EDT) 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 70EB627570; Mon, 6 Aug 2018 17:16:24 -0400 (EDT) From: To: "'Brian Zick'" , References: <1533588813.1868321.1465431536.01CE36BC@webmail.messagingengine.com> In-Reply-To: <1533588813.1868321.1465431536.01CE36BC@webmail.messagingengine.com> Date: Mon, 6 Aug 2018 17:16:21 -0400 Message-ID: <01c101d42dca$baa2eb70$2fe8c250$@ronnatalie.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook 16.0 Thread-Index: AQJqwLYcw+UE/oqpmw/m1eeuj1DkXKOGE0Vg 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" 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. -----Original Message----- From: TUHS On Behalf Of Brian Zick Sent: Monday, August 6, 2018 4:54 PM To: tuhs@minnie.tuhs.org Subject: [TUHS] Origins of shell prompt suffixes % $ > # Hi, I usually just lurk on this list, but I've been curious lately about the = origin of the symbols at the end of various interactive prompts. ksh (etc), bash, sh use $ for non-root, and # for root csh, tcsh and zsh use % for non-root and # for root fish and things like mysql, ftp, and interactive shells for a lot of = scripting languages use > rc uses ; Where do these different conventions originate? B