UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

Assume that you want to set your prompt to display the current working directory followed by a percent symbol and then a space. The command pwd can be used to display this information, so explain why the following command does not have the expected result:

set prompt=" `pwd`'%' "

Its a review question im having trouble on.

The variable that controls your prompt is PS1, not prompt. By using double quotes pwd gets executed immediately during the assignment so it will never change afterwards.

That is c shell syntax, so the variable prompt is ok - Scrutinizers other explanation is correct.
Lets hope you are never forced to use that awful shell after the review...

The variable that controls your prompt is shell dependent, PS1 with most shells but prompt for csh and derived ones.

The is no way to display your current directory in the prompt with the original csh but with tcsh, that would be:

Code:

set prompt="%/ % "

or better

Code:

set prompt="%~ % "

+1 for cero comment about csh being awful.

Thanks for your guys help.

---------- Post updated at 03:27 PM ---------- Previous update was at 03:24 PM ----------

When you type a command, the shell checks several places to see if it can find a command with that name to run. I need to put the following in the order that the shell checks by default. If the shell does not check it by default I need not include it it.

___ All directories in $path
___ All directories in $PATH
___ Hash table created from $path
___ Current directory
___ Built in commands
___ History list
___ System root directory
___ Alias list
___ Shell variables
___ Your home directory

Is this homework?

It's are part of a review. Finals are next week. It over 200 questions long.