UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

I am very frustrated with this. I've added the following into my .profile and .bashrc:

Code:

#this one makes sure that long commands strings line wrap to the next line
[ -z "$PS1" ] && return

#instead of wrapping onto the start of the same line.
shopt -s checkwinsize

However, it just never works for me. Whenever I type a long command, it manages to wrap on the same line while overwriting text. I use putty to ssh and I thought it may be something with putty, but I don't know.

My putty settings has something checked that says:
"Auto wrap mode initially on"

The backspace key is set to Control-H
The home and Esc keys are set to Standard
The function keys and keypad are set to ESC[n~

Login using your putty account and execute the stty -a command as well as tput cols and paste the results into a reply here. The first will give us an idea of how your terminal settings are configured on the server, and the second will tell what the terminal driver thinks your terminal width is.

Also, do you have a customized command prompt? Does it look like [user@host ~]$ or is it different? If it's different, what's different about it: color, bold, reverse video...?

speed 38400 baud;
rows = 24; columns = 120; ypixels = 0; xpixels = 0;
csdata ?
eucw 1:0:0:0, scrw 1:0:0:0
intr = ^c; quit = ^\; erase = ^h; kill = ^x;
eof = ^d; eol = <undef>; eol2 = <undef>; swtch = <undef>;
start = ^q; stop = ^s; susp = ^z; dsusp = ^y;
rprnt = ^r; flush = ^o; werase = ^w; lnext = ^v;
-parenb -parodd cs8 -cstopb -hupcl cread -clocal -loblk -crtscts -crtsxoff -parext
-ignbrk brkint -ignpar -parmrk -inpck -istrip -inlcr -igncr icrnl -iuclc
ixon -ixany -ixoff imaxbel
isig icanon -xcase echo echoe echok -echonl -noflsh
-tostop echoctl -echoprt echoke -defecho -flusho -pendin iexten
opost -olcuc onlcr -ocrnl -onocr -onlret -ofill -ofdel tab3

----tput cols----
120

Those settings look fine, but you didn't answer the question about your Bash prompt.

The Bash prompt requires \[ and \] around any non-printing sequence inside the prompt in order for Bash to correctly count the number of printable characters that will appear on the screen. It uses that information in combination with the terminfo automargin flag to determine if/when to advance to the next line.

You can type set and hit Enter to see all of the Bash variables; look at the PS1 variable and make sure that non-printable sequences (such as color or other terminal attributes) are enclosed within the sequences I gave above.

My PS1 is:

Code:

${Reverse}${System_Id}${Normal} ${ORACLE_SID}:${PWD}>

May the reverse is causing a problem.

Yep, if those are non-printing characters or escape sequences. Use the technique I listed above to enclose the Reverse and Normal strings and things should be fine. If not, post back here again.

ok, so I did this:

Code:

\[${Reverse}${System_Id}${Normal} ${ORACLE_SID}:${PWD}> \]

Now it wraps, but once it wraps and gets to the end of the prompt, it wraps on the same line again. After that, it will wrap regularly.

Any idea how to fix that?