command to capture current command prompt text

Question

I'm using https://github.com/magicmonty/bash-git-prompt to customize my bash prompt. so, my prompt usually looks something like this

✔ ~/dotfiles [master|⚑ 1] 15:00 $

is there any command with which I can capture that prompt text? I want the [master|⚑ 1] text without having to copy the bash-git-prompt code into a new shell script.

DopeGhoti · Answer 1 · 2017-07-06T20:02:06.997

2

if you're using bash 4.x, you can capture it into a variable

prompt="${PS1@P}"

or just output it for capture into a pipeline

echo "${PS1@P}"

You can also use script to capture a terminal session - including the prompt as displayed - to a file which you can then trim and use for whatever nefarious purposes:

$ script foo
user@host:~
$ exit
$ cat foo
Script started on Thu Jul  6 12:59:45 2017
user@host:~
$ exit
exit
Script done on Thu Jul  6 12:59:48 2017

Not shown here are all the ANSI color codes which spiff up the prompt.

edited Jul 06 '17 at 20:02

answered Jul 06 '17 at 19:56

DopeGhoti

76,081

i'm on bash 3.2 – kenwarner Jul 06 '17 at 21:06
@DopeGhoti This doesn't work. I am in bash4.3 – SibiCoder Feb 20 '20 at 08:35
Define 'doesn't work'. script is an external tool, so it doesn't care what version of bash (or indeed what shell) you're using. – DopeGhoti Feb 20 '20 at 14:17

score -1 · Answer 2 · answered Jul 06 '17 at 21:08

-1

Found a good solution here https://stackoverflow.com/a/44090232/55948

eval 'echo -en "'$PS1'"'

answered Jul 06 '17 at 21:08

kenwarner

109

This will not show the expanded prompt. – DopeGhoti Jul 06 '17 at 22:31
you usually go around downvoting 2 year old answers from noobs?? just leave the comment maybe – kenwarner Aug 01 '19 at 20:06

command to capture current command prompt text

2 Answers2

Linked