ubuntu - custom shell for remote servers management

Question

One of the my main difficulties when I am administrating remote servers, its to identify the server that I'm working, once the shell is very similar between them (in fact, only the user is different in most cases).

I would like to know of is possible to create custom shells considering the remove server which I am connected.

Thanks for the help, Best regards!

Answer 1

If you mean custom shell prompt, take a look at the PS1 variable (man bash, search for PS1). It has lots of options. Here is a full guide, but for a start try

export PS1=\u@\H \$>

which gives you a prompt like

username@full.host.name $> _

Answer 2

Are you leveraging the PS1 variable for customization? Not all versions of all shells handle the variable in the same manner, but most will accept a \h for hostname, \u for username, and \w for the current working directory.

Please see this page for additional options, examples, and suggestions.

Answer 3

Just use a unique and self-explanatory names for the hostname of your remote servers. Then, you will be able to know on which server you are working!

You can change the hostname from /etc/hostname. Restart the service /etc/init.d/hostname restart. Also, don't forget to update the /etc/hosts file.

Answer 4

regarding ps1 tweaks, this is what i use in my .bashrc

userName=`whoami`
if [ $userName == "root" ]
then
    PS1='\[\e[0;31m\]\u\[\e[0m\]@\[\e[0;35m\]\h\[\e[0m\][$?]\[\e[0;31m\][\W]\[\e[0m\]\[\e[0;31m\]\$\[\e[0m\]: '
else
    PS1='\[\e[0;32m\]\u\[\e[0m\]@\[\e[0;35m\]\h\[\e[0m\][$?]\[\e[0;31m\][\W]\[\e[0m\]\[\e[0;32m\]\$\[\e[0m\]: '
fi

It'll give the username as red when root, green otherwise. and has the hostname and return code of last command. - might help you.

Also, try byobu (as suggested in comment to mrshunz)