Kubuntu dircolours

[Ole Juul]

I've figured out how to edit the .bashrc file to change the colour of my prompt, but how to change the colour of the ls output appears beyond me. The net has lots of convoluted advice which does not apply to Kubuntu and none tell me what file to edit! All I want to do is change the colour of a couple of file types. The output of "dircolors -p" is clear, but I can't find the file.

In short, how do I change .jpg from 01;31 to 01;37?

[Telengard]

Re: Kubuntu dircolours

The environment variable LS_COL‐
ORS can influence the colors, and can be set easily by the dircolors command.

IOW we need to look at dircolors and $LS_COLORS.

10.4 `dircolors': Color setup for `ls'
======================================

`dircolors' outputs a sequence of shell commands to set up the terminal
for color output from `ls' (and `dir', etc.). Typical usage:

eval "`dircolors [OPTION]... [FILE]`"

If FILE is specified, `dircolors' reads it to determine which colors
to use for which file types and extensions. Otherwise, a precompiled
database is used. For details on the format of these files, run
`dircolors --print-database'.

The output is a shell command to set the `LS_COLORS' environment
variable. You can specify the shell syntax to use on the command line,
or `dircolors' will guess it from the value of the `SHELL' environment
variable.

Hmm.

$ echo $LS_COLORS
no=00:fi=00:di=01;34:ln=01;36:pi=40;33:so=01;35:do=01;35:bd=40;33;01:cd=40;33;01:or=40;31;01:su=37;41:sg=30;43:tw=30;
42:ow=34;42:st=37;44:ex=01;32:*.tar=01;31:*.tgz=01;31:*.svgz=01;31:*.arj=01;31:*.taz=01;31:*.lzh=01;31:*.lzma=01;31:*.zip=01;
31:*.z=01;31:*.Z=01;31:*.dz=01;31:*.gz=01;31:*.bz2=01;31:*.bz=01;31:*.tbz2=01;31:*.tz=01;31:*.deb=01;31:*.rpm=01;
31:*.jar=01;31:*.rar=01;31:*.ace=01;31:*.zoo=01;31:*.cpio=01;31:*.7z=01;31:*.rz=01;31:*.jpg=01;35:*.jpeg=01;35:*.gif=01;
35:*.bmp=01;35:*.pbm=01;35:*.pgm=01;35:*.ppm=01;35:*.tga=01;35:*.xbm=01;35:*.xpm=01;35:*.tif=01;35:*.tiff=01;35:*.png=01;
35:*.svg=01;35:*.mng=01;35:*.pcx=01;35:*.mov=01;35:*.mpg=01;35:*.mpeg=01;35:*.m2v=01;35:*.mkv=01;35:*.ogm=01;
35:*.mp4=01;35:*.m4v=01;35:*.mp4v=01;35:*.vob=01;35:*.qt=01;35:*.nuv=01;35:*.wmv=01;35:*.asf=01;35:*.rm=01;
35:*.rmvb=01;35:*.flc=01;35:*.avi=01;35:*.fli=01;35:*.gl=01;35:*.dl=01;35:*.xcf=01;35:*.xwd=01;35:*.yuv=01;35:*.aac=00;
36:*.au=00;36:*.flac=00;36:*.mid=00;36:*.midi=00;36:*.mka=00;36:*.mp3=00;36:*.mpc=00;36:*.ogg=00;36:*.ra=00;36:*.wav=00;
36:

So it looks like you need to change the LS_COLORS environment variable, not a file. The dircolors command looks like a simple frontend program for doing just that.

HTH

[Ole Juul]

Re: Kubuntu dircolours

Thanks Telengard. Ya, I got that far - I just didn't believe that they would make something that common such a learning curve. I looked in Kubuntu System Settings and there's nothing there. Strange.

I guess this is the time I learn about environmental variables in Linux.

Is "export" in Linux the same as "set" in DOS?

[Snowhog]

Re: Kubuntu dircolours

May I suggest that you get your self a copy of "Learning the bash Shell" Second Edition (or newer) published by O'Reilly. This will serve you well - I have it among the several 'Linux' books next to my PC.

[Telengard]

Re: Kubuntu dircolours

Is "export" in Linux the same as "set" in DOS?

Not quite. Environment variables in DOS are global. Environment variables in Linux are local until you export them.

3.7.4 Environment
-----------------

When a program is invoked it is given an array of strings called the
ENVIRONMENT. This is a list of name-value pairs, of the form
`name=value'.

Bash provides several ways to manipulate the environment. On
invocation, the shell scans its own environment and creates a parameter
for each name found, automatically marking it for EXPORT to child
processes. Executed commands inherit the environment. The `export'
and `declare -x' commands allow parameters and functions to be added to
and deleted from the environment. If the value of a parameter in the
environment is modified, the new value becomes part of the environment,
replacing the old. The environment inherited by any executed command
consists of the shell's initial environment, whose values may be
modified in the shell, less any pairs removed by the `unset' and
`export -n' commands, plus any additions via the `export' and `declare
-x' commands.

If you have an environment variable you want to persist across Bash sessions then you can probably export it from within ~/.profile. The usual advice is to logout and login to force Bash to re-read ~/.profile, but in this case you can probably just set the variable, edit ~/.profile, and be done with it.

Edit:

$ myvariable=myvalue
export myvariable

Then edit ~/.profile.

[Ole Juul]

Re: Kubuntu dircolours

First: Thanks Snowdog for the bashbook recommendation. That is probably a good idea.

Second: Thanks Telengard for the little lesson on environment. I'll read that twice.

Third: I found it! The dircolor solution I mean ... Boy, that took a lot Googling. If their servers were temporarily overloaded, I apologize, it was my fault.

1/ Edit the .bashrc file:
Find the section starting with the line "# enable color support of ls and also add handy aliases" and delete line three and add three new ones. That section will look like this when you're finished. (Minus the <new tags!)

# enable color support of ls and also add handy aliases
if [ "$TERM" != "dumb" ]; then
  [ -e "$HOME/.dircolors" ] && DIR_COLORS="$HOME/.dircolors" <new
  [ -e "$DIR_COLORS" ] || DIR_COLORS=""           <new
  eval "`dircolors -b $DIR_COLORS`"             <new
  alias ls='ls --color=auto'
  #alias dir='ls --color=auto --format=vertical'
  #alias vdir='ls --color=auto --format=long'
fi

2. Then issue the "dircolor -p" command and put the output in a file called ".dircolors". Do this from your home directory so the file will reside there. Like this:

dircolor -p > .dircolors

3. Edit colours in ".dircolors" to your heart's desire! The instructions are in the file.

4. Phew!

[mariappan]

Re: Kubuntu dircolours

First: Thanks Snowdog for the bashbook recommendation. That is probably a good idea.

Im sorry he is SNOWHOG not SNOWDOG

[Ole Juul]

Re: Kubuntu dircolours

First: Thanks Snowdog for the bashbook recommendation. That is probably a good idea.

Im sorry he is SNOWHOG not SNOWDOG

Sorry Snowhog. I know that - I just type too fast - and you living in the land of the mushing and all. How's biking these days?

[Telengard]

Re: Kubuntu dircolours

Snowdog? Where is By-tor?

[Snowhog]

Re: Kubuntu dircolours

How's biking these days?

All in my mind! Riding season here, 'officially' begins April 1st. It's come earlier, and it's come later.