Where is .bashrc?

Question

I feel stupid asking, but I can't seem to find the answer to this anywhere. I'm trying to follow these instructions to edit my bash prompt, but there is no .bashrc in either my user directory (~/.bashrc), or in my home directory, or in the main file system directory.

There is no .bashrc in /etc/ (there is a bash.bashrc, however).

Do I create a .bashrc file in my user or home directory? Is there a better, more recent set of instructions for modifying the bash prompt?

You do not need to find/edit .bashrc in `/etc/`. There should be a *.bashrc* file in your home directory. Try to open/edit `~/.bashrc`. But before that I should also ask if you are new to Linux. If you are new to Linux, then I can post detailed instructions here. — Ankit, Apr 28 '12 at 15:44
All of the above answers recommend putting your aliases in `.bashrc`, but [you should put them in `.bash_profile`](http://askubuntu.com/questions/121413/undertanding-bashrc-and-bash-profile) **Edit** To clarify, don't create a `.bashrc` if it's just for this, create or modify `~/.bash_profile` — Louis Maddox, Jul 09 '14 at 13:33
@Louis Defining aliases in `.bash_profile` is wrong. In Ubuntu `.profile` (which runs for login shells) sources `.bashrc` when it's an interactive bash shell. So putting aliases in `.bashrc` (or `.bash_aliases`, sourced in `.bashrc`) defines them in *all* interactive bash shells. Aliases in `.bash_profile` yields [this problem](https://askubuntu.com/q/109985), and others. See [this](https://askubuntu.com/q/17536), [that](https://askubuntu.com/q/1414), [this post](https://askubuntu.com/a/606882), and the default `~/.bashrc`'s comments recommending putting aliases there or in `.bash_aliases`. — Eliah Kagan, Apr 08 '15 at 18:50
Oh wow, I'm very sorry if I've misled anyone. I wrote that comment just a few months into using Linux. Peculiarly I do now have them in `.bashrc` and sourced my `.bashrc` in `.bash_profile` with code copied from [this SuperUser answer](http://superuser.com/a/163268/244556) ("*Get the aliases and functions*"). Thanks for correcting these commonly viewed questions Eliah, [really nice answer here](http://askubuntu.com/a/606882/266014)! — Louis Maddox, Apr 08 '15 at 18:56
Answer for similar question for Windows is here [Git for Windows: .bashrc or equivalent config files for Git Bash shell](http://stackoverflow.com/a/6883798) — Michael Freidgeim, Feb 16 '16 at 23:45

score 177 · Accepted Answer · edited May 12 '14 at 08:34

177

Don't forget it is a hidden file inside your home directory (you would not be the first to do a ls -l and thinking it is not there).

Do a:

ls -la ~/ | more

There should be a .bashrc on the first page. If not just create it with:

vi ~/.bashrc

and add in the lines you need to add into it.

Permissions of my .bashrc are:

-rw-r--r--  1 discworld discworld  3330 Mar 10 16:03 .bashrc

(chmod 644 .bashrc to make it rw r r).

edited May 12 '14 at 08:34

Radu Rădeanu

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answered Apr 28 '12 at 15:18

Rinzwind

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That was exactly it -- hidden file, and I didn't think to look beyond the obvious. Thanks -- maybe this will help other shmucks like me as well. :) – JeanSibelius Apr 28 '12 at 15:21
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I don't seem to get the `sudo...` line, isn't this `touch ~/.bashrc`? – lgarzo Apr 28 '12 at 15:22
@Rinzwind I think that line still has an extra dot in the filename. – lgarzo Apr 28 '12 at 15:27
No, there was no extra dot! I deny there to have been 2 errors in that command! :=D – Rinzwind Apr 28 '12 at 15:29
Sorry, my bad! :P – lgarzo Apr 28 '12 at 15:31
lol @igarzo :D :D – Rinzwind Apr 28 '12 at 15:31
There definitely is no `sudo`, just edit it with `vi ~/.bashrc`. – houbysoft Apr 28 '12 at 21:22
There still is no `.bashrc` for me, even a hidden one. There is a template in `/etc/skel/` though; type `cp /etc/skel/.bashrc ~/.bashrc` to use it. – Nearoo Jul 08 '16 at 17:15
You can also view all the files (including the hidden ones) by using the following command: ll – Agent 0 Jun 19 '19 at 16:46
Can I have it in `~/.config/bash/bashrc`? – Vitaly Zdanevich Aug 11 '22 at 16:58

score 43 · Answer 2 · answered Feb 19 '13 at 05:53

43

User specific, hidden by default.

~/.bashrc

If not there simply create one.

System wide:

/etc/bash.bashrc

answered Feb 19 '13 at 05:53

Alen

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score 17 · Answer 3 · edited Dec 19 '15 at 10:47

There is a .bashrc in every user's home folder (99.99% of the time) as well as one system-wide (which I don't know the location of in Ubuntu).

The quickest way to access it is nano ~/.bashrc from a terminal (replace nano with whatever you like to use).

If this is not present in a user's home folder the system-wide .bashrc is used as a fallback as it is loaded before the user's file. You could simply copy and paste it (with root permissions of course), but a .bashrc is not entirely essential (it may be required to make things work. I haven't found out) at a user level as it mostly overrides the system-wide one with user-specific tweaks. You could write your own though.

The main components for that users may tweak are PS1 (the Bash prompt defaults to display user@localhost:pwd $) and aliases as well as setting a color prompt and maybe PS2 (busy state message).

score 14 · Answer 4 · edited Feb 04 '16 at 08:54

14

Use gedit ~/.bashrc, it will allow you to modify ~/.bashrc using gedit.

edited Feb 04 '16 at 08:54

kos

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answered Feb 04 '16 at 07:40

adonese

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This is so much easier, thank you! – Agent 0 Jun 19 '19 at 16:53

haziz · Answer 5 · 2019-12-18T23:45:48.390

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It is hidden because of the '.' it starts with.

list it with

ls -al

or enable "show hidden files" under the view menu in nautilus (Ctrl-H will also do the trick).

You can edit it with your favorite text editor from your home directory e.g.

cd

to go to your home directory then:

emacs .bashrc

edited Dec 18 '19 at 23:45

answered Apr 28 '12 at 22:10

haziz

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You can even just use `ls -a` – Paul Jones Dec 17 '19 at 16:35

score 4 · Answer 6 · edited Feb 04 '16 at 07:44

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If .bashrc is not in your home folder, even after you list the hidden files, you can copy it from:

/etc/skel/.bashrc

edited Feb 04 '16 at 07:44

heemayl

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answered Aug 04 '14 at 08:52

eaykin

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score 3 · Answer 7 · edited Mar 13 '17 at 13:46

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Use nano ~/.bashrc to open and edit the .bashrc file. (This will create the file if it does not yet exist)

edited Mar 13 '17 at 13:46

Nick Weinberg

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answered Mar 13 '17 at 11:50

gsshakil

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You don't need `sudo` to edit your own `~/.bashrc` – muru Mar 13 '17 at 11:57

score 2 · Answer 8 · edited Jun 26 '15 at 17:39

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if not in home directory, you can just copy from /etc/bash.bashrc, and make it source for your terminal, by typing in your terminal source .bashrc from your home directory after copying.

edited Jun 26 '15 at 17:39

Mudit Kapil

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answered Jun 26 '15 at 14:47

Rohith Yeravothula

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score 0 · Answer 9 · answered Nov 02 '21 at 16:58

Bashrc file is a hidden file inside the home directory. It is actually, give the path directions.

And those are wanted to edit .bashrc file, try this command gedit ~/.bashrc instead of this ~/.bashrc .

This command gedit ~/.bashrc directly take you to the text editor, where you can edit it easily, as you know.

score 0 · Answer 10 · answered May 21 '14 at 14:04

If you use encryption and work from the command line you might not see it as one need to mount the real home-dir first (in contrast to in the graphical UI where this is done automaticallu) by the command:

ecryptfs-mount-private

(I had the same question and stumbled upon this question; but found my answer in the readme instead)

Where is .bashrc?

10 Answers10

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