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Oh my bash

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Oh My Bash (OMB) is a framework that enhances the Bash shell experience by adding themes, plugins, and convenient aliases. It is inspired by Oh My Zsh and is particularly useful for those who prefer Bash but want an improved user experience.

Installation

Prerequisites

Verify Bash version with:

bash --version

If necessary, install Bash:

sudo apt install bash   # Debian-based systems
sudo dnf install bash   # Fedora-based systems
sudo pacman -S bash     # Arch-based systems

Installing Oh My Bash

To install Oh My Bash, run the following command:

bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ohmybash/oh-my-bash/master/tools/install.sh)"

or using wget:

bash -c "$(wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ohmybash/oh-my-bash/master/tools/install.sh -O -)"

After installation, restart the shell:

exec bash

Configuration

Changing Themes

Oh My Bash comes with multiple themes located in ~/.oh-my-bash/themes/.

ls ~/.oh-my-bash/themes/

To change the theme, edit the ~/.bashrc file:

vi ~/.bashrc

Locate the line:

OSH_THEME="font"

Replace font, e.g., agnoster, powerline, etc. Save and apply changes:

source ~/.bashrc

Some commonly used themes:

  • agnoster: Minimalist, this is the theme I use
  • powerline: Inspired by Powerline, requires Powerline fonts
  • simple: Lightweight, no distractions
  • dst: Shows useful Git information

To preview themes, check Oh My Bash Theme Gallery.

Powerline Fonts Installation (Optional)

For powerline or agnoster, need to install Powerline fonts:

git clone https://github.com/powerline/fonts.git --depth=1
cd fonts
./install.sh
cd .. && rm -rf fonts

Update terminal settings to use a Powerline-compatible font.

Enabling Plugins

To enable plugins, edit ~/.bashrc:

vi ~/.bashrc

Find the OSH_PLUGINS line and modify it:

OSH_PLUGINS=(git python alias-finder extract)

Apply the changes:

source ~/.bashrc
  • git: Adds useful Git aliases
  • python: Simplifies Python virtual environment handling
  • alias-finder: Helps locate available aliases
  • extract: Extracts compressed files using x command

List all available plugins:

ls ~/.oh-my-bash/plugins/

Customizing Aliases & Functions

Adding Aliases

Define custom aliases in ~/.bashrc:

alias ll='ls -alF'
alias gs='git status'

Apply changes:

source ~/.bashrc

Custom Functions

Define functions for repetitive tasks:

function mkcd() {
    mkdir -p "$1" && cd "$1"
}

Updating & Uninstalling Oh My Bash

Updating Oh My Bash

To update to the latest version:

git -C ~/.oh-my-bash pull

Uninstalling Oh My Bash

To remove Oh My Bash:

bash ~/.oh-my-bash/tools/uninstall.sh

Restore the sad default Bash settings:

source ~/.bashrc

Troubleshooting

Issue: Theme Not Changing

Try restarting the shell:

exec bash

Ensure the theme name is correct and exists in ~/.oh-my-bash/themes/.

Issue: Plugin Not Working

Make sure the plugin is correctly added in OSH_PLUGINS and that sourced .bashrc:

source ~/.bashrc

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