Tag: bash

parse_git_branch() stopped working after Xcode 6.0.1 update [FIX]

I got a little surprise after I updated Xcode and the Command Line Tools this morning: the bash prompts in my shell had stopped displaying the current git branch. Eeek!

For those of you who aren’t familiar with parse_git_branch(), it’s a small bash script that simply highlights the current git branch at the end of the bash prompt. It lives in your ~/.bash_profile or ~/.bashrc file.

When it’s working, it looks something like this:

$ (master) (where (master) is the current git branch)

Some people use tools like zsh or liquidprompt to accomplish the same effect, but I use this little bash function because I don’t need all that extra stuff.

I poked around the web for a while this morning and couldn’t find any solutions.

Turns out, it’s a simple fix:

  1. Open Xcode
  2. Click to Agree to the new terms
  3. Install the remaining components
  4. Reload your shell of choice

Hope that helps somebody.

If you’re interested in using parse_git_branch() yourself, you can simply put the following into your ~/.bash_profile or ~/.bashrc file:

function parse_git_branch() {
	git branch 2> /dev/null | sed -e '/^[^*]/d' -e 's/* \(.*\)/ (\1)/'
}

RED="\[\033[0;31m\]"
YELLOW="\[\033[0;33m\]"
GREEN="\[\033[0;32m\]"
NO_COLOUR="\[\033[0m\]"

PS1="$GREEN\u-MBA$NO_COLOUR:\w$YELLOW\$(parse_git_branch)$NO_COLOUR\$ "

There’s also a couple of non-sed versions floating around the web if that’s your preference. Adjust the colors as needed.