FYI, I use a custom entry within my .profile to display the path within brackets - truncating to just the final directory, if the path grows too long (see "MAXPWDLEN"):

# set prompt (add brackets to standard prompt)
## default: PS1="\h:\w \u\$ "
## previous: export PS1="[\h:\w] \u\\$ "
MAXPWDLEN=21
export PS1='[\h:\
$( MYPWD=${PWD/#$HOME/~} && [ ${#MYPWD} -gt $MAXPWDLEN ] && \
printf "%s" "…${MYPWD/${MYPWD%*/*}/}" || \
printf "%s" "${MYPWD}")] \
\u\$ '


This results in, for example:

[mymac:/Users/classic] classic$

…as well as responding to input as:
[mymac:/Users/classic] classic$ sudo -s
[mymac:/Users/classic] root# cd ~/Library/Application\ Support/
[mymac:…/Application Support] root# cd /System/Library/Frameworks/Message.framework/Versions/B/Resources/English.lproj/
[mymac:…/English.lproj] root# exit
[mymac:/Users/classic] classic$

(remember, ellipses are entered via "Option-semicolon"; if these don't work for you, just substitute 3 periods, or the like)

[ Reply to This | # ]

If you put that same command in your .bashrc file instead, you should be better off. Also, note that several folks simply source the one file from the other - I have a grand total of one line in my .profile:

source $HOME/.bashrc

…to handle just such a provision, and ensure the same environment is established upon first login, as well as when starting sub-shells.

[ Reply to This | # ]