How to install and configure Powerline on Linux (Deepin Linux 15.7, Debian / Ubuntu) with git status?

powerline_linux_bash_git_config.md

(Dead) simple installation / configuration of Powerline (powerline-status)

#Linux #bash #git #Powerline

If you ever have to reinstall Powerline on another machine this are the easy steps to follow to give you a nice looking prompt with git status and branch name in your bash terminal. Steps where done on Deepin Linux 15.7 but should also work on Debian / Ubuntu.

TL;DR

pip install powerline-status

wget https://github.com/powerline/powerline/raw/develop/font/PowerlineSymbols.otf
wget https://github.com/powerline/powerline/raw/develop/font/10-powerline-symbols.conf

# NOTE: adjust fonts paths properly!
mv PowerlineSymbols.otf /usr/share/fonts/

fc-cache -vf /usr/share/fonts/

mv 10-powerline-symbols.conf ~/.config/fontconfig/conf.d/

# add this to your .bashrc
powerline-daemon -q
POWERLINE_BASH_CONTINUATION=1
POWERLINE_BASH_SELECT=1
. {powerline-installation-dir}/bindings/bash/powerline.sh
# NOTE: use `pip show powerline-status` to find your **{powerline-installation-dir}**

mkdir -p ~/.config/powerline
# NOTE: adjust your {powerline-installation-dir} properly!
cp /{powerline-installation-dir}/config_files/config.json ~/.config/powerline

# edit ~/.config/powerline/config.json to see git branch name in prompt
# --> "theme": "default_leftonly",

# edit /{powerline-installation-dir}/segments/common/vcs.py to color highlight git status (sudo?)
# --> def __call__(self, pl, segment_info, create_watcher, status_colors=True, ignore_statuses=()):
# optionally set "ignore_statuses=()" to "ignore_statuses=(["U"])" to ignore untracked files

powerline-daemon --replace

# close all terminal windows
# FINISH

NOTE: If you run into issues scroll down and check my latest comments - hope it helps ♥

DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS (10 STEPS)

How to install Powerline in 10 steps on Linux and configure it for bash terminal with git status.

1. pip install powerline-status

Fonts installation

Download fonts file and fontconfig file.

2. wget https://github.com/powerline/powerline/raw/develop/font/PowerlineSymbols.otf
   wget https://github.com/powerline/powerline/raw/develop/font/10-powerline-symbols.conf

Move the symbol font to a valid X fonts path. Valid fonts paths can be listed with xset q (--> Font Path: ...).

3. # NOTE: adjust fonts path properly!
   mv PowerlineSymbols.otf /usr/share/fonts/

Update fonts cache.

4. # NOTE: adjust fonts path properly!
   fc-cache -vf /usr/share/fonts/

Install fontconfig.

5. mv 10-powerline-symbols.conf ~/.config/fontconfig/conf.d/

Edit your .bashrc

Add this lines to your .bashrc

6. powerline-daemon -q
   POWERLINE_BASH_CONTINUATION=1
   POWERLINE_BASH_SELECT=1
   . {powerline-installation-dir}/bindings/bash/powerline.sh

NOTE: use pip show powerline-status to determine your {powerline-installation-dir} (e.g. Location: /usr/local/...)

Customization (show git status and branch name)

7. mkdir -p ~/.config/powerline

Copy config.json from {powerline-installation-dir}/config_files/ to ~/.config/powerline

8. # NOTE: adjust your {powerline-installation-dir} properly!
   cp /usr/lib/python3.6/site-packages/powerline/config_files/config.json ~/.config/powerline

To see git branch name and color highlighted git status in prompt you have to

• change shell/theme property from default to default_left_only in ~/.config/powerline/config.json (see 9.)
• copy default_leftonly.json to your user config directory (~/.config/powerline) and modify it (see 10.).

9. # edit ~/.config/powerline/config.json
   {
     ...
   	"ext": {
       ...
   		"shell": {
   			"colorscheme": "default",
   			"theme": "default_leftonly",
   			"local_themes": {
   				"continuation": "continuation",
   				"select": "select"
   			}
   		},
       ...
   	}
   }

10. # copy default_leftonly.json from powerline installation dir to user config dir
    cp {powerline-installation-dir}/config_files/themes/shell/default_leftonly.json ~/.config/powerline
    
    # modify default_leftonly.json in user config dir
    nano ~/.config/powerline/default_leftonly.json

    {
           "function": "powerline.segments.common.vcs.branch",
           "priority": 40,
           "args": {
                       "status_colors": true,
                       "ignore_statuses": ["U"]
                   }
    },

FINISH! APPLY CHANGES!

Your changes will not apply until you restart the daemon

powerline-daemon --replace

---

Need even more details? --> Official Documentation

Sorry this is definately not "Dead simple"

you say:

. {powerline-installation-dir}/bindings/bash/powerline.sh

...
# copy default_leftonly.json from powerline installation dir to user config dir
cp {powerline-installation-dir}/config_files/themes/shell/default_leftonly.json ~/.config/powerline

NOTE: use pip show powerline-status to determine your {powerline-installation-dir} (e.g. Location: /usr/local/...)

well:

pi@raspberrypi:~ $  pip show powerline-status
Name: powerline-status
Version: 2.8.1
Summary: The ultimate statusline/prompt utility.
Home-page: https://github.com/powerline/powerline
Author: Kim Silkebaekken
Author-email: [email protected]
License: MIT
Location: /usr/lib/python3/dist-packages
Requires:
Required-by:

and

ll /usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/powerline/bindings/
total 48
drwxr-xr-x  9 root  4096 May 19 08:02 ./
drwxr-xr-x 13 root  4096 May 19 08:02 ../
-rw-r--r--  1 root 10072 May 20  2020 config.py
-rw-r--r--  1 root     0 May 20  2020 __init__.py
drwxr-xr-x  3 root  4096 May 19 08:02 ipython/
drwxr-xr-x  3 root  4096 May 19 08:02 pdb/
drwxr-xr-x  2 root  4096 May 19 08:02 __pycache__/
drwxr-xr-x  3 root  4096 May 19 08:02 tmux/
drwxr-xr-x  3 root  4096 May 19 08:02 vim/
drwxr-xr-x  3 root  4096 May 19 08:02 wm/
drwxr-xr-x  3 root  4096 May 19 08:02 zsh/

now where is your {powerline-installation-dir}/bindings/bash/powerline.sh?
{powerline-installation-dir}/config_files/themes/shell/default_leftonly.json is not to be found!
also /{powerline-installation-dir}/config_files/config.json file is not existing!