2

I get the following error message whenever I open my terminal:

bash: /home/ajith/.bashrc: line 168: syntax error near unexpected token `-r'
bash: /home/ajith/.bashrc: line 168: `esac[ -r /home/ajith/.byobu/prompt ] && . /home/ajith/.byobu/prompt   #byobu-prompt#'

How to solve this?

Update: Here's my .bashrc file :

# ~/.bashrc: executed by bash(1) for non-login shells.
# see /usr/share/doc/bash/examples/startup-files (in the package bash-doc)
# for examples
# We use preexec and precmd hook functions for Bash
# If you have anything that's using the Debug Trap or PROMPT_COMMAND 
# change it to use preexec or precmd
# See also https://github.com/rcaloras/bash-preexec

# If not running interactively, don't do anything
case $- in
    *i*) ;;
      *) return;;
esac

# don't put duplicate lines or lines starting with space in the history.
# See bash(1) for more options
HISTCONTROL=ignoreboth

# append to the history file, don't overwrite it
shopt -s histappend

# for setting history length see HISTSIZE and HISTFILESIZE in bash(1)
HISTSIZE=1000
HISTFILESIZE=2000

# check the window size after each command and, if necessary,
# update the values of LINES and COLUMNS.
shopt -s checkwinsize

# If set, the pattern "**" used in a pathname expansion context will
# match all files and zero or more directories and subdirectories.
#shopt -s globstar

# make less more friendly for non-text input files, see lesspipe(1)
[ -x /usr/bin/lesspipe ] && eval "$(SHELL=/bin/sh lesspipe)"

# set variable identifying the chroot you work in (used in the prompt below)
if [ -z "${debian_chroot:-}" ] && [ -r /etc/debian_chroot ]; then
    debian_chroot=$(cat /etc/debian_chroot)
fi

# set a fancy prompt (non-color, unless we know we "want" color)
case "$TERM" in
    xterm-color) color_prompt=yes;;
esac

# uncomment for a colored prompt, if the terminal has the capability; turned
# off by default to not distract the user: the focus in a terminal window
# should be on the output of commands, not on the prompt
#force_color_prompt=yes

if [ -n "$force_color_prompt" ]; then
    if [ -x /usr/bin/tput ] && tput setaf 1 >&/dev/null; then
    # We have color support; assume it's compliant with Ecma-48
    # (ISO/IEC-6429). (Lack of such support is extremely rare, and such
    # a case would tend to support setf rather than setaf.)
    color_prompt=yes
    else
    color_prompt=
    fi
fi

if [ "$color_prompt" = yes ]; then
    PS1='${debian_chroot:+($debian_chroot)}\[\033[01;32m\]\u@\h\[\033[00m\]:\[\033[01;34m\]\w\[\033[00m\]\$ '
else
    PS1='${debian_chroot:+($debian_chroot)}\u@\h:\w\$ '
fi
unset color_prompt force_color_prompt

# enable color support of ls and also add handy aliases
if [ -x /usr/bin/dircolors ]; then
    test -r ~/.dircolors && eval "$(dircolors -b ~/.dircolors)" || eval "$(dircolors -b)"
    alias ls='ls --color=auto'
    #alias dir='dir --color=auto'
    #alias vdir='vdir --color=auto'

    alias grep='grep --color=auto'
    alias fgrep='fgrep --color=auto'
    alias egrep='egrep --color=auto'
fi

# some more ls aliases
alias ll='ls -alF'
alias la='ls -A'
alias l='ls -CF'

# Add an "alert" alias for long running commands.  Use like so:
#   sleep 10; alert
alias alert='notify-send --urgency=low -i "$([ $? = 0 ] && echo terminal || echo error)" "$(history|tail -n1|sed -e '\''s/^\s*[0-9]\+\s*//;s/[;&|]\s*alert$//'\'')"'

# Alias definitions.
# You may want to put all your additions into a separate file like
# ~/.bash_aliases, instead of adding them here directly.
# See /usr/share/doc/bash-doc/examples in the bash-doc package.

if [ -f ~/.bash_aliases ]; then
    . ~/.bash_aliases
fi

# enable programmable completion features (you don't need to enable
# this, if it's already enabled in /etc/bash.bashrc and /etc/profile
# sources /etc/bash.bashrc).
if ! shopt -oq posix; then
  if [ -f /usr/share/bash-completion/bash_completion ]; then
    . /usr/share/bash-completion/bash_completion
  elif [ -f /etc/bash_completion ]; then
    . /etc/bash_completion
  fi
fi

# If this is an xterm set more declarative titles 
# "dir: last_cmd" and "actual_cmd" during execution
# If you want to exclude a cmd from being printed see line 156
case "$TERM" in
xterm*|rxvt*)
    PS1="\[\e]0;${debian_chroot:+($debian_chroot)}\$(print_title)\a\]$PS1"
    __el_LAST_EXECUTED_COMMAND=""
    print_title () 
    {
        __el_FIRSTPART=""
        __el_SECONDPART=""
        if [ "$PWD" == "$HOME" ]; then
            __el_FIRSTPART=$(gettext --domain="pantheon-files" "Home")
        else
            if [ "$PWD" == "/" ]; then
                __el_FIRSTPART="/"
            else
                __el_FIRSTPART="${PWD##*/}"
            fi
        fi
        if [[ "$__el_LAST_EXECUTED_COMMAND" == "" ]]; then
            echo "$__el_FIRSTPART"
            return
        fi
        #trim the command to the first segment and strip sudo
        if [[ "$__el_LAST_EXECUTED_COMMAND" == sudo* ]]; then
            __el_SECONDPART="${__el_LAST_EXECUTED_COMMAND:5}"
            __el_SECONDPART="${__el_SECONDPART%% *}"
        else
            __el_SECONDPART="${__el_LAST_EXECUTED_COMMAND%% *}"
        fi 
        printf "%s: %s" "$__el_FIRSTPART" "$__el_SECONDPART"
    }
    put_title()
    {
        __el_LAST_EXECUTED_COMMAND="${BASH_COMMAND}"
        printf "\033]0;%s\007" "$1"
    }

    # Show the currently running command in the terminal title:
    # http://www.davidpashley.com/articles/xterm-titles-with-bash.html
    update_tab_command()
    {
        # catch blacklisted commands and nested escapes
        case "$BASH_COMMAND" in 
            *\033]0*|update_*|echo*|printf*|clear*|cd*)
            __el_LAST_EXECUTED_COMMAND=""
                ;;
            *)
            put_title "${BASH_COMMAND}"
            ;;
        esac
    }
    preexec_functions+=(update_tab_command)
    ;;
*)
    ;;
esac[ -r /home/ajith/.byobu/prompt ] && . /home/ajith/.byobu/prompt   #byobu-prompt#

Line having the error :esac[ -r /home/ajith/.byobu/prompt ] && . /home/ajith/.byobu/prompt #byobu-prompt#

2
  • We can't help without having a look at the offending line of your .bashrc file.
    – ounos
    Commented Jun 11, 2016 at 18:09
  • I have added the content of .bashrc.
    – Ajith
    Commented Jun 12, 2016 at 6:15

2 Answers 2

4

You need a newline after esac.

    esac
    [ -r /home/ajith/.byobu/prompt ] && . /home/ajith/.byobu/prompt    #byobu-prompt#  

Even though it looks like a special symbol, '[' is actually a command. Typically, it is the short form of the 'test' command (/usr/bin/test or similar). By combining esac and [ you've created a pattern that is not recognized.

1
  • Thank you for the solution and explanation. This solved the problem.
    – Ajith
    Commented Jun 16, 2016 at 4:27
1

yup to the answer above ... could also put a semicolon right after the esac. My guess is that this was copied from someone/place and the semicolon got truncated during the copy/paste.

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