My WSL terminal lost color

Question

For some reason when I start the Ubuntu terminal in Windows, it doesn't show colors until I type bash. What could be the reason and how do I fix it? When I installed WSL it always showed colors.

Solution 1

The reason could be a modified .bash_profile file. Try putting these lines to ~/.bash_profile

source ~/.bashrc

Or a better way is to run the below command from your terminal

echo "source ~/.bashrc" >> ~/.bash_profile

To know more about how do we set environment-variables and what role do files like .bashrc, .bash_profile play, you may want to read:

• .profile or .bash_profile
• How to create ~/.bash_profile and ~/.profile
• I cannot find .bash_profile in ubuntu

Solution 2

In your .bashrc, try uncommenting the following line in order to force color:

#force_color_prompt=yes

Solution 3

I ran into this forum hoping to find the solution to my problem. I eventually figured it out so here's how I fixed it:

1. Open up your terminal window by pressing Ctl + r, typing bash and pressing enter.
2. Make sure you're in your home directory by executing cd ~
3. Open up the bashrc file by executing nano .bashrc

4. Delete everything in that file and replace it with this:

   # ~/.bashrc: executed by bash(1) for non-login shells.
   # see /usr/share/doc/bash/examples/startup-files (in the package bash-doc)
   # for examples
   
   # 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|*-256color) 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
   
   # If this is an xterm set the title to user@host:dir
   case "$TERM" in
   xterm*|rxvt*)
       PS1="\[\e]0;${debian_chroot:+($debian_chroot)}\u@\h: \w\a\]$PS1"
       ;;
   *)
       ;;
   esac
   
   # 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
   
   # colored GCC warnings and errors
   #export GCC_COLORS='error=01;31:warning=01;35:note=01;36:caret=01;32:locus=01:quote=01'
   
   # 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
   

5. Save the file with Ctl + o

6. Reload the terminal. Try executing . .bashrc if it doesn't work. (notice the space between the two periods in that last command).

I don't know if the original poster will get this, but hopefully it will help a poor soul who stumbles upon it.