From SigmonSays

• variable substring

var=asdffoobarbazbadsf
echo "${var:12:3}"

alarms

   #!/bin/bash
   sleep 5 && kill -s 14 $$ &
   trap timeup 14

   timeup()
   {
   echo “Time up .. abort!”
   exit 1
   }

   for i in 1 2 3 4 5 6 7;
   do
   echo $i
   sleep 1
   done

PS1

function set_prompt {

local Black="\[\033[0;30m\]"
local DarkGrey="\[\033[1;30m\]"
local Blue="\[\033[0;34m\]"
local LightBlue="\[\033[1;34m\]"
local Green="\[\033[0;32m\]"
local LightGreen="\[\033[1;32m\]"
local Cyan="\[\033[0;36m\]"
local LightCyan="\[\033[1;36m\]"
local Red="\[\033[0;31m\]"
local LightRed="\[\033[1;31m\]"
local Purple="\[\033[0;35m\]"
local LightPurple="\[\033[1;35m\]"
local Brown="\[\033[0;33m\]"
local Yellow="\[\033[1;33m\]"
local LightGray="\[\033[0;37m\]"
local White="\[\033[1;37m\]"

local NO_COLOR="\[\033[0m\]"

case $TERM in
        xterm*|rxvt*)
                TITLEBAR='\[\033]0;\u@$(hostname -f):\w\007\]'
                ;;
        *)
                TITLEBAR=""
                ;;
esac

PS1="$TITLEBAR$LightCyan\${debian_chroot:+(\$debian_chroot)}\!:\$?:\u@\$(hostname -f|cut -d. -f1-2):\W$Yellow\$ $NO_COLOR"
}

set_prompt

export PS1