Terminal customisations (prompt, avoiding ./ and aliasing cd ..)

[thomasd]

Setting $PS1 in LL 4.4 does not change the command prompt, I cannot change the bash prompt in any terminal.  I've tracked it through all the normal config files and changed everything I thought might have an effect, to no avail.

One suspicious thing, the definition for PS1 when you echo it is fully expanded:

Code:

 thomasd  ~  echo $PS1
\[\] thomasd \[\] \[\]~ \[\] \[\]
 thomasd  ~  

so it looks like some service somewhere is setting PS1 in the background.

Help!