show the exit status of a failed command in the prompt

- user@host:dir [N] $ after a command failed with exit status N,
  the plain prompt again after a successful command
- the status is colored bold red by default, configurable with the new
  GOSH_COLORS key error

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

README.md

@@ -34,10 +34,13 @@ Features:
   - Wildcards: * ? [abc] [a-z] [!abc] match file names (not hidden files
     unless the pattern starts with a dot); quoted wildcards and values of
     variables are not expanded, a pattern without match is kept as is
-  - Colored prompt (user@host green, red for root; directory blue),
-    configurable with $GOSH_COLORS, e.g. GOSH_COLORS='user=1;33:path=36'
-    (keys user, root, path; values are ANSI SGR codes, empty = no color);
-    disabled with $NO_COLOR, TERM=dumb or when output is not a terminal
+  - Prompt user@host:dir $, with [N] before the $ if the last command
+    failed with exit status N
+  - Colored prompt (user@host green, red for root; directory blue; exit
+    status red), configurable with $GOSH_COLORS, e.g.
+    GOSH_COLORS='user=1;33:path=36' (keys user, root, path, error; values
+    are ANSI SGR codes, empty = no color); disabled with $NO_COLOR,
+    TERM=dumb or when output is not a terminal
   - Environment variable expansion ($VAR, ${VAR}, ${VAR:-default});
     using an unset variable is an error, use ${VAR:-} for an empty default
   - Command lists: a ; b (run both), a && b (b only if a succeeded),
@@ -289,6 +292,22 @@ $ bg %2                       # oder: angehaltenen Job im Hintergrund weiterlauf
 - Wird ein angehaltener Job von außen fortgesetzt (`kill -CONT`), zeigt `jobs` ihn weiter als `Stopped`, bis er endet oder erneut angehalten wird; `fg` und `bg` funktionieren trotzdem.
 - Einen Job beenden lässt sich mit `kill` über die Prozess-ID (z. B. `kill 12345`); `kill %1` versteht gosh noch nicht.
 
+### Prompt
+
+Der Prompt zeigt Benutzer, Rechner und Verzeichnis. Ist der letzte Befehl fehlgeschlagen, steht sein Exit-Status in eckigen Klammern davor, bis wieder ein Befehl erfolgreich war:
+
+```
+flow@host:~/src $ false
+flow@host:~/src [1] $ gibtsnicht
+gosh: gibtsnicht: command not found
+flow@host:~/src [127] $ sleep 100     # mit Ctrl+C abgebrochen
+^C
+flow@host:~/src [130] $ true
+flow@host:~/src $
+```
+
+Typische Werte: `1` allgemeiner Fehler, `2` Syntaxfehler, `126` nicht ausführbar, `127` Befehl nicht gefunden, `128+n` durch Signal `n` beendet (`130` = Ctrl+C, `148` = mit Ctrl+Z angehalten unter Linux). Eine leere Eingabe ändert den Status nicht.
+
 ### Farben
 
 Der Prompt wird über die Umgebungsvariable `GOSH_COLORS` eingefärbt. Sie besteht aus durch `:` getrennten Einträgen `schlüssel=code`:
@@ -298,6 +317,7 @@ Der Prompt wird über die Umgebungsvariable `GOSH_COLORS` eingefärbt. Sie beste
 | `user`    | `user@host`                    | `1;32` (fett grün)  |
 | `root`    | `user@host`, wenn man root ist | `1;31` (fett rot)   |
 | `path`    | aktuelles Verzeichnis          | `1;34` (fett blau)  |
+| `error`   | Exit-Status `[N]` nach einem Fehler | `1;31` (fett rot) |
 
 Die Werte sind [ANSI-SGR-Codes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ANSI_escape_code#SGR_(Select_Graphic_Rendition)_parameters), mehrere werden mit `;` kombiniert:
 
@@ -335,6 +355,9 @@ GOSH_COLORS='user=1;38;2;136;192;208:path=38;2;216;222;233'
 # Ozean: türkis und kursiv blau
 GOSH_COLORS='user=1;96:path=3;94'
 
+# Fehler-Status gelb auf rotem Hintergrund
+GOSH_COLORS='error=1;33;41'
+
 # Root-Warnung: weiß auf rotem Hintergrund
 GOSH_COLORS='root=1;97;41'
 

main.go

@@ -612,21 +612,23 @@ func getPrompt() string {
 		c := parseColors(os.Getenv("GOSH_COLORS"))
 		colors = &c
 	}
-	return buildPrompt(username, hostname, wd, os.Geteuid() == 0, colors)
+	return buildPrompt(username, hostname, wd, os.Geteuid() == 0, lastStatus, colors)
 }
 
 // promptColors holds the SGR parameters (e.g. "1;32") for the parts of the
 // prompt. An empty value means no color for that part.
 type promptColors struct {
-	user string // user@host
-	root string // user@host when running as root
-	path string // working directory
+	user  string // user@host
+	root  string // user@host when running as root
+	path  string // working directory
+	error string // exit status of the last command, if it failed
 }
 
-// defaultColors: bold green user, bold red root, bold blue directory
-var defaultColors = promptColors{user: "1;32", root: "1;31", path: "1;34"}
+// defaultColors: bold green user, bold red root, bold blue directory, bold
+// red exit status
+var defaultColors = promptColors{user: "1;32", root: "1;31", path: "1;34", error: "1;31"}
 
-// parseColors reads a GOSH_COLORS value like "user=1;33:root=1;31:path=36"
+// parseColors reads a GOSH_COLORS value like "user=1;33:path=36:error=31"
 // and overrides the corresponding defaults. Unknown keys and values that are
 // not plain SGR parameters (digits and ';') are ignored, so the variable
 // cannot be used to write arbitrary escape sequences to the terminal.
@@ -644,6 +646,8 @@ func parseColors(spec string) promptColors {
 			colors.root = value
 		case "path":
 			colors.path = value
+		case "error":
+			colors.error = value
 		}
 	}
 	return colors
@@ -669,20 +673,28 @@ func colorize(text, sgr string) string {
 	return "\x1b[" + sgr + "m" + text + "\x1b[0m"
 }
 
-// buildPrompt formats the prompt as user@host:path $. The parts are sanitized
+// buildPrompt formats the prompt as user@host:path $, or user@host:path [N] $
+// if the last command failed with exit status N. The parts are sanitized
 // before the color codes are added, so only our own escape sequences end up
 // in the prompt. colors == nil disables colors.
-func buildPrompt(username, hostname, path string, root bool, colors *promptColors) string {
+func buildPrompt(username, hostname, path string, root bool, status int, colors *promptColors) string {
 	userHost := sanitize(username + "@" + hostname)
 	path = sanitize(path)
+	var failed string
+	if status != 0 {
+		failed = " [" + strconv.Itoa(status) + "]"
+	}
 	if colors == nil {
-		return userHost + ":" + path + " $ "
+		return userHost + ":" + path + failed + " $ "
 	}
 	userColor := colors.user
 	if root {
 		userColor = colors.root
 	}
-	return colorize(userHost, userColor) + ":" + colorize(path, colors.path) + " $ "
+	if failed != "" {
+		failed = " " + colorize(failed[1:], colors.error)
+	}
+	return colorize(userHost, userColor) + ":" + colorize(path, colors.path) + failed + " $ "
 }
 
 // useColor reports whether the prompt should be colored: stdout must be a
@@ -1793,10 +1805,13 @@ Features:
   - Wildcards: * ? [abc] [a-z] [!abc] match file names (not hidden files
     unless the pattern starts with a dot); quoted wildcards and values of
     variables are not expanded, a pattern without match is kept as is
-  - Colored prompt (user@host green, red for root; directory blue),
-    configurable with $GOSH_COLORS, e.g. GOSH_COLORS='user=1;33:path=36'
-    (keys user, root, path; values are ANSI SGR codes, empty = no color);
-    disabled with $NO_COLOR, TERM=dumb or when output is not a terminal
+  - Prompt user@host:dir $, with [N] before the $ if the last command
+    failed with exit status N
+  - Colored prompt (user@host green, red for root; directory blue; exit
+    status red), configurable with $GOSH_COLORS, e.g.
+    GOSH_COLORS='user=1;33:path=36' (keys user, root, path, error; values
+    are ANSI SGR codes, empty = no color); disabled with $NO_COLOR,
+    TERM=dumb or when output is not a terminal
   - Environment variable expansion ($VAR, ${VAR}, ${VAR:-default});
     using an unset variable is an error, use ${VAR:-} for an empty default
   - Command lists: a ; b (run both), a && b (b only if a succeeded),

main_test.go

@@ -1054,24 +1054,24 @@ func TestGetPrompt_EscapesControlCharacters(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestBuildPrompt_Color(t *testing.T) {
-	got := buildPrompt("flow", "host", "~/src", false, &defaultColors)
+	got := buildPrompt("flow", "host", "~/src", false, 0, &defaultColors)
 	want := "\x1b[1;32mflow@host\x1b[0m:\x1b[1;34m~/src\x1b[0m $ "
 	if got != want {
 		t.Errorf("buildPrompt() = %q, want %q", got, want)
 	}
 
-	got = buildPrompt("root", "host", "/", true, &defaultColors)
+	got = buildPrompt("root", "host", "/", true, 0, &defaultColors)
 	if !strings.HasPrefix(got, "\x1b[1;31mroot@host") {
 		t.Errorf("expected red user for root, got %q", got)
 	}
 
-	got = buildPrompt("flow", "host", "~/src", false, nil)
+	got = buildPrompt("flow", "host", "~/src", false, 0, nil)
 	if got != "flow@host:~/src $ " {
 		t.Errorf("buildPrompt() without color = %q", got)
 	}
 
 	colors := promptColors{user: "38;5;208", path: ""}
-	got = buildPrompt("flow", "host", "~/src", false, &colors)
+	got = buildPrompt("flow", "host", "~/src", false, 0, &colors)
 	if got != "\x1b[38;5;208mflow@host\x1b[0m:~/src $ " {
 		t.Errorf("buildPrompt() with custom colors = %q", got)
 	}
@@ -1083,13 +1083,14 @@ func TestParseColors(t *testing.T) {
 		want promptColors
 	}{
 		{"", defaultColors},
-		{"user=1;33", promptColors{user: "1;33", root: "1;31", path: "1;34"}},
-		{"user=33:root=41;97:path=38;5;208", promptColors{user: "33", root: "41;97", path: "38;5;208"}},
-		{"path=", promptColors{user: "1;32", root: "1;31", path: ""}},
+		{"user=1;33", promptColors{user: "1;33", root: "1;31", path: "1;34", error: "1;31"}},
+		{"user=33:root=41;97:path=38;5;208", promptColors{user: "33", root: "41;97", path: "38;5;208", error: "1;31"}},
+		{"error=33", promptColors{user: "1;32", root: "1;31", path: "1;34", error: "33"}},
+		{"path=", promptColors{user: "1;32", root: "1;31", path: "", error: "1;31"}},
 		{"path=0m\x1b[2J", defaultColors}, // escape sequences are rejected
 		{"path=red", defaultColors},       // only numeric codes
 		{"foo=1:user", defaultColors},     // unknown key, missing value
-		{"user=35::path=36", promptColors{user: "35", root: "1;31", path: "36"}},
+		{"user=35::path=36", promptColors{user: "35", root: "1;31", path: "36", error: "1;31"}},
 	}
 	for _, tc := range tests {
 		if got := parseColors(tc.spec); got != tc.want {
@@ -1098,8 +1099,27 @@ func TestParseColors(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestBuildPrompt_Status(t *testing.T) {
+	if got := buildPrompt("flow", "host", "~", false, 0, nil); got != "flow@host:~ $ " {
+		t.Errorf("status 0: %q", got)
+	}
+	if got := buildPrompt("flow", "host", "~", false, 127, nil); got != "flow@host:~ [127] $ " {
+		t.Errorf("status 127 without color: %q", got)
+	}
+	got := buildPrompt("flow", "host", "~", false, 1, &defaultColors)
+	want := "\x1b[1;32mflow@host\x1b[0m:\x1b[1;34m~\x1b[0m \x1b[1;31m[1]\x1b[0m $ "
+	if got != want {
+		t.Errorf("status 1 with color = %q, want %q", got, want)
+	}
+	colors := defaultColors
+	colors.error = ""
+	if got := buildPrompt("flow", "host", "~", false, 2, &colors); !strings.HasSuffix(got, " [2] $ ") {
+		t.Errorf("status without error color = %q", got)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestBuildPrompt_ColorEscapesControlCharacters(t *testing.T) {
-	got := buildPrompt("flow", "host", "evil\x1b[2J\x07", false, &defaultColors)
+	got := buildPrompt("flow", "host", "evil\x1b[2J\x07", false, 0, &defaultColors)
 	if strings.Contains(got, "\x1b[2J") || strings.Contains(got, "\x07") {
 		t.Errorf("prompt contains control characters from path: %q", got)
 	}