tput

Set terminal-dependent capabilities, colour, position.

Syntax
 tput [-Ttype] capname [parms ... ]
 tput [-Ttype] init
 tput [-Ttype] reset
 tput [-Ttype] longname
 tput -S <<
 tput -V
Key
 -Ttype Indicates the type of terminal. Normally this option is unnecessary
 because the default is taken from the environment variable TERM.
 f -T is specified, then the shell variables LINES and COLUMNS will be
 ignored,and the Operating System will not be queried for the actual screen size.
 capname
 Indicates the capability from the terminfo database.
 When termcap support is compiled in, the termcap name for the capability
 is also accepted.
 Typical capabilities include:
 tput setab colour Set ANSI Background colour
 tput setaf colour Set ANSI Foreground colour
 tput blink Set blink mode
 tput bold Set bold mode
 tput dim Set half-bright mode
 tput smul Set underline mode
 tput rmul Exit underline mode
 tput rev Reverse mode
 tput smso Set standout mode
 tput rmso Exit standout mode
 tput sgr0 Reset all attributes
 tput cols Display the number of columns
 tput lines Display the number of lines
 parms If the capability is a string that takes parameters, the arguments
 parms will be instantiated into the string.
 -S Allow more than one capability per invocation of tput. The capabilities must
 be passed to tput from the standard input instead of from the command
 line (see example). Only one capname is allowed per line.
 -V Reports the version of ncurses which was used in this program, and exits.
 init If the terminfo database is present and an entry for the user’s
 terminal exists (see -Ttype, above), output the terminal’s initialization strings
 and turn tabs expansion on or off according to the specification in the entry
 reset Instead of putting out initialization strings, the terminal’s reset strings
 will be output if present (rs1, rs2, rs3, rf). If the reset strings are not
 present, but initialization strings are, the initialization strings will be
 output. Otherwise, reset acts identically to init.
 longname
 If the terminfo database is present and an entry for the user’s terminal exists
 (see -Ttype above), then the long name of the terminal will be put out.
 The long name is the last name in the first line of the terminal’s description in
 the terminfo database [see term(5)].
 If tput is invoked by a link named reset, this has the same effect as
 tput reset. See tset for comparison, which has similar behavior.

Colour Codes

Black = 0
Red = 1
Green = 2
Yellow = 3
Blue = 4
Magenta = 5
Cyan = 6
White = 7
Reset to default colour = 9

Colours set with tput can be used as part of a $PS Prompt Statement variable, if you do this, store the output of tput into a variable, which is then used when $PS1 is expanded. Storing the values means we don’t have to fork a tput process multiple times every time the prompt is displayed.

tput is part of the ncurses package and is supplied with most Linux distributions.

Examples

Echo the clear-screen sequence for the current terminal:

tput clear

Set the foreground colour to Red:

tput setaf 1

Print the number of columns for the current terminal:

tput cols

"You are capable of more than you know. Choose a goal that seems right for you and strive to be the best, however hard the path. Aim high" ~ Edward O. Wilson

Related Linux commands

$PS Prompt Statement variables