---
name: "pscol"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "pscol"
version: "2.2-4"
release: "Debian 2.0 (Hamm)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/pscol"
---

# pscol(1)

set up ps and top colorization

## NAME

pscol - set up ps and top colorization

## SYNOPSIS

**eval \`pscol \[*file*\] \[*-s*\<*p*\|*t*\>\] \[*-C*\] \[*-f file*\] \[*-V*\]\`**

***var*=\`pscol -o\[*p*\|*t*\] \[*-f file*\] \[*-V*\]\`**

**pscol *-c*\[*u+cm*\[*p*\|*t*\]\] \[*-f file*\] \[*-V*\]**

**pscol \[*-h*\] \[*-v*\]**

## DESCRIPTION

*pscol* sets environment variables to control the colorization of [**ps**(1)](/ps/1.md) and [**top**(1)](/top/1.md).  *pscol* cannot directly set variables in you environement, so it outputs environement variable settings to *stdout*, and you must instruct your shell to use them.

## OPTIONS

- *file* If specified, must be the first parameter listed

  - *-c\[u+cm\[p\|t\]\]*

  takes the current **PS\_COLORS** and/or **TOP\_COLORS** and creates *$HOME/.pscolor*.  Use *-f* to override this file

  Creation features:

  - *c*

    turn off converting **ANSI** codes to readable format

  - *m*

    turn off converting the mark-up type to readable format

  - *u*

    turn off converting UID to user names

  - *+*

    turn off converting current UID to +

  Other:

  - *p*

    writes out only the **PS\_COLORS** variable

  - *t*

    writes out only the **TOP\_COLORS** variable

- *-f file*

  Use a different *file* instead of */etc/pscolors* or *$HOME/.pscolor*

- *-h*

  Displays a help screen and exits

- *-o\<p\|t\>*

  prints the PS or TOP color string to *stdout*.\
   this would be used to set a variable.\
   *p* returns the **PS** color string\
   *t* returns the **TOP** color string\
   Ie: ps=\`pscol -op\`

- *-s\[p\|t\]*

  used to set the PS or TOP color variable.\
   *p* set **PS\_COLORS** only\
   *t* set **TOP\_COLORS** only

- *-v*

  Prints the version info and exits

- *-C*

  use CSH style setenv instead of using bourne style export

- *-V*

  Verbose mode.  Reports what goes on to *stderr*.

## FILES

- */etc/pscolor*

  System wide colorization file.  See [**pscolor**(5)](/pscolor/5.md) for more information

- *$HOME/.pscolor*

  Per user colorization file.  See [**pscolor**(5)](/pscolor/5.md) for more information

## ENVIRONMENT

- **PS\_COLORS**

  [**ps**(1)](/ps/1.md) color string

- **TOP\_COLORS**

  [**top**(1)](/top/1.md) color string

- **HOME**

  user's home directory where the per user colorization file is stored

## DISTRIBUTION

Redistribution is subject to the GNU public license.

## BUGS

See *KNOWNBUGS* for more information

## AUTHOR

William Thompson, \<wakko@ani.ml.org\> or \<wakko@kite.ml.org\>.

## SEE ALSO

[**ps**(1)](/ps/1.md), [**ps\_color**(7)](/ps_color/7.md), [**pscolor**(5)](/pscolor/5.md), [**top**(1)](/top/1.md)\