[TUHS] What's In a Prompt String?

[G. Branden Robinson via TUHS]

At 2026-04-28T19:07:12+0000, segaloco via TUHS wrote:
> I've found the ubiquity of PS2 '>' in graphical icons for terminal
> emulators odd.  That's not a super common prompt to see on UNIX
> compared with the others, I find it strange that is often the prompt
> character chosen for icons, implying users are often sitting at a PS2
> prompt?

Clearly legible in low-resolution forms of said graphical icons.  Just
my guess.

Remember that a lot of WIMP UI conventions were laid down at a time when
your display resolution was maybe 512x384 (Macintosh) or 640x480 (VGA),
and could have been monochrome.

Making intelligible 16x16, let alone 8x8 icons under those circumstances
was an art form.

Regards,
Branden
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