--- usr/src/cmd/nsadmin/ksh.kshrc	Thu Dec 16 02:30:32 2010
+++ /etc/ksh.kshrc	Mon Nov 25 19:27:36 2013
@@ -28,18 +28,28 @@
 # This file is sourced by interactive ksh93 shells before ${HOME}/.kshrc
 #
 
-# Enable "gmacs"+"multiline" editor mode if the user did not set an
+# Enable "gmacs" editor mode if the user did not set an
 # input mode yet (for example via ${EDITOR}, ${VISUAL} or any
 # "set -o" flag)
 if [[ "$(set +o)" != ~(Er)--(gmacs|emacs|vi)( .*|) ]] ; then
 	set -o gmacs
-	# enable multiline input mode
-	set -o multiline
-	# enable globstar mode (match subdirs with **/)
-	set -o globstar
 fi
+# max. number of path components shown on the default prompt
+if [[ -z ${.sh.path_comps} ]]; then
+	integer .sh.path_comps=3
+else
+	# is a [reasonable] number?
+	integer x=${.sh.path_comps}
+	(( $x < 1 )) && integer .sh.path_comps=3
+	unset x
+fi
+	
+# enable multiline input mode
+set -o multiline
+# enable globstar mode (match subdirs with **/)
+set -o globstar
 
-# Set a default prompt (<username>@<hostname>:<path><"($|#) ">) if
+# Set a default prompt (<username>@<hostname> <path> <"($|#) ">) if
 # then variable does not exist in the environment.
 #
 # Algorithm:
@@ -67,17 +77,34 @@
 #   unless PS1 gets "unset" first.
 # - Make sure to use absolute paths (e.g. /usr/bin/hostname) to make
 #   sure PS1 works in cases where PATH does not contain /usr/bin/
-if [[ "$(set)" != ~(E)PS1= && "${PS1}" == '' ]] ; then
-	PS1='$(set +o xtrace +o errexit
-                printf "%*s\r%s" COLUMNS ""
-                printf "%s@%s:" "${LOGNAME}" "$(/usr/bin/hostname)"
-		ellip="${
-			[[ "${LC_ALL}/${LANG}" == ~(Elr)(.*UTF-8/.*|/.*UTF-8) ]] &&
-				printf "\u[2026]\n" || print "..." ; }"
-		p="${PWD/~(El)${HOME}/\~}"
-		(( ${#p} > 30 )) &&
-			print -r -n -- "${ellip}${p:${#p}-30:30}" ||
-			print -r -n -- "${p}"
-		[[ "${LOGNAME}" == "root" ]] && print -n "# " || print -n "\$ "
-		)'
+# jel:
+#	- always enable multiline and globstar
+#   - removed the match expression bullshit, since it has undesired 
+#	  side-effects on interactive shell (changes ${.sh.match} -> unusable)
+#   - print only last 3 components excl. a possible ~ of a path prefixed by
+#	  ${.sh.ellipses} if set (e.g. to '\u[2026]')
+# 	  One may modify it by writing e.g. ".sh.path_comps=3; .sh.ellipses='*'"
+#	  into its ~/.kshrc
+#	  NOTE: the a < b || a > b is needed instead of a != b to avoid pattern
+#	  matching and thus possible change of .sh.match
+if [[ "$(set)" != ~(E)PS1= && -z ${PS1} ]] ; then
+	PS1=${ printf "\033[1m${LOGNAME}@${ /usr/bin/hostname ; } " ; }'$(
+		set +o xtrace +o errexit
+		p="${PWD}"
+		p1="${p:0:${#HOME}}"
+		integer n=${.sh.path_comps}
+		[[ ${p1} < ${HOME} || ${p1} > ${HOME} ]] && : || p="~${p:${#HOME}}"
+		IFS="/" c=( ${p} )
+		l=${#c[@]}
+		[[ ${p:0:1} == "~" ]] && (( l-1 == n )) && (( n++ ))
+		if (( l > n )); then
+			[[ -n ${.sh.ellipses} ]] && p="${.sh.ellipses}/" || p=""
+			for (( i=l-n ; i < l ; i++ )) ; do
+				p+="${c[$i]}/"
+			done
+			p=${p:0:${#p}-1}
+		fi
+		[[ "${LOGNAME}" == "root" ]] && p+=" # " || p+=" \$ "
+		printf "${p}\033[0m"
+	)'
 fi