diff --git a/.bash_aliases b/.bash_aliases
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6e23030
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.bash_aliases
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+alias grep='grep --color'
+alias l='ls -lhatr'
+alias ls='ls --color=auto'
+
+# Git stuff
+alias gdp='git diff --color HEAD^ HEAD'
+alias gl='git log --pretty=format:"%Cgreen%h %Creset %s %Cgreenby %an (%ar) %Cred %d" --graph'
+alias gdc='git diff --color'
+
+# export standard terminal for remote connections
+#alias ssh='export TERM=xterm && ssh'
+
+alias cal='ncal -b -M'
+
+alias hexdump='hexdump -c'
+
+alias pwgen='pwgen -B -s'
+
+# open multiple files in tabs
+alias vim='vim -p'
diff --git a/.bashrc_append_this b/.bashrc_append_this
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a0a82a7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.bashrc_append_this
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+#######################################
+# APPEND this to your .bashrc
+#######################################
+
+# Source local .bashrc customization from this file
+if [ -f ~/.bashrc_local ]; then
+    . ~/.bashrc_local
+fi
+
+# Source local aliases from this file
+if [ -f ~/.bash_aliases ]; then
+    . ~/.bash_aliases
+fi
diff --git a/.bashrc_local b/.bashrc_local
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..835c9c7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.bashrc_local
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+# remember more commands
+HISTSIZE=20000
+
+# add timestamps to history entries
+HISTTIMEFORMAT="%d.%m.%Y %H:%M %Z # "
+
+# 256-color terminal if available
+export TERM=xterm-256color