Getting a prompt to show directory path under RH 9.0 bash shell

[bfd <bfd pcisys net>]

Hello,

I want my prompt, both in the text console and X-windows shell console, 
to show the path to the current directory,  e.g.,

   [/usr/local/mozilla/icons]$

Under RH 7.3, I could get this by adding to my .bashrc file the lines

   PS1=[\\w]\\$
   export PS1

When adding these lines into .bashrc under RH 9.0, after typing 
"startx", I get a black screen with a black X indicating the mouse 
cursor. I believe that X is loading but KDE never loads.

If I remove the above two lines from my .bashrc file, then KDE loads but 
my PS1 prompt is

   [\u \h \W]\$

which give me a display of

   [bfd morgaine bfd]$

If I open a shell console under KDE after it loads and then issue

   PS1=[\\w]\\$

I get what I want.

But I can't get it to load initially and it seems to be preventing KDE 
from loading. This makes no sense to me, but it is happening. Ain't 
computers grand? <g>

So, two questions:

   1. What is going on when I try to use PS1=[\\w]\\$ that X but not 
KDE loads

and

   2. how can I get the prompt that I want into my .bashrc file so that 
it will always be there regardless of what I am running

BFD