Bash completion doesn't work, or is ignoring what I've typed; but works for commands
- by Neil Traft
Bash completion seems to be ignoring what I've typed (it tries to complete, but acts as if there's nothing under the cursor). I know I saw it work on this machine earlier today, but I'm not sure what has changed. Some examples:
cd shows all directories under my current folder:
$ cd co<tab><tab>
cmake/ config/ doc/ examples/ include/ programs/ sandbox/ src/ .svn/ tests/
Commands like ls and less show all files and directories under my current folder:
$ ls co<tab><tab>
cmake/ config/ .cproject Doxyfile.in include/ programs/ README.txt src/ tests/
CMakeLists.txt COPYING.txt doc/ examples/ mainpage.dox .project sandbox/ .svn/
Even when I try to complete things from a different folder, it gives me only the results for my current folder (telling me that it is completely ignoring what I've typed):
$ cd ~/D<tab><tab>
cmake/ config/ doc/ examples/ include/ programs/ sandbox/ src/ .svn/ tests/
But it seems to be working fine for commands and variables:
$ if<tab><tab>
if ifconfig ifdown ifnames ifquery ifup
$ echo $P<tab><tab>
$PATH $PIPESTATUS $PPID $PS1 $PS2 $PS4 $PWD $PYTHONPATH
I do have this bit in my .bashrc, and I have confirmed that my .bashrc is indeed getting sourced:
if [ -f /etc/bash_completion ] && ! shopt -oq posix; then
. /etc/bash_completion
fi
I've even tried manually executing that file, but it doesn't fix the problem:
$ . /etc/bash_completion
There was even one point in time where it was working for ls, but was not working for cd ... but I can't replicate that result now.
Update: I also just discovered that I have terminals open from earlier that still work. I ran source .bashrc in one of them and afterwards completion was broken. Here is my .bashrc:
# ~/.bashrc: executed by bash(1) for non-login shells.
# see /usr/share/doc/bash/examples/startup-files (in the package bash-doc)
# for examples
#
# Modified by Neil Traft
#source ~/.profile
# Allow globs to expand hidden files
shopt -s dotglob nullglob
# If not running interactively, don't do anything
[ -z "$PS1" ] && return
# don't put duplicate lines or lines starting with space in the history.
# See bash(1) for more options
HISTCONTROL=ignoreboth
# append to the history file, don't overwrite it
shopt -s histappend
# for setting history length see HISTSIZE and HISTFILESIZE in bash(1)
HISTSIZE=1000
HISTFILESIZE=2000
# check the window size after each command and, if necessary,
# update the values of LINES and COLUMNS.
shopt -s checkwinsize
# If set, the pattern "**" used in a pathname expansion context will
# match all files and zero or more directories and subdirectories.
#shopt -s globstar
# make less more friendly for non-text input files, see lesspipe(1)
[ -x /usr/bin/lesspipe ] && eval "$(SHELL=/bin/sh lesspipe)"
# set variable identifying the chroot you work in (used in the prompt below)
if [ -z "$debian_chroot" ] && [ -r /etc/debian_chroot ]; then
debian_chroot=$(cat /etc/debian_chroot)
fi
# Color the prompt
export PS1="\[$(tput setaf 2)\]\u@\h:\[$(tput setaf 5)\]\W\[$(tput setaf 2)\] $\[$(tput sgr0)\] "
# enable color support of ls and also add handy aliases
if [ -x /usr/bin/dircolors ]; then
test -r ~/.dircolors && eval "$(dircolors -b ~/.dircolors)" || eval "$(dircolors -b)"
alias ls='ls --color=auto'
#alias dir='dir --color=auto'
#alias vdir='vdir --color=auto'
alias grep='grep --color=auto'
alias fgrep='fgrep --color=auto'
alias egrep='egrep --color=auto'
fi
# Add an "alert" alias for long running commands. Use like so:
# sleep 10; alert
alias alert='notify-send --urgency=low -i "$([ $? = 0 ] && echo terminal || echo error)" "$(history|tail -n1|sed -e '\''s/^\s*[0-9]\+\s*//;s/[;&|]\s*alert$//'\'')"'
# Alias definitions.
# You may want to put all your additions into a separate file like
# ~/.bash_aliases, instead of adding them here directly.
# See /usr/share/doc/bash-doc/examples in the bash-doc package.
if [ -f ~/.bash_aliases ]; then
. ~/.bash_aliases
fi
# enable programmable completion features (you don't need to enable
# this, if it's already enabled in /etc/bash.bashrc and /etc/profile
# sources /etc/bash.bashrc).
if [ -f /etc/bash_completion ] && ! shopt -oq posix; then
. /etc/bash_completion
fi
