[Bug 1276796] Re: bash fails to provide FQDN for PS1 with \H

[Rodney Beede]

Rebooted.  No change to hostname.  No DHCP.  Problem still exists.

Should see a prompt of:
[rbeede at okdev1381.example.org:/home/rbeede] $

but instead I only get:
[rbeede at okdev1381:/home/rbeede] $


[rbeede at okdev1383:/home/rbeede] $ echo $PS1
[\u@\H:/home/rbeede] $


[rbeede at okdev1383:/home/rbeede] $ cat /etc/os-release
NAME="Ubuntu"
VERSION="13.10, Saucy Salamander"


The bash man page states:

     \h
     The hostname, up to the first ‘.’.

     \H
     The hostname.


This would imply that the difference between \h and \H is
    \h is only the hostname 
    \H is the FQDN

The source code however shows:

	    case 'h':
	    case 'H':
	      temp = savestring (current_host_name);
	      if (c == 'h' && (t = (char *)strchr (temp, '.')))
		*t = '\0';
	      goto add_string;


This shows that  \h  is always the short form of the hostname while \H may be the FQDN.  In most cases, however, \H just resolves so the short form hostname and not the FQDN (aka domain name).


This is an ambiguity in the bash man page documentation.  The bash man page should be updated to say:

     \h
     The hostname, up to the first ‘.’.

     \H
     The hostname possibly with the parts after the '.' (domain name or FQDN but usually not)


** Changed in: bash (Ubuntu)
       Status: Invalid => Incomplete

-- 
You received this bug notification because you are a member of Ubuntu
Foundations Bugs, which is subscribed to bash in Ubuntu.
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1276796

Title:
  bash fails to provide FQDN for PS1 with \H

Status in “bash” package in Ubuntu:
  Incomplete

Bug description:
  When using "\H" in the PS1 prompt value bash is not displaying the
  FQDN but instead only the short form hostname.  This is the same as
  "\h".

  Issue has also been noted at 
  http://serverfault.com/questions/296970/bash-prompt-on-ubuntu-fqdn-h-same-as-hostname-h
  https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/bash/+question/200900

  This appears related to /etc/hostname only having the host and not the
  FQDN.

  Bash should obtain the \H value from somewhere other than /etc/hostname.
  --- 
  ApportVersion: 2.12.5-0ubuntu2.2
  Architecture: amd64
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 13.10
  InstallationDate: Installed on 2014-01-16 (20 days ago)
  InstallationMedia: Ubuntu-Server 13.10 "Saucy Salamander" - Release amd64 (20131016)
  MarkForUpload: True
  Package: bash 4.2-5ubuntu3
  PackageArchitecture: amd64
  ProcEnviron:
   TERM=xterm
   PATH=(custom, no user)
   XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
   LANG=en_US.UTF-8
   SHELL=/bin/bash
  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.11.0-15.23-generic 3.11.10
  Tags:  saucy
  Uname: Linux 3.11.0-15-generic x86_64
  UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
  UserGroups: adm cdrom dip lpadmin plugdev sambashare sudo

To manage notifications about this bug go to:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/bash/+bug/1276796/+subscriptions