[Bug 692554] Re: Autocomplete fails on some filenames

[Peter Cordes]

Hmm, well what's crossing it up is the embedded newline in the filename.

_filedir does
    local IFS=$'\n'
...
       x=$( compgen -f -X "$xspec" -- "$quoted" ) &&
        while read -r tmp; do
            toks+=( "$tmp" )
        done <<< "$x"
...

    if [[ ${#toks[@]} -ne 0 ]]; then
        # 2>/dev/null for direct invocation, e.g. in the _filedir unit test
        compopt -o filenames 2>/dev/null
        COMPREPLY+=( "${toks[@]}" )
    fi

and apparently it's the COMPREPLY+= line where the error pops up.  At
least, that's the last line that shows in the set -xv output, so maybe
the caller, is where it's getting used in a way that lets the shell get
at the backquote.

If you leave out the \n in the filename, it works fine.  If you leave
out the `, but keep the newline, you get weirdness.  (completes the
filename, but thinks it's ambiguous, and lists all files in the
directory.)  Probably because you get an empty element in your COMPREPLY
array.  No idea how the backquote comes into it.

 So I guess if you have embedded newlines in your filenames, best to
just use alt-/ to complete them.  Working with embedded newlines sucks,
in shell programming.

-- 
You received this bug notification because you are a member of Ubuntu
Foundations Bugs, which is subscribed to bash-completion in Ubuntu.
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/692554

Title:
  Autocomplete fails on some filenames

Status in bash-completion package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  Binary package hint: bash-completion

  After creating a directory or file with the standard escape sequences
  available in the Bash $'' string construct, filename autocompletion
  fails. For example:

  $ mkdir -- $'--$`\! *@ \a\b\e\E\f\r\t\v\\\"\' \n'
  $ rm -- \-\-
  [press TAB]
  $ rm -- \-\-bash: [: --$`\! *@
  : binary operator expected
  --\$\`\\\!\ \*@\ ^G^H^[^[^L^M\ ^K\\\"\'\  

  The good news is, if autocomplete can handle this filename, it should
  be able to handle _any_ *nix filename, that is, anything that doesn't
  contain a null character or a slash.

  ProblemType: Bug
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.04
  Package: bash-completion 1:1.1-3ubuntu2
  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.32-26.48-generic 2.6.32.24+drm33.11
  Uname: Linux 2.6.32-26-generic i686
  Architecture: i386
  Date: Mon Dec 20 14:05:33 2010
  InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 10.04 LTS "Lucid Lynx" - Release i386 (20100429)
  PackageArchitecture: all
  ProcEnviron:
   LC_PAPER=en_GB.UTF-8
   SHELL=/bin/bash
   LANG=en_US.utf8
  SourcePackage: bash-completion

To manage notifications about this bug go to:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/bash-completion/+bug/692554/+subscriptions