Update inputrc config and bash config

[Steven Harms]

Binary package hint: base-files

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Spec/EnhancedBash

Please update /etc/inputrc to include the following:

$if Bash
    # Search history back and forward using page-up and page-down
    "\e[5~": history-search-backward
    "\e[6~": history-search-forward

    # Completion
    set match-hidden-files off
    set page-completions off
    set completion-query-items 350
    set show-all-if-ambiguous on

$endif

Please update /etc/skel/.bashrc to include the following:
export HISTSIZE=1000
export HISTFILESIZE=1000
shopt -s histappend
PROMPT_COMMAND="history -a; \$PROMPT_COMMAND"

[Rich Johnson (nixternal)]

this is a great addition as it cuts down typing or creating bash scripts for all of my ssh connections

[Steven Harms (sharms)]

Line: PROMPT_COMMAND="history -a; $PROMPT_COMMAND"

should read:

PROMPT_COMMAND="history -a; \$PROMPT_COMMAND"

[Przemek K. (azrael)]

Any chance for getting it into hardy?

[nescius (martin-zboril-gmail)]

is there any reason why this is not already included?

[RichardNeill (ubuntu-richardneill)]

I agree, especially about show-all-if-ambiguous. It makes a huge improvement to the usability of tab-completion, and it dramatically reduces irrelevant beeping. If this setting is off, it causes frustration with the mis-use of the system bell, eg here: http://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=335949

Incidentally, Mandriva and Gentoo default to having show-all-if-ambiguous on, but Debian/Fedora/SuSE leave it off.

[Ken Rushia (o-launchpad-krns1-fastmail-fm)]

Just my 2 cents...

After migrating from Gentoo, I must say that this has been a major annoyance. The lack of full colors, small history, and missing page up/down completion in Ubuntu really needs to be fixed.

[Przemek K. (azrael)]

Maybe it would be easier to fix this bug if someone forwarded this bug to Debian.

[Przemek K. (azrael)]

BTW:
I think this one setting would clutter the prompt too much:
PROMPT_COMMAND="history -a; \$PROMPT_COMMAND"
The current default prompt is fine for me.

[Steven Harms (sharms)]

Przemyslaw -- history -a just tells it to add to the history, it doesn't actually display anything :)

[Alexander Kabakow (alexzak)]

I this bug should be assigned to the readline package?
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/readline6

And here #89235 Teej (xteejx) says that page up and down keys still don't work

[Thomas Hotz (thotz-deactivatedaccount)]

Is this still an issue for you? What Ubuntu version do you use? Thank you for telling us!

[RichardNeill (ubuntu-richardneill)]

The inputrc one is definitely an issue. It's easy to change manually after installation, but show-all-if-ambiguous on is so useful, and such a no-brainer to include that I would urge you to make the change.

[RichardNeill (ubuntu-richardneill)]

Sorry, forgot to say, still present in Quantal.