BASH inputrc Function Binding to Key Ignored

[William Bloom]

I have built BASH 2.05.0(1)-release from source for Solaris
8 as well as FreeBSD 4.3 and have observed a difference from
BASH 2.04 in the handling of the TAB keybinding when 'vi'
editing mode is in use with a POSIX mode BASH session.
I've not seen comments about this in the archive, and the
new behavior continues even after I've applied all patches
from the BASH homepage.  I also don't see comments in the
changelog that seem relevant (perhaps I've missed it).

As an example, suppose  I have a very simple inputrc file as
follows...

        TAB: complete
        C-b: complete-into-braces

...as part of a profile that contains a 'set -o vi'.  The
login shell is /usr/local/bin/sh (a link to BASH) in order
to have a POSIX session.  The above inputrc is simply
intended to let TAB have the same completion behavior to
which some of my users are accustomed from non-POSIX BASH
use.

I find that in this case, the 'C-b' binding is honored but
the TAB binding is ignored.  -After- the session is started,
the TAB binding may be enabled using 'bind -f .inputrc', at
which time the TAB binding is not ignored.

Stranger yet, if the account is changed to use
/usr/local/bin/bash as the login shell, then the session
login now honors the TAB binding.  If the session switches
to POSIX mode (set -o posix) after login, however, then the
TAB binding automagically disappears (although the C-b binding
remains).

Is this behavior related to POSIX compliance, which (I
believe) does not call for TAB to be bound?  Are those users
who want POSIX mode and vi-style command line editing, but
yet aren't ready to give up their accustomed TAB-complete
binding, going to have to have an explicit...

        bind 'TAB: complete'

...to their login profile as of 2.0.5?


Bill
--
William Bloom <william.bloom@pegs.com> (602) 906-7525
Pegasus Solutions, Inc.  7500 North Dreamy Draw Drive, Suite 120
Phoenix, Az 85020  http://www.pegs.com