bash2.05b doesn't read $HISTFILE by default?

[Markus Schwarzenberg]

Configuration Information [Automatically generated, do not change]:
Machine: sparc
OS: solaris2.7
Compiler: gcc
Compilation CFLAGS:  -DPROGRAM='bash' -DCONF_HOSTTYPE='sparc' 
-DCONF_OSTYPE='solaris2.7' -DCONF_MACHTYPE='sparc-sun-solaris2.7' 
-DCONF_VENDOR='sun' -DSHELL -DHAVE_CONFIG_H  -I.  -I. -I./include -I./lib 
-I/sw/opensrc/include -O3
uname output: SunOS sund32 5.7 Generic_106541-20 sun4u sparc SUNW,Ultra-5_10
Machine Type: sparc-sun-solaris2.7

Bash Version: 2.05b
Patch Level: 0
Release Status: release

Description:

I'm not shure if that's a bug or it's intended:

When I start bash 2.05b ( --login -i , but that doesn't matter) 
the history in $HISTFILE doesn't seem to be read automatically
(as bash <= 2.05a did).
I don't know if the huge size of my $HISTFILE (5132706 bytes, 
about 200000 lines) could be reason for that.

To load the history I now would have to place 
  history -r 
explicitely into .bashrc. Is this correct?
(I didn't find a note on this in CHANGES/NEWS/bash.1)


Markus Schwarzenberg

Repeat-By:

(Note: I also tried 
  unset HISTFILESIZE
with the same result)

# history related commands in my ~/.bashrc
# (sorry for the german comments)

  HISTFILESIZE="" # Größe des gespeicherten Hist-Files nicht begrenzen
  HISTFILE=$HOME/.bash-history/.bash_history
  HISTSIZE=4000   # Zahl der intern verfügbaren History-Zeilen

  # HISTIGNORE ist besser als HISTCONTROL
  HISTIGNORE="&: &:  &:   &:    &: :  :   :    "

# History substitution nicht gleich asuführen, sondern erst anzeigen
shopt -s histverify

# fehlgeschlagene history substitution editierbar
shopt -s histreedit

# History ans bestehende File anhängen - besser ?? ist das OK ?? 
# hat komischerweise auch schon ohne diese Option funktioniert ??
shopt -s histappend