bug in history handling, bash-3.0, Solaris-SPARC-9

[Larry McCann]

Configuration Information [Automatically generated, do not change]:
Machine: sparc
OS: solaris2.9
Compiler: cc
Compilation CFLAGS:  -DPROGRAM='bash' -DCONF_HOSTTYPE='sparc' 
-DCONF_OSTYPE='solaris2.9' -DCONF_MACHTYPE='sparc-sun-solaris2.9' 
-DCONF_VENDOR='sun' -DLOCALEDIR='/usr/gnu/share/locale' -DPACKAGE='bash' 
-DSHELL -DHAVE_CONFIG_H  -I.  -I. -I./include -I./lib   -g
uname output: SunOS utr249 5.9 Generic_117171-07 sun4u sparc SUNW,Sun-Blade-1000
Machine Type: sparc-sun-solaris2.9

Bash Version: 3.0
Patch Level: 0
Release Status: release

Description:
        When scrolling up and down in the command history, if you return to the 
bottom (current position)   
        you do not end up with a blank line following the prompt, but rather 
with a random command from  
        somewhere in the history list.  The command you are presented with is 
not necessarily the one 
        you stop on when scrolling back, but does seem to be from soemwhere in 
the intervening lines.

        For example, if the history file looks like:

dmesg | tail -30
tail -40 /var/log/debug 
tail -40 /var/log/syslog 
ls -lart /var/log
ls /usr/local/sbin/
vi .bashrc

        and you scroll up to, say, the "ls -lart" then back down, you might end 
up with 
        any of the lines from the "ls -lart" on down.

        As a further check, the .bashrc file was moved aside followed by 
logging in again with
        the same effect.

        Since I was playing with the new HISTTIMEFORMAT variable, I suspected 
that and noticed
        blank lines in the .bash_history file.  I cleaned out the blank lines 
and the timestamps
        in the history file, but it still shows the same behaviour.

        Previous bash versions (currently using 2.05b+patch_3) do not display 
this behaviour.

        Compiler and OS patches are up to date as of 4 days ago.  Most 
everything in the GNU
        toolchain is current (where it matters).

        I can try other compilation options, or dotfile options if it will help 
diagnose the
        problem.

Repeat-By:
        Use either up/down arrows, or CTRL-P/CTRL-N to scroll up and down the 
history list.    
        Upon return to the end (current command) you are presented with a 
random command from
        the earlier history. "Enter" executes that command, CTRL-C kills it, 
CTRL-U erases it.


-- 
Larry McCann    SunSITE Alberta Technical Lead    sunsite.ualberta.ca

Email: lmccann@hill.ucs.ualberta.ca    E-Learning Services Group
Phone: (780) 492-9361                  Computing and Network Services
Fax:   (780) 492-1729                  University Of Alberta