readline: edit (mode:vi) means eol unreachable

[Hugh Sasse]

I have a problem with readline I think -- my setup is best described:

valyus hgs hgs 30 $ echo $BASH_VERSION
3.2.9(1)-release
valyus hgs hgs 31 $ cat ~/.inputrc
set editing-mode vi
valyus hgs hgs 32 $ echo $TERM
xterm
valyus hgs hgs 33 $ stty -a
speed 38400 baud; rows 24; columns 80;
intr = ^C; quit = ^\; erase = ^?; kill = ^U; eof = ^D; eol = <undef>;
eol2 = <undef>; start = ^Q; stop = ^S; susp = ^Z; dsusp = ^Y; rprnt = ^R;
werase = ^W; lnext = ^V; flush = ^O; status = <undef>; min = 1; time = 0;
-parenb -parodd cs8 hupcl -cstopb cread -clocal -crtscts
-ignbrk brkint -ignpar -parmrk -inpck -istrip -inlcr -igncr icrnl ixon -ixoff
-iuclc -ixany -imaxbel
opost -olcuc -ocrnl onlcr -onocr -onlret -ofill -ofdel nl0 cr0 tab0 bs0 vt0 ff0
isig icanon iexten echo echoe echok -echonl -noflsh -xcase -tostop -echoprt
echoctl echoke
valyus hgs hgs 34 $

I am using PuTTY to this machine over ssh.
The symptoms of my problem are that I can type a line of input, I
can then edit it directly using the cursor keys (without hitting
escape to do so) and the line changes length correctly, but I then
cannot move my cursor past the last character of the line in order
to append more text.  To solve this I hit <ESC>$a and insert a space
at the end. My cursor remains on top of the space, whereas I expect
it to be placed after the space.  (Would it be any use sending you
the typescript from script to illustrate this given that it doesn't
record what the screen looks like?)

I get the same symptoms on the sun (neelix below) as I do on the Dec
Alpha system (valyus) detailed above:

neelix hgs hgs 61 $ echo $BASH_VERSION
3.2.9(1)-release
neelix hgs hgs 62 $ echo $TERM
xterm-new
neelix hgs hgs 63 $ stty -a
speed 38400 baud;
rows = 24; columns = 80; ypixels = 0; xpixels = 0;
csdata ?
eucw 1:0:0:0, scrw 1:0:0:0
intr = ^c; quit = ^\; erase = ^?; kill = ^u;
eof = ^d; eol = <undef>; eol2 = <undef>; swtch = <undef>;
start = ^q; stop = ^s; susp = ^z; dsusp = ^y;
rprnt = ^r; flush = ^o; werase = ^w; lnext = ^v;
-parenb -parodd cs8 -cstopb -hupcl cread -clocal -loblk -crtscts -crtsxoff 
-parext
-ignbrk brkint -ignpar -parmrk -inpck -istrip -inlcr -igncr icrnl -iuclc
ixon -ixany -ixoff imaxbel
isig icanon -xcase echo echoe echok -echonl -noflsh
-tostop echoctl -echoprt echoke -defecho -flusho -pendin iexten
opost -olcuc onlcr -ocrnl -onocr -onlret -ofill -ofdel tab3
neelix hgs hgs 64 $ 

I'm using PuTTY over ssh in both cases.  Vim works correctly on both 
machines.
So is this an abuse of readline (I should not be doing cursor motion
while in insert mode? I can do that in Vim, and bash doesn't bleep
or flash at me what I attempt to use the cursor keys in insert
mode.) and therefore this is outside the scope of the program, or
have I found a buglet?  If the latter, what other information would be
of use?  I have copied the .inputrc from one machine to the other, so
neelix hgs hgs 64 $ cat ~/.inputrc
set editing-mode vi
You have new mail in /var/mail//hgs
neelix hgs hgs 65 $

(OT: how do I turn off that new mail notice?  shopt -p tells me 
 shopt -u mailwarn
so it seems to be off...)

        Thank you.
        Hugh