cd: paths via '../' are not completed if cwd is a symlink

[mgorny]

Let's say I have three directories, /a, /a/foo and /b, plus a symlink /b/foo that points to /a/foo. Now, if I'm in /b/foo (i.e. the path referencing a directory symlink), cd completion seems to insist on 'returning' to the current directory, i.e. if I type cd ../ and push tab, I get cd ../foo even though both /a and /b contain other directories. Starting to type a name of one of the directories in either of those directories doesn't trigger any completion.

AFAICS, the cd behavior in bash is a bit weird. cd .. goes to the apparent parent directory (i.e. strips last path component) but cd ../something can either go into a subdirectory of the apparent parent directory (i.e. /b), or a subdirectory of the 'physical' parent directory (/a). It would be nice if bash completion accounted for that, and completed both paths appropriately.

Please also note that cd has a -P switch that forces using 'physical' parent directory, i.e. the expected system behavior.

[weikinhuang]

Has there been any progress on this issue?

[scop]

No, but I just had a look. It's a direct result of bash's compgen -d behavior, so it should be addressed in bash itself, reported: http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-bash/2019-04/msg00135.html

[scop]

Hm, I'm quite likely a bit confused about the issue and did not read the report carefully enough, closing it may have been a bit premature. Reopening for another look sometime.

Meanwhile, upstream replied: http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-bash/2019-04/msg00151.html