Bash Tab Auto-complete not working for apt

apt bash auto-completion

19,942

Solution 1

Actually, I found the solution ~

Install the auto-complete-el

sudo apt-get install auto-complete-el

After installing this package, I got everything back to normal.

Solution 2

Open /etc/bash.bashrc with gedit or other text editor and uncomment the following lines:

#if [ -f /etc/bash_completion ] && ! shopt -oq posix; then
#    . /etc/bash_completion
#fi

It works for me.

On Ubuntu 16.04 the it looks like this:

#if ! shopt -oq posix; then
#  if [ -f /usr/share/bash-completion/bash_completion ]; then
#    . /usr/share/bash-completion/bash_completion
#  elif [ -f /etc/bash_completion ]; then
#    . /etc/bash_completion
#  fi
#fi

Solution 3

The cause might be that you are missing the package bash-completion. In that case, you can try installing it with

sudo apt-get install bash-completion

followed by

source ~/.bashrc

for enabling it. (Or just log out and in again).

Solution 4

Is your shell prompt looking like $ instead of user@host:~$? If yes, then it could be case of wrong shell causing problem with autocompletion. Try changing login shell to /bin/bash from /bin/sh as below.

sudo chsh -s /bin/bash *username*

View more solutions

19,942

beanaroo

Updated on September 18, 2022

Comments

beanaroo almost 2 years

apt-get install and apt-cache policy do not complete package names.

I have double checked /etc/bash.bashrc, no irregularities.

Googled for answers but none suffice.

Any help/advice?
- beanaroo about 12 years
  
  Apologies. Apt commands in general.
- geirha about 12 years
  
  Is completion set up for apt-get? complete -p apt-get
- beanaroo about 12 years
  
  The result reads: 'complete -F _apt_get apt-get' Not sure what that means
jokerdino almost 12 years

I can't find any /etc/bash.bashrc. You sure about that?
Sajesh Kumar almost 10 years

It works, but I don't get why, the el stands for Emacs Lisp...
Robin Winslow over 9 years

Any ideas about autocompletion for apt itself? (as opposed to apt-get)
kiranpradeep over 8 years

Dear Downvoter, please leave a comment helping me avoid repeating, the perceived mistake.
LittleByBlue almost 8 years

Adding those lines to ~/.bashrc should work, too.
Pierre.Vriens about 7 years

Is this a question or an answer?
Felix Hall about 7 years

Rephrased to read more like an answer
My-Name-Is over 6 years

Relogin was required, but then it worked!