For bash 4.2 the maintainers have implemented features which can be activated to get the wanted behavior. See .inputrc config options.
However, it can be seen from bash-4.2 source code that there is a bug in the implementation which prevents needed set show-all-if-ambiguous and set menu-complete-display-prefix to be activated at the same time. I reported this bug to bash maintainers 2012-March and sent the patch to fix the bug, but at least ubuntu 12.10 is still shipping a bash version with the bug. --- Configuration for .inputrc --- TAB:menu-complete set show-all-if-ambiguous on set menu-complete-display-prefix on --- ** Patch added: "A fix for the bug which prevents set show-all-if-ambiguous and set menu-complete-display-prefix to be used at the same time." https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/bash/+bug/53887/+attachment/3500978/+files/complete.c.diff -- You received this bug notification because you are a member of Ubuntu Bugs, which is subscribed to Ubuntu. https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/53887 Title: [patch] Command completion should be enhanced To manage notifications about this bug go to: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/bash/+bug/53887/+subscriptions -- ubuntu-bugs mailing list ubuntu-bugs@lists.ubuntu.com https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-bugs