How to disable automatic backslash insert when using environment variable names on Ubuntu 20.04 LTS terminal(s)

Question

When I use environment variable name and press Tab for auto-complete on Ubuntu 20.04 LTS terminal (I have tested both the terminal which comes with Ubuntu 20.04 LTS install and Terminator, same behavior on both), Ubuntu inserts backslash \ before dollar sign $, causing the environment variable not to work anymore as intended.

For example, previously on Ubuntu 18.04 LTS terminal:

ll $HOME/Deskt (+TAB) -> ll $HOME/Desktop/

Now on Ubuntu 20.04 LTS terminal:

ll $HOME/Deskt (+TAB) -> ll \$HOME/Desktop/

Needless to say, the latter results in

ls: cannot access '$HOME/Desktop/': No such file or directory

So how can I disable the automatic \ insert?

This appears to be a bug: #653837 bash-completion: Variable $HOME in paths is escaped and upstream Completion of valid paths involving variables adds backslashes #290 — steeldriver, May 29 '20 at 23:16
Does this answer your question? How to get bash to stop escaping $ during tab completion? — karel, Dec 11 '21 at 01:30

score 5 · Accepted Answer · edited Feb 07 '22 at 13:47

5

Add the following line to your ~/.bashrc:

shopt -s direxpand

then run this command to apply the changes:

source ~/.bashrc

edited Feb 07 '22 at 13:47

BeastOfCaerbannog

14,585

answered Jan 18 '21 at 20:09

Mahmoud Gadalla

66

How to disable automatic backslash insert when using environment variable names on Ubuntu 20.04 LTS terminal(s)

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