Below is a script that I created to demonstrate a problem with Bash autocomplete. The problem occurs after pressing CTRL/C inside READ and TRAP function INT.

After pressing CTRL/C, Bash autocomplete only works for files in the current directory. I do have the current directory in my PATH variable among the usual /sbin /bin/ usr/bin, etc. I also checked the output of “shopt” and “set” in the shell before and after experiencing the issue, but I don’t see the difference.

This is a custom Linux (4.20 and 5.9), running bash 4.4.

#!/bin/bash

$( return 0 2>&- )
if [[ $? -ne 0 ]]; then
  echo "Source-execution required. Aborted"
  exit 1
fi


doit=doit

cleanup()
{
  trap - INT
  echo; echo "doing all sorts of stuff to unset vars, etc."
  unset doit # Abandon further processing.
  unset cleanup
}

ctrl_c()
{
  echo; echo
  echo "Canceled."
  cleanup
}

trap "ctrl_c; return" INT
read -r -e -n 1 -p "?" 

if [[ "${doit}" ]]; then
  echo "you won't see this after ctrl/c"
  cleanup
fi

Output is as following:

# gr<tab>
grep       groups     grubed     grubed.sh  


# source xx.sh 
?^C

Canceled.

doing all sorts of stuff to unset vars, etc.

# gr<tab>  -> resolves right into grubed.sh which is in the current directory.