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Idea #22463: apt-get more comfortable

bug This idea was marked as already implemented the 15 November 09.
Written by cslotty the 14 Nov 09 at 22:26. Category: Usability. Related project: Nothing/Others. Status: Already implemented
Rationale
When you want to install new packages you often copy something from the wiki or the like. But sometimes it is tedious to switch back to another window just to copy text or look up again what you wanted to install.

It would be much nicer if there were some auto-expansion mechanism to package names - like when you type "apt-get install ubuntu-v" and then TAB it will expand to the only possible solution (I guess) "ubuntu-vm-builder" - just as an example.

In bash, known commands get expanded like that, another example is when you configure an ssh_config of your own.

Maybe even generally speaking - it would be nice to have some more auto-expansion of options and all that in shell commands - just in order to save some tedious looking up manpages for the 1000st time because you can just not remember each detail of a command.

I would never want to give up my beloved command-line ;-) but I guess there could be even more comfort using it.

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Solution #1: A bash function?
Written by cslotty the 14 Nov 09 at 22:26.
I'm not sure but I can imagine that the function described would have to be programmed into the bash!?

How does the expansion of ssh config hosts work?

So in this case a bash extension would be the right thing.

Propose your solution

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Lachu wrote on the 15 Nov 09 at 11:58
Each distribution have autocompletition script.

OliverGerlich wrote on the 15 Nov 09 at 12:16
apt-get already has tab completion for packages (just tested on Jaunty and Karmic):

$ apt-get install ubuntu-v
ubuntu-virt-mgmt ubuntu-virt-server ubuntu-vm-builder

See /etc/bash_completion and /etc/bash_completion.d/ for existing scripts. Search the net for "bash completion" for more details.

cslotty wrote on the 16 Nov 09 at 10:24
Well that's cool.... didn't know that, thanks!

So far it doesn't work for me yet (not automatically) but I'll take a look at what you mentioned.

Thanks!


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