bug#3250: 23.0.93; tab completion flakey with tramp when insert-default-directory is nil

bug#3250: 23.0.93; tab completion flakey with tramp when insert-default-directory is nil

[Chris Withers]

With the following in my .emacs:

(setq insert-default-directory nil)

tab completion when using tramp to access a remote file becomes flakey.
It seems that the notion of the current working directory becomes lost,
so tab completion ends up with doubled up directories, eg:

/home/chris/afolder/afolder

...where afolder doesn't exist, resulting in errors such as the following:

File error: tramp-handle-file-name-all-completions: Couldn't `cd 
/home/chris/afolder/afolder/'

This doesn't happen right away, but I usually end up bumping into it 
when navigating
around a folder structure by inserting .. a number of times in the 
minibuffer window.

In GNU Emacs 23.0.93.1 (i386-mingw-nt5.1.2600)
  of 2009-05-02 on SOFT-MJASON
Windowing system distributor `Microsoft Corp.', version 5.1.2600
configured using `configure --with-gcc (3.4)'

Important settings:
   value of $LC_ALL: nil
   value of $LC_COLLATE: nil
   value of $LC_CTYPE: nil
   value of $LC_MESSAGES: nil
   value of $LC_MONETARY: nil
   value of $LC_NUMERIC: nil
   value of $LC_TIME: nil
   value of $LANG: ENG
   value of $XMODIFIERS: nil
   locale-coding-system: cp1252
   default-enable-multibyte-characters: t

Major mode: GNUmakefile

Minor modes in effect:
   shell-dirtrack-mode: t
   cua-mode: t
   tooltip-mode: t
   mouse-wheel-mode: t
   menu-bar-mode: t
   file-name-shadow-mode: t
   global-font-lock-mode: t
   font-lock-mode: t
   blink-cursor-mode: t
   global-auto-composition-mode: t
   auto-composition-mode: t
   auto-encryption-mode: t
   auto-compression-mode: t
   line-number-mode: t
   transient-mark-mode: t

-- 
Simplistix - Content Management, Zope & Python Consulting
            - http://www.simplistix.co.uk

bug#3250: 23.0.93; tab completion flakey with tramp when insert-default-directory is nil

[Stefan Monnier]

> (setq insert-default-directory nil)

> tab completion when using tramp to access a remote file becomes flakey.
> It seems that the notion of the current working directory becomes lost,
> so tab completion ends up with doubled up directories, eg:

> /home/chris/afolder/afolder

> ...where afolder doesn't exist, resulting in errors such as the following:

> File error: tramp-handle-file-name-all-completions: Couldn't `cd
> /home/chris/afolder/afolder/'

> This doesn't happen right away, but I usually end up bumping into it when
> navigating
> around a folder structure by inserting .. a number of times in the
> minibuffer window.

I don't know if Michael can fix it based on the above report, but
I expect that a reproducible test case starting from "emacs -Q"
would help.


        Stefan

bug#3250: 23.0.93; tab completion flakey with tramp when insert-default-directory is nil

[Chris Withers]

Stefan Monnier wrote:
> I don't know if Michael can fix it based on the above report, but
> I expect that a reproducible test case starting from "emacs -Q"
> would help.

really not sure how to go about doing that, is there a how-to anywhere?

fwiw, not sure this is tramp related, I've had similar weirdity when 
just opening local files with (setq insert-default-directory nil).
The minibuffer just seems to get lost as to which directory it's in...

Chris

-- 
Simplistix - Content Management, Zope & Python Consulting
            - http://www.simplistix.co.uk

bug#3250: 23.0.93; tab completion flakey with tramp when insert-default-directory is nil

[Chris Withers]

Chong Yidong wrote:
>> fwiw, not sure this is tramp related, I've had similar weirdity when
>> just opening local files with (setq insert-default-directory nil).
>> The minibuffer just seems to get lost as to which directory it's in...
> 
> Your description is too vague.  Please give exact, step by step
> instructions about how to see this bug.

It's a pretty vague bug :-S

Try:

-(setq insert-default-directory nil) in .emacs
-restart
C-x C-f
..
- then try using tab completion

Trying to get into a parent or the current directory and then using tab 
completion seems to be the root of the problem. I don't know any way of 
doing that other than using '../' as a path, and that seems to be what 
causes the problem.

cheers,

Chris

-- 
Simplistix - Content Management, Zope & Python Consulting
            - http://www.simplistix.co.uk

bug#3250: 23.0.93; tab completion flakey with tramp when insert-default-directory is nil

[Chong Yidong]

Chris Withers <chris@simplistix.co.uk> writes:

> -(setq insert-default-directory nil) in .emacs
> -restart
> C-x C-f
> ..
> - then try using tab completion

Pressing TAB shows the contents of my home directory.  This is expected
behavior.  What behavior do you observe?

bug#3250: 23.0.93; tab completion flakey with tramp when insert-default-directory is nil

[Chris Withers]

Chong Yidong wrote:
> Chris Withers <chris@simplistix.co.uk> writes:
> 
>> -(setq insert-default-directory nil) in .emacs
>> -restart
>> C-x C-f
>> ..
>> - then try using tab completion
> 
> Pressing TAB shows the contents of my home directory.  This is expected
> behavior.  What behavior do you observe?

Did you do the all important '..' to go to a parent directory?
Did you then try and tab-complete into a sub-directory?
Did you have (setq insert-default-directory nil) set in your .emacs file?

Chris

-- 
Simplistix - Content Management, Zope & Python Consulting
            - http://www.simplistix.co.uk

bug#3250: 23.0.93; tab completion flakey with tramp when insert-default-directory is nil

[Chong Yidong]

Chris Withers <chris@simplistix.co.uk> writes:

>>> -(setq insert-default-directory nil) in .emacs
>>> -restart
>>> C-x C-f
>>> ..
>>> - then try using tab completion
>>
>> Pressing TAB shows the contents of my home directory.  This is expected
>> behavior.  What behavior do you observe?
>
> Did you do the all important '..' to go to a parent directory?

After typing `..', I type TAB.  The text in the minibuffer completes to

  ../

After typing TAB again, Emacs offers a completions list showing the
directories in /home.  This is expected.

bug#3250: 23.0.93; tab completion flakey with tramp when insert-default-directory is nil

[Chris Withers]

Chong Yidong wrote:
>> Did you do the all important '..' to go to a parent directory?
> 
> After typing `..', I type TAB.  The text in the minibuffer completes to
> 
>   ../
> 
> After typing TAB again, Emacs offers a completions list showing the
> directories in /home.  This is expected.

Okay, here's what I did:

- open a file in a folder
- C-x C-f
- .. TAB to go to parent folder of the folder containing the file you opened
- type 'so' and hit TAB
- minibuffer now shows "../something/", *Completions* shows contents of 
'something' folder
- now delete all characters in the minibuffer with backspace
- hit TAB, *Completions* still shows contents of 'something' folder
- type first two characters of a name in *Completions*, no completion 
happens [1]
- delete those two characters
- type 'so' and hit TAB
- minibuffer now shows "something/"
- hitting TAB one or two more times and *Completions* once more shows 
the contents of 'something' folder
- type first two characters of a name in *Completions*, no completion 
happens and current working directory in minibuffer seems very confused [1]

[1] these bullet points feel like bugs to me...

cheers,

Chris

-- 
Simplistix - Content Management, Zope & Python Consulting
            - http://www.simplistix.co.uk

bug#3250: 23.0.93; tab completion flakey with tramp when insert-default-directory is nil

[Stefan Monnier]

> Okay, here's what I did:

> - open a file in a folder
> - C-x C-f
> - .. TAB to go to parent folder of the folder containing the file you opened
> - type 'so' and hit TAB
> - minibuffer now shows "../something/", *Completions* shows contents of
> something' folder
> - now delete all characters in the minibuffer with backspace
> - hit TAB, *Completions* still shows contents of 'something' folder
> - type first two characters of a name in *Completions*, no completion
> happens [1]
> - delete those two characters
> - type 'so' and hit TAB
> - minibuffer now shows "something/"
> - hitting TAB one or two more times and *Completions* once more shows the
> contents of 'something' folder
> - type first two characters of a name in *Completions*, no completion
> happens and current working directory in minibuffer seems very confused [1]

> [1] these bullet points feel like bugs to me...

Thank you.  This should be enough for me (or whoever else gets to it
first, but it looks like a bug in my new completion code) to find
the problem.


        Stefan

bug#3250: 23.0.93; tab completion flakey with tramp when insert-default-directory is nil

[Chris Withers]

Stefan Monnier wrote:
> Thank you.  This should be enough for me (or whoever else gets to it
> first, but it looks like a bug in my new completion code) to find
> the problem.

Does this mean you can reproduce the problem(s)?

cheers,

Chris

-- 
Simplistix - Content Management, Zope & Python Consulting
            - http://www.simplistix.co.uk

bug#3250: 23.0.93; tab completion flakey with tramp when insert-default-directory is nil

[Stefan Monnier]

>> Thank you.  This should be enough for me (or whoever else gets to it
>> first, but it looks like a bug in my new completion code) to find
>> the problem.
> Does this mean you can reproduce the problem(s)?

Yes,


        Stefan

bug#3250: marked as done (23.0.93; tab completion flakey with tramp when insert-default-directory is nil)

[Emacs bug Tracking System]

[-- Attachment #1: Type: text/plain, Size: 973 bytes --]


Your message dated Mon, 11 May 2009 11:33:21 -0400
with message-id <jwvd4afirll.fsf-monnier+emacsbugreports@gnu.org>
and subject line Re: bug#3250: 23.0.93; tab completion flakey with tramp when insert-default-directory is nil
has caused the Emacs bug report #3250,
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[-- Attachment #2: Type: message/rfc822, Size: 3721 bytes --]

From: Chris Withers <chris@simplistix.co.uk>
To: emacs-pretest-bug@gnu.org
Subject: 23.0.93; tab completion flakey with tramp when insert-default-directory is nil
Date: Sat, 09 May 2009 18:37:00 +0100
Message-ID: <4A05BF3C.3060606@simplistix.co.uk>

With the following in my .emacs:

(setq insert-default-directory nil)

tab completion when using tramp to access a remote file becomes flakey.
It seems that the notion of the current working directory becomes lost,
so tab completion ends up with doubled up directories, eg:

/home/chris/afolder/afolder

...where afolder doesn't exist, resulting in errors such as the following:

File error: tramp-handle-file-name-all-completions: Couldn't `cd 
/home/chris/afolder/afolder/'

This doesn't happen right away, but I usually end up bumping into it 
when navigating
around a folder structure by inserting .. a number of times in the 
minibuffer window.

In GNU Emacs 23.0.93.1 (i386-mingw-nt5.1.2600)
  of 2009-05-02 on SOFT-MJASON
Windowing system distributor `Microsoft Corp.', version 5.1.2600
configured using `configure --with-gcc (3.4)'

Important settings:
   value of $LC_ALL: nil
   value of $LC_COLLATE: nil
   value of $LC_CTYPE: nil
   value of $LC_MESSAGES: nil
   value of $LC_MONETARY: nil
   value of $LC_NUMERIC: nil
   value of $LC_TIME: nil
   value of $LANG: ENG
   value of $XMODIFIERS: nil
   locale-coding-system: cp1252
   default-enable-multibyte-characters: t

Major mode: GNUmakefile

Minor modes in effect:
   shell-dirtrack-mode: t
   cua-mode: t
   tooltip-mode: t
   mouse-wheel-mode: t
   menu-bar-mode: t
   file-name-shadow-mode: t
   global-font-lock-mode: t
   font-lock-mode: t
   blink-cursor-mode: t
   global-auto-composition-mode: t
   auto-composition-mode: t
   auto-encryption-mode: t
   auto-compression-mode: t
   line-number-mode: t
   transient-mark-mode: t

-- 
Simplistix - Content Management, Zope & Python Consulting
            - http://www.simplistix.co.uk



[-- Attachment #3: Type: message/rfc822, Size: 3870 bytes --]

From: Stefan Monnier <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca>
To: Chris Withers <chris@simplistix.co.uk>
Cc: 3250-done@emacsbugs.donarmstrong.com, Chong Yidong <cyd@stupidchicken.com>
Subject: Re: bug#3250: 23.0.93; tab completion flakey with tramp when insert-default-directory is nil
Date: Mon, 11 May 2009 11:33:21 -0400
Message-ID: <jwvd4afirll.fsf-monnier+emacsbugreports@gnu.org>

> Okay, here's what I did:

The recipe I used was:

   > emacs -Q
   C-x C-f
   C-a C-k
   TAB
   left right
   TAB
   left right
   TAB

where you see that default-directory moves up one level each time the
*Completions* buffer is refreshed.

The patch below fixes the problem,


        Stefan


--- simple.el.~1.986.~	2009-05-03 21:41:00.000000000 -0400
+++ simple.el	2009-05-11 11:30:20.000000000 -0400
@@ -5851,20 +5851,23 @@
 ;; after the text of the completion list buffer is written.
 (defun completion-setup-function ()
   (let* ((mainbuf (current-buffer))
-         (mbuf-contents (minibuffer-completion-contents))
-         common-string-length)
+         (base-dir
     ;; When reading a file name in the minibuffer,
-    ;; set default-directory in the minibuffer
-    ;; so it will get copied into the completion list buffer.
+          ;; try and find the right default-directory to set in the
+          ;; completion list buffer.
+          ;; FIXME: Why do we do that, actually?  --Stef
     (if minibuffer-completing-file-name
-	(with-current-buffer mainbuf
-	  (setq default-directory
-                (file-name-directory (expand-file-name mbuf-contents)))))
+              (file-name-as-directory
+               (expand-file-name
+                (substring (minibuffer-completion-contents)
+                           0 (or completion-base-size 0))))))
+         common-string-length)
     (with-current-buffer standard-output
       (let ((base-size completion-base-size)) ;Read before killing localvars.
         (completion-list-mode)
         (set (make-local-variable 'completion-base-size) base-size))
       (set (make-local-variable 'completion-reference-buffer) mainbuf)
+      (if base-dir (setq default-directory base-dir))
       (unless completion-base-size
         ;; This shouldn't be needed any more, but further analysis is needed
         ;; to make sure it's the case.