Add commands auto completion to Cygwin

Question

I'm looking for a 'modernized' cmd.exe and I find myself quite comfortable with Cygwin. However, I can't make Cygwin auto complete some "commands" I need (programs in SysInternal Suite like contig...).

I already added the programs path in PATH variables. It does work since I can use the programs regardless of current folder. But auto completion still ain't work.

A google search bring not much information. So I ask for your helps. Any ideas will be appreciated.

Answer 1

Cygwin bash prompt does allow SysInternal Suite command names to be completed, as it does any other program in the PATH.

However, here are two possible gotchas for a new cygwin user (I am not implying that you are you are one ;) ):

1. PATH variable must contain the path to the commands, in the 'cygwin format' (mounted under /cygdrive and using forward slashes)

   For example: If the Sysinternals Suite is installed under "c:\Program Files (x86)\SysinternalsSuite":

   export PATH="$PATH:/cygdrive/c/Program Files (x86)/SysinternalsSuite"
   

   Note: Cygwin automatically converts the Windows %PATH% environment variable to the proper format in the bash $PATH variable. So if you have extended the PATH in the Windows GUI, then you are most probably good.

   Double check content of PATH variable at cygwin bash prompt with:

   echo $PATH
   

2. Completion is case-sensitive. So in the case of your example, you must start typing Contig.exe ... with a capital 'C'.