# Should irb default to auto complete?

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/should-irb-default-to-auto-complete/170032>\
**Category:** Ruby\
**Created:** [June 11, 2009, 3:14pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/should-irb-default-to-auto-complete/170032 "2009-06-11T15:14:11Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![rogerdpack](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rogerdpack](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/rogerdpack)\
**Post date:** [June 11, 2009, 3:14pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/should-irb-default-to-auto-complete/170032/1 "2009-06-11T15:14:11Z")

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Seems to me like it would be a very user friendly default to have irb  
default to command completion.  
I realize this is possible by setting it up manually but…default? no?  
yes?  
Thanks.  
-=r

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![rogerdpack](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rogerdpack](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/rogerdpack)\
**Post date:** [June 11, 2009, 5:36pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/should-irb-default-to-auto-complete/170032/2 "2009-06-11T17:36:25Z")

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Roger P. wrote:

> Seems to me like it would be a very user friendly default to have irb  
> default to command completion.

It does for me, under Linux (Ubuntu’s own version, and also compiled  
from source).

Where are you running Ruby where it does not? It’s probably a  
platform-specific and/or installation problem.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![rogerdpack](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rogerdpack](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/rogerdpack)\
**Post date:** [June 11, 2009, 5:43pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/should-irb-default-to-auto-complete/170032/3 "2009-06-11T17:43:38Z")

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Brian C. wrote:

> Roger P. wrote:
> 
> > Seems to me like it would be a very user friendly default to have irb  
> > default to command completion.
> 
> It does for me, under Linux (Ubuntu’s own version, and also compiled  
> from source).

Really? Are you sure your .irbrc doesn’t require ‘irb/completion’? Or  
maybe there’s an alias defined somewhere?

I’ve always had to do that with ubuntu, xandros, centos, mandrake, etc.