basefoundry · codeforester · Jun 19, 2026 · Jun 19, 2026
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ and Base versions are tracked in the repo-root `VERSION` file.
 
 ### Changed
 
+- Improved opt-in Bash and Zsh completion ergonomics for interactive shell
+  defaults.
 - Added conservative pager and terminal usability behavior to opt-in shell
   defaults.
 - Enriched opt-in shell history defaults for `basectl update-profile --defaults`.

diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
@@ -1310,6 +1310,7 @@ Those defaults are intended to stay conservative:
 
 - aliases like `rm -i`, `cp -i`, `mv -i`
 - vi-style command editing
+- completion ergonomics
 - editor defaults
 - pager defaults
 - prompt defaults

diff --git a/cli/bash/commands/basectl/tests/update-profile.bats b/cli/bash/commands/basectl/tests/update-profile.bats
@@ -501,7 +501,7 @@ EOF
         -u PAGER -u LESS -u MANPAGER -u GIT_PAGER \
         HOME="$TEST_HOME" \
         PATH="/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin" \
-        bash --rcfile "$TEST_HOME/.bashrc" -i -c 'alias cp; printf "EDITOR=%s\n" "$EDITOR"; printf "VISUAL=%s\n" "$VISUAL"; printf "EXINIT=%s\n" "$EXINIT"; printf "PAGER=%s\n" "$PAGER"; printf "LESS=%s\n" "$LESS"; printf "MANPAGER=%s\n" "$MANPAGER"; printf "GIT_PAGER=%s\n" "$GIT_PAGER"; printf "HISTCONTROL=%s\n" "$HISTCONTROL"; printf "HISTSIZE=%s\n" "$HISTSIZE"; printf "HISTFILESIZE=%s\n" "$HISTFILESIZE"; shopt -q checkwinsize && printf "checkwinsize=enabled\n"; shopt -q cmdhist && printf "cmdhist=enabled\n"; shopt -q lithist && printf "lithist=enabled\n"; printf "BASE_HOME=%s\n" "$BASE_HOME"; cd "$BASE_HOME"; printf "git=%s\n" "$(_base_bash_defaults_git_prompt)"; printf "PS1=%s\n" "$PS1"'
+        bash --rcfile "$TEST_HOME/.bashrc" -i -c 'alias cp; printf "EDITOR=%s\n" "$EDITOR"; printf "VISUAL=%s\n" "$VISUAL"; printf "EXINIT=%s\n" "$EXINIT"; printf "PAGER=%s\n" "$PAGER"; printf "LESS=%s\n" "$LESS"; printf "MANPAGER=%s\n" "$MANPAGER"; printf "GIT_PAGER=%s\n" "$GIT_PAGER"; bind -v | grep -q "^set completion-ignore-case on$" && printf "completion_ignore_case=enabled\n"; bind -v | grep -q "^set show-all-if-ambiguous on$" && printf "show_all_if_ambiguous=enabled\n"; bind -v | grep -q "^set mark-symlinked-directories on$" && printf "mark_symlinked_directories=enabled\n"; printf "HISTCONTROL=%s\n" "$HISTCONTROL"; printf "HISTSIZE=%s\n" "$HISTSIZE"; printf "HISTFILESIZE=%s\n" "$HISTFILESIZE"; shopt -q checkwinsize && printf "checkwinsize=enabled\n"; shopt -q cmdhist && printf "cmdhist=enabled\n"; shopt -q lithist && printf "lithist=enabled\n"; printf "BASE_HOME=%s\n" "$BASE_HOME"; cd "$BASE_HOME"; printf "git=%s\n" "$(_base_bash_defaults_git_prompt)"; printf "PS1=%s\n" "$PS1"'
 
     [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
     [[ "$output" == *"alias cp='cp -i'"* ]]
@@ -512,6 +512,9 @@ EOF
     [[ "$output" == *"LESS=-FRX"* ]]
     [[ "$output" == *"MANPAGER=less -R"* ]]
     [[ "$output" == *"GIT_PAGER=less -FRX"* ]]
+    [[ "$output" == *"completion_ignore_case=enabled"* ]]
+    [[ "$output" == *"show_all_if_ambiguous=enabled"* ]]
+    [[ "$output" == *"mark_symlinked_directories=enabled"* ]]
     [[ "$output" == *"HISTCONTROL=ignoreboth:erasedups"* ]]
     [[ "$output" == *"HISTSIZE=10000"* ]]
     [[ "$output" == *"HISTFILESIZE=20000"* ]]
@@ -528,13 +531,15 @@ EOF
             -u PAGER -u LESS -u MANPAGER -u GIT_PAGER \
             HOME="$TEST_HOME" \
             PATH="/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin" \
-            zsh -f -i -c 'source "$HOME/.zshrc"; printf "PAGER=%s\n" "$PAGER"; printf "LESS=%s\n" "$LESS"; printf "MANPAGER=%s\n" "$MANPAGER"; printf "GIT_PAGER=%s\n" "$GIT_PAGER"; printf "HISTFILE=%s\n" "$HISTFILE"; printf "HISTSIZE=%s\n" "$HISTSIZE"; printf "SAVEHIST=%s\n" "$SAVEHIST"; setopt | grep -q "^extendedhistory$" && printf "extended_history=enabled\n"; setopt | grep -q "^histignorespace$" && printf "hist_ignore_space=enabled\n"; setopt | grep -q "^histreduceblanks$" && printf "hist_reduce_blanks=enabled\n"; setopt | grep -q "^histexpiredupsfirst$" && printf "hist_expire_dups_first=enabled\n"; setopt | grep -q "^histsavenodups$" && printf "hist_save_no_dups=enabled\n"; setopt | grep -q "^histfindnodups$" && printf "hist_find_no_dups=enabled\n"; setopt | grep -q "^histverify$" && printf "hist_verify=enabled\n"; setopt | grep -q "^interactivecomments$" && printf "interactive_comments=enabled\n"; setopt | grep -q "^nobeep$" && printf "no_beep=enabled\n"; cd "$BASE_HOME"; printf "git=%s\n" "$(_base_zsh_defaults_git_prompt)"; printf "PROMPT=%s\n" "$PROMPT"; setopt | grep -q "^promptsubst$"; printf "prompt_subst=enabled\n"'
+            zsh -f -i -c 'source "$HOME/.zshrc"; printf "PAGER=%s\n" "$PAGER"; printf "LESS=%s\n" "$LESS"; printf "MANPAGER=%s\n" "$MANPAGER"; printf "GIT_PAGER=%s\n" "$GIT_PAGER"; zstyle -s ":completion:*" matcher-list matcher_list && printf "matcher_list=%s\n" "$matcher_list"; zstyle -s ":completion:*" menu completion_menu && printf "completion_menu=%s\n" "$completion_menu"; printf "HISTFILE=%s\n" "$HISTFILE"; printf "HISTSIZE=%s\n" "$HISTSIZE"; printf "SAVEHIST=%s\n" "$SAVEHIST"; setopt | grep -q "^extendedhistory$" && printf "extended_history=enabled\n"; setopt | grep -q "^histignorespace$" && printf "hist_ignore_space=enabled\n"; setopt | grep -q "^histreduceblanks$" && printf "hist_reduce_blanks=enabled\n"; setopt | grep -q "^histexpiredupsfirst$" && printf "hist_expire_dups_first=enabled\n"; setopt | grep -q "^histsavenodups$" && printf "hist_save_no_dups=enabled\n"; setopt | grep -q "^histfindnodups$" && printf "hist_find_no_dups=enabled\n"; setopt | grep -q "^histverify$" && printf "hist_verify=enabled\n"; setopt | grep -q "^interactivecomments$" && printf "interactive_comments=enabled\n"; setopt | grep -q "^nobeep$" && printf "no_beep=enabled\n"; cd "$BASE_HOME"; printf "git=%s\n" "$(_base_zsh_defaults_git_prompt)"; printf "PROMPT=%s\n" "$PROMPT"; setopt | grep -q "^promptsubst$"; printf "prompt_subst=enabled\n"'
 
         [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
         [[ "$output" == *"PAGER=less"* ]]
         [[ "$output" == *"LESS=-FRX"* ]]
         [[ "$output" == *"MANPAGER=less -R"* ]]
         [[ "$output" == *"GIT_PAGER=less -FRX"* ]]
+        [[ "$output" == *"matcher_list=m:{a-zA-Z}={A-Za-z}"* ]]
+        [[ "$output" == *"completion_menu=select"* ]]
         [[ "$output" == *"HISTFILE=$TEST_HOME/.zsh_history"* ]]
         [[ "$output" == *"HISTSIZE=10000"* ]]
         [[ "$output" == *"SAVEHIST=10000"* ]]

diff --git a/lib/shell/bash_defaults.sh b/lib/shell/bash_defaults.sh
@@ -58,6 +58,15 @@ _base_bash_defaults_git_prompt() {
 
 export PS1='\[\033[0;35m\]\T \h\[\033[0;33m\] $(_base_bash_defaults_git_prompt)\w\[\033[00m\]: '
 
+_base_bash_defaults_bind_set() {
+    bind "set $1" 2>/dev/null || true
+}
+
+_base_bash_defaults_bind_set "completion-ignore-case on"
+_base_bash_defaults_bind_set "show-all-if-ambiguous on"
+_base_bash_defaults_bind_set "mark-symlinked-directories on"
+unset -f _base_bash_defaults_bind_set
+
 export HISTCONTROL="${HISTCONTROL:-ignoreboth:erasedups}"
 if [[ "${HISTSIZE:-500}" == 500 ]]; then
     export HISTSIZE=10000

diff --git a/lib/shell/zsh_defaults.sh b/lib/shell/zsh_defaults.sh
@@ -42,6 +42,8 @@ source "$base_zsh_defaults_file" || {
 unset base_zsh_defaults_file
 
 bindkey -v
+zstyle ':completion:*' matcher-list 'm:{a-zA-Z}={A-Za-z}'
+zstyle ':completion:*' menu select
 
 _base_zsh_defaults_git_prompt() {
     local branch