It does that with a completion script, typically put in /etc/bash.completion.d. All scripts in this directory are sourced by /etc/bashrc. Each app provides its own completion script.

Thanks. Sounds relatively contained. You could probably make it even more contained with some symlink magic or so.

No, you don't understand packaging systems.

The packaging system (RPM, deb) tracks files installed anywhere on the filesystem, including ones in /etc/bash.completion.d/, and will remove all of them when the application is uninstalled. "Symlink magic", whatever that is, won't help at all.

> No, you don't understand packaging systems.

I know that the package manager keeps track of it. I did not express myself clear enough.

> The packaging system (RPM, deb) tracks files installed anywhere on the filesystem, including ones in /etc/bash.completion.d/, and will remove all of them when the application is uninstalled. "Symlink magic", whatever that is, won't help at all.

If all the files needed for a package / program are in one place, the job of the package manager gets easier.

You might want to have a look at GoboLinux. They are trying to make the file system the package manager. (Haven't used it, yet, though. Still using a Linux with a traditional package manager.)