FTR: For the package https://packages.debian.org/sid/bash-completion I've read through the bugs https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/pkgreport.cgi?pkg=bash-completion;dist=unstable To find at most this one of relevance: https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=489720 "bash-completion: Please do not expand leading tildes" who's last update was Sep 2009l, so it's not any change from there.