Random loss of history entries

[Patrick J. Timlick]

Configuration Information [Automatically generated, do not change]:
Machine: i386
OS: linux-gnu
Compiler: i386-redhat-linux-gcc
Compilation CFLAGS:  -DPROGRAM='bash' -DCONF_HOSTTYPE='i386'
-DCONF_OSTYPE='linux-gnu' -DCONF_MACHTYPE='i386-redhat-linux-gnu'
-DCONF_VENDOR='redhat' -DLOCALEDIR='/usr/share/locale'
-DPACKAGE='bash' -DSHELL -DHAVE_CONFIG_H  -I.  -I. -I./include -I./lib
 -D_LARGEFILE_SOURCE -D_FILE_OFFSET_BITS=64 -O2 -g -pipe -m32
-march=i386 -mtune=pentium4
uname output: Linux rat 2.6.9-42.0.10.ELsmp #1 SMP Tue Feb 27 08:38:56
CST 2007 i686 i686 i386 GNU/Linux
Machine Type: i386-redhat-linux-gnu

Bash Version: 3.0
Patch Level: 15
Release Status: release

Description:
        When using bash command history heavily, with long lines, and command
review and reuse, command history becomes useless, possibly being
reset way back in time.
There is more detail at http://shallowsky.com/blog/linux/, the essence
of which is repeated below:
"Say I type some longish command. After it runs, I hit return a couple
of times, wait a while, do a couple of other things, then decide I
want to call that command back from history so I can run something
similar, maybe with the filename changed or a different flag. I ctrl-P
or up-arrow ... and the command isn't there!

If I type history at this point, I'll see most of my command history
... with an empty line in place of the line I was hoping to repeat.
The command is gone. My only option is to remember what I typed, and
type it all again."


Repeat-By:
        I have not been able to discern a pattern, except that it happens at
very inconvenient times.