Subject: bug#9197: 24.0.50; Visiting a remote file in one server, when default directory is in another one

From: Michael Albinus <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 29 Jul 2011 17:10:00 +0200

Dani Moncayo <[email-masked]> writes:

> Recipe from "emacs -Q":
>
> 1. Change the current buffer's default directory to some path in
> "host-a": M-x cd <RET> /user-a@host-a:/dir-a <RET>.
> 2. Try to visit some (existing) file in host-b: C-x C-f
> /user-b@host-b:/path-to-some-file <RET>.
>
> Note that, in step #2, just before hitting <RET>, the contents of the
> minibuffer are:
>    /user-a@host-a:/dir-a//user-b@host-b:/path-to-some-file
>
> Expected behavior: the file "/path-to-some-file" (from "host-b") is visited.
>
> Observed behavior: an error occurs, because Emacs tried to visit a
> (nonexistent) file in "host-a", whose path is
> "/user-b@host-b:/path-to-some-file".

This is the intended behaviour. When your buffer's default directory is
remote and you want to open a local file or a file on another remote
server, you need three slashes, like this:

  /user-a@host-a:/dir-a///user-b@host-b:/path-to-some-file

See also (info "(tramp)Filename completion")

Best regards, Michael.