Using bash, version 3.1.16(1)-release (x86_64-pc-linux-gnu), typing "source somefile" or ". somefile" looks for "somefile" in $PATH before searching for files in the current directory. For example, in a directory with an empty file called "vim", typing ". vim" prints (to stderr): "bash: ELF: command not found", which is the result I would get from typing "source `which vim`". Obviously, bash should just source the (empty) file and give no output. Typing ". ./vim" behaves as expected. I noticed this behavior on a system with bash completion installed and in use, but I have tested it after commenting out my /etc/profile file and removing ~/.bashrc.
*** Bug 147104 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
man bash /source <snip> If filename does not contain a slash, file names in PATH are used to find the directory containing filename. The file searched for in PATH need not be executable. When bash is not in posix mode, the current directory is searched if no file is found in PATH. If the sourcepath option to the shopt builtin command is turned off, the PATH is not searched. </snip>
