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.
*** This bug has been marked as a duplicate of 147102 ***
Dupe.
