Copy and paste from a text console.

stf92 · 09-18-2011, 08:28 PM

Hi:

One of the last things the slack installer (setup) asks, is if you want support for mouse copy and paste. I always say Yes. Can somebody tell me how to use it?

Helen · 09-18-2011, 10:07 PM

I think it means when you work under a text console, you can copy the text through selecting it. And you can paste it though clicking the right mouse button.
I wonder if it works for you.

stf92 · 09-18-2011, 10:14 PM

I do not get it. I select. The selected part is then highlighted. To make use of it, I'd put the text in the buffer of a text editor, say vim. But typing 'vim' deselects the text. If with the prompt I right click, it is copied into the screen, but is of no use.

Daedra · 09-18-2011, 10:37 PM

Try highlighting the text and then push down on your mouse wheel to paste.

stf92 · 09-18-2011, 10:40 PM

Right button or left?

stf92 · 09-18-2011, 10:55 PM

I found a solution, but I lose the screen top line. First I type 'cat > foo.txt' <Enter>. I now select, paste and ctrl-D. Ready for use.

Daedra · 09-18-2011, 10:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stf92

Right button or left?

Neither, push down on your mouse wheel button. Sorry for the confusion in the above post.

stf92 · 09-19-2011, 12:03 AM

Is it equivalent to the central button in a three button mouse?

Daedra · 09-19-2011, 12:48 AM

I would think so, but maybe your mouse is different, not 100% sure. The mouse wheel is usually considered button 3.

stf92 · 09-19-2011, 01:56 AM

Then I have no doubt. Pushing the wheel down is the same as pushing button three in a three-button mouse. Well, I do it and nothing happens. Did you read post #6?

And, if you do not mind, what do you use this feature for? I would like to know.

ruario · 09-19-2011, 10:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stf92

And, if you do not mind, what do you use this feature for? I would like to know.

Umm ... I to copy and paste text. It saves typing!

I'm not always running X, in fact I don't even always have it installed on every one of my machines.

It is also particularly handy if you are copying commands from documentation or your own notes as you are less likely to miss type. If you want to copy between running applications run them in a terminal multiplexer like GNU/Screen or better yet tmux.

onebuck · 09-19-2011, 11:23 AM

Hi,

Quote:

excerpt from 'man gpm';
gpm - a cut and paste utility and mouse server for virtual consoles

SYNOPSIS
gpm [ options ]

DESCRIPTION
This package tries to be a useful mouse server for applications running on the
Linux console. It is based on the "selection" package, and some of its code comes
from selection itself. This package is intended as a replacement for "selection" as
a cut-and-paste mechanism; it also provides additional facilities. The "selection"
package offered the first cut-and-paste implementation for Linux using two mouse
buttons, and the cut buffer is still called "selection buffer" or just "selection"
throughout this document. The information below is extracted from the texinfo
file, which is the preferred source of information.

The gpm executable is meant to act like a daemon (thus, gpmd would be a better name
for it). This section is meant to describe the command-line options for gpm, while
its internals are outlined in the next section.

Due to restrictions in the ioctl(TIOCLINUX) system call, gpm must be run by the
superuser. The restrictions have been added in the last 1.1 kernels to fix a secu-
rity hole related to selection and screen dumping.

The server can be configured to match the user's taste, and any application using
the mouse will inherit the server's attitude. From release 1.02 up to 1.19.2 is was
possible for any user logged on the system console to change the mouse feeling
using the -q option. This is no longer possible for security reasons.

As of 0.97 the server program puts itself in the background. To kill gpm you can
just reinvoke it with the -k cmdline switch, although killall gpm can be a better
choice.

I like to use 'gpm' since work is it cli most of the time. Makes my life easier to cut & paste between console(s) or applications.

Even when using a vt using 'gpm' will allow one to utility between applications when set-up properly.

Two button scroll mice are ideal for 'gpm' when the proper setup is made. That way the scroll wheel button is very handy.

MTK358 · 09-19-2011, 12:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daedra

I would think so, but maybe your mouse is different, not 100% sure. The mouse wheel is usually considered button 3.

The wheel is button 2.

Button 1 = Left
Button 2 = Middle or Wheel
Button 3 = Right

slac-in-the-box · 09-19-2011, 01:17 PM

Coders frequently turn their nose up at a mouse, as if it were some smelly newbie tool, and as if they could do the same tasks faster without the mouse...

So how, in console, would they move blocks of text within the same file, or between separate files, more quickly than if they were using a mouse: with the "kill" and "yank" features of emacs, or course! It turns out, that if you can teach your fingers to memorize zillions of emacs keybard shortcuts, then you won't want a mouse.

stf92 · 09-19-2011, 01:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ruario

Umm ... I to copy and paste text. It saves typing!

I'm not always running X, in fact I don't even always have it installed on every one of my machines.

It is also particularly handy if you are copying commands from documentation or your own notes as you are less likely to miss type. If you want to copy between running applications run them in a terminal multiplexer like GNU/Screen or better yet tmux.

OK. But why do you not tell me how you use. The only way I know of is with something like cat. First I type 'cat > foo.txt' <Enter>. I now select, paste and ctrl-D. If instead I select, and run vim, when I paste vim simply puts me in Insert mode.