Copy and paste from Emacs 29 to Thunderbird doesn’t work

Copy and paste from Emacs 29 to Thunderbird doesn’t work

[Tobias Bading]

Hi.

I think I discovered a new kind of bug. It’s not like a heisenbug that
tries to prevent people from studying it properly — this one tries to
prevent being *reported*! XD

When I was done composing my last mail in Emacs 29
(https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/emacs-devel/2023-04/msg00771.html),
I tried to copy and paste the text into Thunderbird. Emphasis on trying.
C-v didn’t work. Nothing happened. Double-clicked just a single word in
Emacs, C-v in Thunderbird… nope, nothing. Clicked into Thunderbird’s
‘Subject’ field and pressed C-v… now I see my copied word! What the f…?

Tried the same in Emacs 26 — no problems.

After installing xclip and starting to wonder about the bazillion different
selection formats, I wasn’t really in the mood for reading entire books
about the X11 primary selection and clipboard. So I simply grep’d the
sources for “OWNER_OS” because I have no idea why anyone would want to
associate the operating system’s type with a selection. That led to
selection-converter-alist in select.el.

Long story short, replacing Emacs 29’s selection-converter-alist with the
one from Emacs 26 seems to fix the problem, i.e.:

diff --git a/lisp/select.el b/lisp/select.el
index 7f089c62dd..7f885eafcf 100644
--- a/lisp/select.el
+++ b/lisp/select.el
@@ -894,14 +894,6 @@ xselect-convert-to-dt-netfile
      (COMPOUND_TEXT . xselect-convert-to-string)
      (STRING . xselect-convert-to-string)
      (UTF8_STRING . xselect-convert-to-string)
-    (text/plain . xselect-convert-to-string)
-    (text/plain\;charset=utf-8 . xselect-convert-to-string)
-        (text/uri-list . (xselect-uri-list-available-p
-                          . xselect-convert-to-text-uri-list))
-        (text/x-xdnd-username . (xselect-dnd-target-available-p
-                                 . xselect-convert-to-username))
-        (FILE . (xselect-uri-list-available-p
-                 . xselect-convert-to-xm-file))
      (TARGETS . xselect-convert-to-targets)
      (LENGTH . xselect-convert-to-length)
      (DELETE . xselect-convert-to-delete)
@@ -917,13 +909,7 @@ xselect-convert-to-dt-netfile
      (ATOM . xselect-convert-to-atom)
      (INTEGER . xselect-convert-to-integer)
      (SAVE_TARGETS . xselect-convert-to-save-targets)
-    (_EMACS_INTERNAL . xselect-convert-to-identity)
-        (XmTRANSFER_SUCCESS . (xselect-dnd-target-available-p
-                               . xselect-convert-xm-special))
-        (XmTRANSFER_FAILURE . (xselect-dnd-target-available-p
-                               . xselect-convert-xm-special))
-        (_DT_NETFILE . (xselect-dt-netfile-available-p
-                        . xselect-convert-to-dt-netfile))))
+    (_EMACS_INTERNAL . xselect-convert-to-identity)))

  (provide 'select)

Of course that’s just a quick and dirty hack which will probably lead to
other problems. Could someone who knows this stuff please look into this?

BTW, my Emacs runs with select-enable-clipboard and select-enable-primary
both set to t.

Tobias

PS: please keep me CC’d, thanks

Re: Copy and paste from Emacs 29 to Thunderbird doesn’t work

[Po Lu]

Tobias Bading <tbading@web.de> writes:

> Hi.
>
> I think I discovered a new kind of bug. It’s not like a heisenbug that
> tries to prevent people from studying it properly — this one tries to
> prevent being *reported*! XD
>
> When I was done composing my last mail in Emacs 29
> (https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/emacs-devel/2023-04/msg00771.html),
> I tried to copy and paste the text into Thunderbird. Emphasis on trying.
> C-v didn’t work. Nothing happened. Double-clicked just a single word in
> Emacs, C-v in Thunderbird… nope, nothing. Clicked into Thunderbird’s
> ‘Subject’ field and pressed C-v… now I see my copied word! What the f…?
>
> Tried the same in Emacs 26 — no problems.
>
> After installing xclip and starting to wonder about the bazillion different
> selection formats, I wasn’t really in the mood for reading entire books
> about the X11 primary selection and clipboard. So I simply grep’d the
> sources for “OWNER_OS” because I have no idea why anyone would want to
> associate the operating system’s type with a selection. That led to
> selection-converter-alist in select.el.
>
> Long story short, replacing Emacs 29’s selection-converter-alist with the
> one from Emacs 26 seems to fix the problem, i.e.:

This is not a solution, but would you please send this to
bug-gnu-emacs@gnu.org instead?

My suspicion is that Thunderbird asks for a target it shouldn't have.
Likely text/plain.

Re: Re: Copy and paste from Emacs 29 to Thunderbird doesn’t work

[Pedro Andres Aranda Gutierrez]

[-- Attachment #1: Type: text/plain, Size: 277 bytes --]

Hi Tobias,

Confirmed on Ubuntu 22.04 with emacs-master and Thunderbird.

However, there is a simple workaround:

Use <Ctrl><Shift>V in Thunderbird, which is ‘paste as text’

To add: this is not needed on macOS emacs-master and the native Mail.app

My .2cents /PA

[-- Attachment #2: smime.p7s --]
[-- Type: application/pkcs7-signature, Size: 4482 bytes --]

Re: Copy and paste from Emacs 29 to Thunderbird doesn’t work

[Po Lu]

Pedro Andres Aranda Gutierrez <paaguti@gmail.com> writes:

> Hi Tobias,
>
> Confirmed on Ubuntu 22.04 with emacs-master and Thunderbird.
>
> However, there is a simple workaround:
>
> Use <Ctrl><Shift>V in Thunderbird, which is ‘paste as text’
>
> To add: this is not needed on macOS emacs-master and the native Mail.app
>
> My .2cents /PA

So my guess is that Thunderbird thinks one of the text/plain selection
targets is... not text/plain?  Or maybe it wants the property type
returned to be an X string type and not the MIME type it asked for?

I will try to get a copy of Thunderbird with this problem.

Re: Copy and paste from Emacs 29 to Thunderbird doesn’t work

[Gregor Zattler]

* Po Lu <luangruo@yahoo.com> [2023-05-02; 16:10 +08]:
> Pedro Andres Aranda Gutierrez <paaguti@gmail.com> writes:
>> Confirmed on Ubuntu 22.04 with emacs-master and Thunderbird.
>>
>> However, there is a simple workaround:
>>
>> Use <Ctrl><Shift>V in Thunderbird, which is ‘paste as text’

I have the same problem with some firefox text input
boxes, like the one at https://deepl.com (left side).
I cannot paste text killed in Emacs.

Killing the text in Emacs and then in a terminal:

xclip -selection clipboard -o | xclip -i ; xclip -o | xclip -selection clipboard -i 

helps.  Then I can paste the text in the input box.

This is on debian/bullseye.

Re: Copy and paste from Emacs 29 to Thunderbird doesn’t work

[Po Lu]

Gregor Zattler <telegraph@gmx.net> writes:

> I have the same problem with some firefox text input
> boxes, like the one at https://deepl.com (left side).
> I cannot paste text killed in Emacs.

Unfortunately, this text box works for me.  The same goes for
Thunderbird.  Would you mind telling me which version of Firefox you
have installed?

Re: Copy and paste from Emacs 29 to Thunderbird doesn’t work

[Tobias Bading]

On 02.05.23 10:10, Po Lu wrote:
> So my guess is that Thunderbird thinks one of the text/plain selection
> targets is... not text/plain?  Or maybe it wants the property type
> returned to be an X string type and not the MIME type it asked for?

For me on Ubuntu (MATE) 20.04.6 LTS with Thunderbird
102.9.0+build1-0ubuntu0.20.04.1, this is the smallest patch I’ve found so
far to fix copy and paste from Emacs to a Thunderbird mail composition
window:

diff --git a/lisp/select.el b/lisp/select.el
index 7f089c62dd..f806e89720 100644
--- a/lisp/select.el
+++ b/lisp/select.el
@@ -896,8 +896,6 @@ xselect-convert-to-dt-netfile
     (UTF8_STRING . xselect-convert-to-string)
     (text/plain . xselect-convert-to-string)
     (text/plain\;charset=utf-8 . xselect-convert-to-string)
-        (text/uri-list . (xselect-uri-list-available-p
-                          . xselect-convert-to-text-uri-list))
         (text/x-xdnd-username . (xselect-dnd-target-available-p
                                  . xselect-convert-to-username))
         (FILE . (xselect-uri-list-available-p

Without this change I can paste a word into a Thunderbird input field like
To or Subject, but no into the mail composition area.

Pedro’s suggestion to use Ctrl+Shift+V (‘Paste Without Formatting’) instead
of Ctrl+V in Thunderbird works as well, without this patch.

I can’t reproduce the problem with deepl.com that Gregor described, neither
with Firefox 88.0.1 nor 111.0.1.

Tobias

PS: please keep me CC’d, thanks

Re: Copy and paste from Emacs 29 to Thunderbird doesn’t work

[Po Lu]

Tobias Bading <tbading@web.de> writes:

> On 02.05.23 10:10, Po Lu wrote:
>> So my guess is that Thunderbird thinks one of the text/plain selection
>> targets is... not text/plain?  Or maybe it wants the property type
>> returned to be an X string type and not the MIME type it asked for?
>
> For me on Ubuntu (MATE) 20.04.6 LTS with Thunderbird
> 102.9.0+build1-0ubuntu0.20.04.1, this is the smallest patch I’ve found so
> far to fix copy and paste from Emacs to a Thunderbird mail composition
> window:
>
> diff --git a/lisp/select.el b/lisp/select.el
> index 7f089c62dd..f806e89720 100644
> --- a/lisp/select.el
> +++ b/lisp/select.el
> @@ -896,8 +896,6 @@ xselect-convert-to-dt-netfile
>      (UTF8_STRING . xselect-convert-to-string)
>      (text/plain . xselect-convert-to-string)
>      (text/plain\;charset=utf-8 . xselect-convert-to-string)
> -        (text/uri-list . (xselect-uri-list-available-p
> -                          . xselect-convert-to-text-uri-list))
>          (text/x-xdnd-username . (xselect-dnd-target-available-p
>                                   . xselect-convert-to-username))
>          (FILE . (xselect-uri-list-available-p
>
> Without this change I can paste a word into a Thunderbird input field like
> To or Subject, but no into the mail composition area.
>
> Pedro’s suggestion to use Ctrl+Shift+V (‘Paste Without Formatting’) instead
> of Ctrl+V in Thunderbird works as well, without this patch.
>
> I can’t reproduce the problem with deepl.com that Gregor described, neither
> with Firefox 88.0.1 nor 111.0.1.

OK, would you please run:

  M-x trace-function RET x-dnd-convert-to-text-uri-list RET

copy something to Firefox, and show what trace output is printed?

Re: Copy and paste from Emacs 29 to Thunderbird doesn’t work

[Tobias Bading]

On 03.05.23 07:20, Po Lu wrote:
> OK, would you please run:
>
>   M-x trace-function RET x-dnd-convert-to-text-uri-list RET
>
> copy something to Firefox, and show what trace output is printed?

Sorry, there’s no x-dnd-convert-to-text-uri-list, only Zuul. ;-)

(trace-function 'xselect-convert-to-text-uri-list), selecting
“nopers” in Emacs 29 and then a paste in Thunderbird’s mail composition area
produces

1 -> (xselect-convert-to-text-uri-list CLIPBOARD text/uri-list "nopers")
1 <- xselect-convert-to-text-uri-list: (text/uri-list . "nopers\n")

Re: Copy and paste from Emacs 29 to Thunderbird doesn’t work

[Po Lu]

Tobias Bading <tbading@web.de> writes:

> On 03.05.23 07:20, Po Lu wrote:
>> OK, would you please run:
>>
>>   M-x trace-function RET x-dnd-convert-to-text-uri-list RET
>>
>> copy something to Firefox, and show what trace output is printed?
>
> Sorry, there’s no x-dnd-convert-to-text-uri-list, only Zuul. ;-)
>
> (trace-function 'xselect-convert-to-text-uri-list), selecting
> “nopers” in Emacs 29 and then a paste in Thunderbird’s mail composition area
> produces
>
> 1 -> (xselect-convert-to-text-uri-list CLIPBOARD text/uri-list "nopers")
> 1 <- xselect-convert-to-text-uri-list: (text/uri-list . "nopers\n")

Thanks.  Would you please try this change?

diff --git a/lisp/select.el b/lisp/select.el
index 7f089c62dd5..09c678867d0 100644
--- a/lisp/select.el
+++ b/lisp/select.el
@@ -807,19 +807,24 @@ xselect-convert-to-save-targets
 (defun xselect-convert-to-username (_selection _type _value)
   (user-real-login-name))
 
-(defun xselect-convert-to-text-uri-list (_selection _type value)
-  (let ((string
-         (if (stringp value)
-             (xselect--encode-string 'TEXT
-                                     (concat (url-encode-url value) "\n"))
-           (when (vectorp value)
-             (with-temp-buffer
-               (cl-loop for tem across value
-                        do (progn
-                             (insert (url-encode-url tem))
-                             (insert "\n")))
-               (xselect--encode-string 'TEXT (buffer-string)))))))
-    (cons 'text/uri-list (cdr string))))
+(defun xselect-convert-to-text-uri-list (selection _type value)
+  ;; While `xselect-uri-list-available-p' ensures that this target
+  ;; will not be reported in the TARGETS of non-drag-and-drop
+  ;; selections, Firefox stupidly converts to it anyway.  Check that
+  ;; the conversion request is being made for the correct selection.
+  (and (eq selection 'XdndSelection)
+       (let ((string
+              (if (stringp value)
+                  (xselect--encode-string 'TEXT
+                                          (concat (url-encode-url value) "\n"))
+                (when (vectorp value)
+                  (with-temp-buffer
+                    (cl-loop for tem across value
+                             do (progn
+                                  (insert (url-encode-url tem))
+                                  (insert "\n")))
+                    (xselect--encode-string 'TEXT (buffer-string)))))))
+         (cons 'text/uri-list (cdr string)))))
 
 (defun xselect-convert-to-xm-file (selection _type value)
   (when (and (stringp value)

Re: Copy and paste from Emacs 29 to Thunderbird doesn’t work

[Tobias Bading]

On 03.05.23 07:57, Po Lu wrote:
> Thanks.  Would you please try this change?
>
> diff --git a/lisp/select.el b/lisp/select.el
> index 7f089c62dd5..09c678867d0 100644
> --- a/lisp/select.el
> +++ b/lisp/select.el
> @@ -807,19 +807,24 @@ xselect-convert-to-save-targets
>  (defun xselect-convert-to-username (_selection _type _value)
>    (user-real-login-name))
>  
> -(defun xselect-convert-to-text-uri-list (_selection _type value)
> -  (let ((string
> -         (if (stringp value)
> -             (xselect--encode-string 'TEXT
> -                                     (concat (url-encode-url value) "\n"))
> -           (when (vectorp value)
> -             (with-temp-buffer
> -               (cl-loop for tem across value
> -                        do (progn
> -                             (insert (url-encode-url tem))
> -                             (insert "\n")))
> -               (xselect--encode-string 'TEXT (buffer-string)))))))
> -    (cons 'text/uri-list (cdr string))))
> +(defun xselect-convert-to-text-uri-list (selection _type value)
> +  ;; While `xselect-uri-list-available-p' ensures that this target
> +  ;; will not be reported in the TARGETS of non-drag-and-drop
> +  ;; selections, Firefox stupidly converts to it anyway.  Check that
> +  ;; the conversion request is being made for the correct selection.
> +  (and (eq selection 'XdndSelection)
> +       (let ((string
> +              (if (stringp value)
> +                  (xselect--encode-string 'TEXT
> +                                          (concat (url-encode-url value) "\n"))
> +                (when (vectorp value)
> +                  (with-temp-buffer
> +                    (cl-loop for tem across value
> +                             do (progn
> +                                  (insert (url-encode-url tem))
> +                                  (insert "\n")))
> +                    (xselect--encode-string 'TEXT (buffer-string)))))))
> +         (cons 'text/uri-list (cdr string)))))
>  
>  (defun xselect-convert-to-xm-file (selection _type value)
>    (when (and (stringp value)

Yes, that works and (trace-function 'xselect-convert-to-text-uri-list)
produces

1 -> (xselect-convert-to-text-uri-list CLIPBOARD text/uri-list "nopers")
1 <- xselect-convert-to-text-uri-list: nil

Re: Copy and paste from Emacs 29 to Thunderbird doesn’t work

[Po Lu]

Tobias Bading <tbading@web.de> writes:

> Yes, that works and (trace-function 'xselect-convert-to-text-uri-list)
> produces
>
> 1 -> (xselect-convert-to-text-uri-list CLIPBOARD text/uri-list "nopers")
> 1 <- xselect-convert-to-text-uri-list: nil

OK, thanks.  Eli, is this safe for Emacs 29?

2023-05-03  Po Lu  <luangruo@yahoo.com>

	* lisp/select.el (xselect-convert-to-text-uri-list): Don't
        return any value when converting non-DND selections to this
        drag-and-drop target.

        Reported by Tobias Bading <tbading@web.de>.

diff --git a/lisp/select.el b/lisp/select.el
index 7f089c62dd5..09c678867d0 100644
--- a/lisp/select.el
+++ b/lisp/select.el
@@ -807,19 +807,24 @@ xselect-convert-to-save-targets
 (defun xselect-convert-to-username (_selection _type _value)
   (user-real-login-name))
 
-(defun xselect-convert-to-text-uri-list (_selection _type value)
-  (let ((string
-         (if (stringp value)
-             (xselect--encode-string 'TEXT
-                                     (concat (url-encode-url value) "\n"))
-           (when (vectorp value)
-             (with-temp-buffer
-               (cl-loop for tem across value
-                        do (progn
-                             (insert (url-encode-url tem))
-                             (insert "\n")))
-               (xselect--encode-string 'TEXT (buffer-string)))))))
-    (cons 'text/uri-list (cdr string))))
+(defun xselect-convert-to-text-uri-list (selection _type value)
+  ;; While `xselect-uri-list-available-p' ensures that this target
+  ;; will not be reported in the TARGETS of non-drag-and-drop
+  ;; selections, Firefox stupidly converts to it anyway.  Check that
+  ;; the conversion request is being made for the correct selection.
+  (and (eq selection 'XdndSelection)
+       (let ((string
+              (if (stringp value)
+                  (xselect--encode-string 'TEXT
+                                          (concat (url-encode-url value) "\n"))
+                (when (vectorp value)
+                  (with-temp-buffer
+                    (cl-loop for tem across value
+                             do (progn
+                                  (insert (url-encode-url tem))
+                                  (insert "\n")))
+                    (xselect--encode-string 'TEXT (buffer-string)))))))
+         (cons 'text/uri-list (cdr string)))))
 
 (defun xselect-convert-to-xm-file (selection _type value)
   (when (and (stringp value)

Re: Copy and paste from Emacs 29 to Thunderbird doesn’t work

[Eli Zaretskii]

> From: Po Lu <luangruo@yahoo.com>
> Cc: emacs-devel@gnu.org,  Pedro Andres Aranda Gutierrez <paaguti@gmail.com>,
>  Gregor Zattler <telegraph@gmx.net>
> Date: Wed, 03 May 2023 14:54:22 +0800
> 
> Tobias Bading <tbading@web.de> writes:
> 
> > Yes, that works and (trace-function 'xselect-convert-to-text-uri-list)
> > produces
> >
> > 1 -> (xselect-convert-to-text-uri-list CLIPBOARD text/uri-list "nopers")
> > 1 <- xselect-convert-to-text-uri-list: nil
> 
> OK, thanks.  Eli, is this safe for Emacs 29?

I think so.  But even if it isn't, we've got to fix this, as this code
is new in Emacs 29, AFAIU.

Thanks.

Re: Copy and paste from Emacs 29 to Thunderbird doesn’t work

[Po Lu]

Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org> writes:

>> From: Po Lu <luangruo@yahoo.com>
>> Cc: emacs-devel@gnu.org,  Pedro Andres Aranda Gutierrez <paaguti@gmail.com>,
>>  Gregor Zattler <telegraph@gmx.net>
>> Date: Wed, 03 May 2023 14:54:22 +0800
>> 
>> Tobias Bading <tbading@web.de> writes:
>> 
>> > Yes, that works and (trace-function 'xselect-convert-to-text-uri-list)
>> > produces
>> >
>> > 1 -> (xselect-convert-to-text-uri-list CLIPBOARD text/uri-list "nopers")
>> > 1 <- xselect-convert-to-text-uri-list: nil
>> 
>> OK, thanks.  Eli, is this safe for Emacs 29?
>
> I think so.  But even if it isn't, we've got to fix this, as this code
> is new in Emacs 29, AFAIU.
>
> Thanks.

Now installed on emacs-29.

Re: Copy and paste from Emacs 29 to Thunderbird doesn’t work

[Gregor Zattler]

* Po Lu <luangruo@yahoo.com> [2023-05-03; 07:33 +08]:
> Gregor Zattler <telegraph@gmx.net> writes:
>> I have the same problem with some firefox text input
>> boxes, like the one at https://deepl.com (left side).
>> I cannot paste text killed in Emacs.
>
> Unfortunately, this text box works for me.  The same goes for
> Thunderbird.  Would you mind telling me which version of Firefox you
> have installed?

It's 102.10.0esr.

In preparing this very email, I checked with emacs -Q,
and was one time able to paste killed text from
*scratch* in the aforementioned text box.  But
strangely not again, even after restarting emacs and
firefox...


My normal configuration contains:

  (setopt select-enable-clipboard t)
  (setopt select-enable-primary nil)
  (setopt mouse-yank-at-point t)          ; pastes at point
  (setopt save-interprogram-paste-before-kill t)
  (setopt mouse-drag-copy-region t)

I tried toggling some of them but this did not help.

Thanks for looking into this, it's really annoying.

Re: Copy and paste from Emacs 29 to Thunderbird doesn’t work

[Po Lu]

Gregor Zattler <telegraph@gmx.net> writes:

> * Po Lu <luangruo@yahoo.com> [2023-05-03; 07:33 +08]:
>> Gregor Zattler <telegraph@gmx.net> writes:
>>> I have the same problem with some firefox text input
>>> boxes, like the one at https://deepl.com (left side).
>>> I cannot paste text killed in Emacs.
>>
>> Unfortunately, this text box works for me.  The same goes for
>> Thunderbird.  Would you mind telling me which version of Firefox you
>> have installed?
>
> It's 102.10.0esr.
>
> In preparing this very email, I checked with emacs -Q,
> and was one time able to paste killed text from
> *scratch* in the aforementioned text box.  But
> strangely not again, even after restarting emacs and
> firefox...
>
>
> My normal configuration contains:
>
>   (setopt select-enable-clipboard t)
>   (setopt select-enable-primary nil)
>   (setopt mouse-yank-at-point t)          ; pastes at point
>   (setopt save-interprogram-paste-before-kill t)
>   (setopt mouse-drag-copy-region t)
>
> I tried toggling some of them but this did not help.
>
> Thanks for looking into this, it's really annoying.

Did you try the emacs-29 branch?  I think I fixed this there.

Re: Copy and paste from Emacs 29 to Thunderbird doesn’t work

[Gregor Zattler]

* Po Lu <luangruo@yahoo.com> [2023-05-05; 08:16 +08]:
> Did you try the emacs-29 branch?  I think I fixed this there.

Sorry I only later saw the rest of the thread.  I did
build emacs-29 and just now tested it: It works now for
me.

Thanks so much!

Re: Copy and paste from Emacs 29 to Thunderbird doesn’t work

[Po Lu]

Gregor Zattler <telegraph@gmx.net> writes:

> * Po Lu <luangruo@yahoo.com> [2023-05-05; 08:16 +08]:
>> Did you try the emacs-29 branch?  I think I fixed this there.
>
> Sorry I only later saw the rest of the thread.  I did
> build emacs-29 and just now tested it: It works now for
> me.
>
> Thanks so much!

Good to hear, thanks.