Using the clipboard in development version of Emacs

Using the clipboard in development version of Emacs

[Dan Davison]

I'm using Emacs compiled from recent source, under Linux. There have
been changes to the way Emacs interacts with the clipboard: e.g., if
text is selected in an X application, `yank' no longer pastes it into an
Emacs buffer; similarly `kill-region' no longer stores the text in a way
that middle-click will paste it into an X application.

Can anyone tell me how to get the behaviour I'm looking for (implied
above), or point me to the relevant discussion?

Thanks,

Dan

Re: Using the clipboard in development version of Emacs

[Dan Davison]

Dan Davison <davison@stats.ox.ac.uk> writes:

> I'm using Emacs compiled from recent source, under Linux. There have
> been changes to the way Emacs interacts with the clipboard: e.g., if
> text is selected in an X application, `yank' no longer pastes it into an
> Emacs buffer; similarly `kill-region' no longer stores the text in a way
> that middle-click will paste it into an X application.
>
> Can anyone tell me how to get the behaviour I'm looking for (implied
> above), or point me to the relevant discussion?

Hmm, sorry, I should have done more googling first. I am getting the
impression that this is work-in-progress, rather than a stable
change. So I think my question was not appropriate for this (or perhaps
any) list.

Dan

>
> Thanks,
>
> Dan

Re: Using the clipboard in development version of Emacs

[suvayu ali]

Hi Dan,

On 7 September 2010 11:47, Dan Davison <davison@stats.ox.ac.uk> wrote:
> Dan Davison <davison@stats.ox.ac.uk> writes:
>
>> I'm using Emacs compiled from recent source, under Linux. There have
>> been changes to the way Emacs interacts with the clipboard: e.g., if
>> text is selected in an X application, `yank' no longer pastes it into an
>> Emacs buffer; similarly `kill-region' no longer stores the text in a way
>> that middle-click will paste it into an X application.
>>
>> Can anyone tell me how to get the behaviour I'm looking for (implied
>> above), or point me to the relevant discussion?
>
> Hmm, sorry, I should have done more googling first. I am getting the
> impression that this is work-in-progress, rather than a stable
> change. So I think my question was not appropriate for this (or perhaps
> any) list.
>

I also prefer the old behaviour, and would like to get it back. Could
you point me to the discussion where this change is being discussed? I
would like to follow it.

> Dan

Thanks a lot.

-- 
Suvayu

Open source is the future. It sets us free.

Re: Using the clipboard in development version of Emacs

[Tim X]

Dan Davison <davison@stats.ox.ac.uk> writes:

> Dan Davison <davison@stats.ox.ac.uk> writes:
>
>> I'm using Emacs compiled from recent source, under Linux. There have
>> been changes to the way Emacs interacts with the clipboard: e.g., if
>> text is selected in an X application, `yank' no longer pastes it into an
>> Emacs buffer; similarly `kill-region' no longer stores the text in a way
>> that middle-click will paste it into an X application.
>>
>> Can anyone tell me how to get the behaviour I'm looking for (implied
>> above), or point me to the relevant discussion?
>
> Hmm, sorry, I should have done more googling first. I am getting the
> impression that this is work-in-progress, rather than a stable
> change. So I think my question was not appropriate for this (or perhaps
> any) list.
>

Yes, it is work in progress. The issue seems to be the desire to get
consistent behavior between emacs run under X and Windows and get
consistency between emacs running under X and other X applications. 

When encountering issues with the development version of emacs, it is
important to check the NEWS and PROBLEMS files. This will often save you
time. The current NEWS file for emacs 24 has some details regarding
changes in default settings for selection etc. You can probably restore
the behavior you are use to by setting these back (though as it is work
in progress, there could be other issues). 

Tim


-- 
tcross (at) rapttech dot com dot au

Re: Using the clipboard in development version of Emacs

[Stefan Monnier]

> Hmm, sorry, I should have done more googling first.  I am getting the
> impression that this is work-in-progress, rather than a stable change.

Actually, while some of the implementation details may still change, the
behavior you describe is the one sought after.  It may seem odd after
all these years of using the other behavior, but it is the standard
behavior of most other X applications: the PRIMARY selection and the
CLIPBOARD are 2 separate entities: the PRIMARY is set via "mouse-1
selection" and used via "mouse-2 paste", and the CLIPBOARD is set/used
via things like C-k/C-y or C-x/C-v.

Check NEWS (e.g. with C-h N) to see what's changed, and hence how to
change back if you prefer the earlier behavior.


        Stefan

Re: Using the clipboard in development version of Emacs

[Miles Bader]

Stefan Monnier <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca> writes:
>> Hmm, sorry, I should have done more googling first.  I am getting the
>> impression that this is work-in-progress, rather than a stable change.
>
> Actually, while some of the implementation details may still change, the
> behavior you describe is the one sought after.  It may seem odd after
> all these years of using the other behavior, but it is the standard
> behavior of most other X applications: the PRIMARY selection and the
> CLIPBOARD are 2 separate entities: the PRIMARY is set via "mouse-1
> selection" and used via "mouse-2 paste", and the CLIPBOARD is set/used
> via things like C-k/C-y or C-x/C-v.
>
> Check NEWS (e.g. with C-h N) to see what's changed, and hence how to
> change back if you prefer the earlier behavior.

What I really want is a way to:

 (1) use `x-select-enable-primary = t' (so I can insert the x-primary
     using C-y in emacs -- mouse-only insertion is awful)

 (2) _but_ avoid the effect of C-y inserting whatever was last selected
     in emacs (because I use C-w in emacs)

 (3) _and_ keep the "selecting text in emacs via any method writes to
     x-primary" behavior

I.e., I like the fact that I can select text in emacs via the keyboard,
then insert in xterm using middle-button, but I don't want _emacs_ to
see the primary text.

The only way I think to do this is to make emacs ignore the x-primary if
it came from itself.

hmm, that shouldn't be tooooo hard...

-miles

-- 
Saa, shall we dance?  (from a dance-class advertisement)

Re: Using the clipboard in development version of Emacs

[David Kastrup]

Miles Bader <miles@gnu.org> writes:

> I.e., I like the fact that I can select text in emacs via the
> keyboard, then insert in xterm using middle-button, but I don't want
> _emacs_ to see the primary text.
>
> The only way I think to do this is to make emacs ignore the x-primary
> if it came from itself.
>
> hmm, that shouldn't be tooooo hard...

What is "itself"?  Same frame?  Same process?  Any old Emacs?

-- 
David Kastrup

Re: Using the clipboard in development version of Emacs

[Miles Bader]

David Kastrup <dak@gnu.org> writes:
>> hmm, that shouldn't be tooooo hard...
>
> What is "itself"?  Same frame?  Same process?  Any old Emacs?

"same process"

(probably the easiest to implement too ... "Am I holding the primary?
Don't paste it!")

-miles

-- 
Idiot, n. A member of a large and powerful tribe whose influence in human
affairs has always been dominant and controlling.