Can I copy and paste from OS X into X11?

Question

billmcn Author

Level 1

4 points

Can I copy and paste from OS X into X11?

I want to copy text from an OS X app (Firefox, say) and paste it into an app running under X11? Is this possible?

Mac Mini Duo 1.66 GHz, 2 GB (10.4.6); MacBook (10.4.8)

Posted on Jul 11, 2007 3:29 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Bill Scott

Level 6

11,465 points

Jul 11, 2007 4:15 PM in response to billmcn

Yes.

Copy in the normal way.

Paste with middle-button click (or option-click).

Some KDE apps are recalcitrant.

Reply

Answer 2

billmcn Author

Level 1

4 points

Jul 12, 2007 1:54 AM in response to Bill Scott

Nope. I tried that already. It doesn't work.

Specifically I'm trying to copy text from a web page displayed in Firefox and paste it into a terminal launched by Apple's X11. When I hit apple-V, nothing happens. Also, in the X11 menu the Paste option is grayed out.

Reply

Answer 3

Bill Scott

Level 6

11,465 points

Jul 12, 2007 5:18 AM in response to billmcn

Did you read (and try) what I wrote? Pasting works differently in X11. You need to use the middle mouse button (aka scroll wheel). If you have that mighty mouse thing, the scroll wheel button needs to be configured as "Button 3". Alternatively, option-click will emulate this.

Reply

Answer 4

nerowolfe

Level 6

13,090 points

Jul 15, 2007 4:55 PM in response to Bill Scott

Thanks Bill
I just came across this thread. I did not know about the option-click method.
Curiously, the standard method works when pasting from X11 into an Apple app. The only thing different is one has to use the right mouse button to copy text in the X11 window, but then when pasting into TextEdit the usual cmd-v works fine.
Anyway, you have answered a question I did not even get a chance to ask because someone beat me to it.

Reply

Answer 5

nerowolfe

Level 6

13,090 points

Jul 24, 2007 7:40 PM in response to nerowolfe

Update
I just discovered that the copy and paste in OS X using Cmd-c and Cmd-v have their identical counterparts in X11 simply by using the Ctl key instead of the Cmd key.

Copy in OS X using Cmd-c
Paste in X11 using Ctl-v

Reply