Copying Text to Clipboard with xclip in Linux

Dec 25, 2023 · Linux, clipboard, xclip

Overview

Copying text to the clipboard in Linux can be done efficiently using the xclip command-line utility. xclip allows you to manipulate the clipboard content, making it a handy tool for working in a terminal environment. In this article, we’ll explore how to copy the contents of a file into the clipboard using xclip.

Installing xclip

Before using xclip, ensure that it’s installed on your Linux system. You can install it using your package manager. For example, if you’re using pacman, the package manager for Arch Linux and its derivatives, run the following command:

sudo pacman -S xclip

Replace this with the appropriate command if you’re using a different package manager.

Copying File Contents to Clipboard

To copy the contents of a file into the clipboard, you can use the following xclip command:

xclip -sel c < file_to_copy

Here, file_to_copy is the name of the file you want to copy. This command takes the content of the specified file and sends it to the clipboard.

Let’s break down the components of the command:

• xclip: The main command for interacting with the X clipboard.
• -sel c: Specifies the selection type. In this case, it uses the “clipboard” selection. The clipboard is the part of the X server that deals with copy and paste operations.
• < file_to_copy: Redirects the content of the specified file into the xclip command.

Example Usage

Suppose you have a text file named sample.txt, and you want to copy its content to the clipboard. Here’s how you would do it:

xclip -sel c < sample.txt

After running this command, the content of sample.txt is now in your clipboard and ready to be pasted.

Conclusion

Using xclip in Linux simplifies the process of copying file contents to the clipboard, especially when working in a terminal environment. Remember to adapt the command to your specific use case, and explore other features of xclip for more clipboard manipulation options.