Mimic Linux DE copy/paste behavior with X11 Windowmanagers

[tinfoil-hat]

Hi, I noticed, that I have 2 clipboards. I don´t understand how they work and how I could recreate the behavior from lets say Cinnamon or KDE. I have no DE, just X11+AwesomeWM. I don't need a clipboard manager, especially because i have a Keepass, whose clipboard I don't want to save.

I'd like just be able to:

• CTRL+C // CTRL-V
• CTRL+C // Shift+Insert
• in Terminal: CTRL+Shift+C // CTRL+Shift+V
• mark text via mouse and copy the marked text and paste it via Mouse Key 3 (Scrollwheel click).

Also my Terminal is Urxvt and if I want to paste multible lines I have to paste and confirm via "p" instead of "y". Which goes against all my habits.

Bonus Points if it's all configurable via dotfiles or an .xsession startscript.

I know that's a lot, just tell me if you need more information

 

[KGIII]

I recently wrote this on the subject:

Post in thread 'Unable to copy selected text in vi'

May 21, 2025

I haven't used Vi (or Vim) in a long time...

Does CTRL + C copy?
Does CTRL + V paste as expected?

Also, you have two different clipboard buffers.

I am not sure if that is relevant here in this case. Again, it has been quite some time since I've last used Vim. Any familiarity I had is more or less forgotten, outside of some basics.

Let's explore this.

Right-Click and copy this line of text.
Highlight this line of text.

Open a text file.

Press the scroll wheel down as if it's a button.

You should see the 2nd line of text.

Right click and paste the clipboard contents....

• KGIII

That post explains them. I don't know if there's any (realistic) way to customize them as you're asking.

I'm not 100% sure, but I'm pretty sure that modifying those behaviors without some pretty deep code hacking.

But, I will watch this thread with some interest.

 

[tinfoil-hat]

well so far this behaves like discribed:

Does CTRL + C copy?
Does CTRL + V paste as expected?

Right-Click and copy this line of text.
Highlight this line of text.

Highlight this line of text.

Right-Click and copy this line of text.

 

[Trynna3]

Why terminal needs shift in the combo? Don't you want there also just CTRL+C // CTRL+V?

 

[tinfoil-hat]

Why terminal needs shift in the combo? Don't you want there also just CTRL+C // CTRL+V?

I'm not sure why i started doing this

 

[Trynna3]

I'm not sure why i started doing this

I think it has it as default. I changed mine so I don't need to use shift. It doesn't add anything to it IMO. Waste of effort.