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https://github.com/kfish/xsel

A command-line program for getting and setting the contents of the X selection
https://github.com/kfish/xsel

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A command-line program for getting and setting the contents of the X selection

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README 

        
XSel -- manipulate the X selection.



Copyright (C) 2001 Conrad Parker 



For updates see http://www.vergenet.net/~conrad/software/xsel/



INTRODUCTION

============



XSel is a command-line program for getting and setting the contents of the

X selection. Normally this is only accessible by manually highlighting

information and pasting it with the middle mouse button.



To read a file into the X selection:

------------------------------------



        xsel < file



after which you can paste the file's contents into any X application with

the middle mouse button, as though you had highlighted its text. XSel will

read in the file contents exactly, whereas manual highlighting invariably

breaks lines and transforms tabs into spaces. This is especially handy for

copying in large files.



To write the X selection to a file:

-----------------------------------



        xsel > file



after which file will contain exactly the contents of the X selection,

without trailing newlines and spaces and crap.



XSel is more than just cat for the X selection.



Append to the X selection:

--------------------------



        xsel --append < file



To follow a growing file:

-------------------------



        xsel --follow < file



to make the X selection follow standard input as it grows (like tail -f).



ADVANCED FEATURES

=================



XSel also lets you access some of the more esoteric features of the

X selection:



Delete the contents of the selection

------------------------------------



        xsel --delete



Will cause the program in which text is selected to delete that text. This

really works, you can try it on xedit to remotely delete text in the editor

window.



Manipulate the secondary selection

----------------------------------



The X Window System maintains two selections, the usual primary selection

and a secondary, which isn't used much ... XSel lets you use the secondary

selection, for example:



        To get and set the secondary selection:

        ---------------------------------------



        xsel --secondary < file

        xsel --secondary > file



        To swap the primary and secondary selections:

        ---------------------------------------------

        xsel --exchange



So for example you can store useful text in the secondary selection and

retrieve it later.



Manipulate the clipboard selection

----------------------------------



Similarly, X has a clipboard selection. You can use the standard xclipboard

program to manage a history of selected text, and you can use xsel to

actually get text into that clipboard:



        xsel --clipboard < file



Make the selection contents persist in memory

---------------------------------------------



Normally the X selection only exists as long as the program it was selected

in is running. Further, some buggy applications tend to forget their

selection text after a little while. If you run:



        xsel --keep



after selecting some important text, xsel will copy the text into its own

memory so you can paste it elsewhere even if the original program exits or crashes.



Further information

===================



Naturally all these options have single character equivalents, and



        xsel --help



provides usage information. For complete details, see the xsel(1x) man page.



DOWNLOAD

========



New versions of XSel are distributed in source form from:



        http://www.vergenet.net/~conrad/software/xsel/



STANDARDS

=========



X11 ICCCM2

----------



XSel conforms to the X Window System Inter-Client Communication Conventions

Manual Version 2.0 (ICCCM2), including correct handling of TARGETS,

MULTIPLE, TIMESTAMP, and DELETE targets, INCR properties and large data

transfers.



My thoughts on ICCCM are available at:



        https://web.archive.org/web/20110720132303/https://lists.slug.org.au/archives/slug-chat/2001/July/msg00054.html



(Warning: explicit language).



LICENSE

=======



Copyright (C) 2001 Conrad Parker 



Permission to use, copy, modify, distribute, and sell this software and its

documentation for any purpose is hereby granted without fee, provided that

the above copyright notice appear in all copies and that both that copyright

notice and this permission notice appear in supporting documentation. No

representations are made about the suitability of this software for any

purpose. It is provided "as is" without express or implied warranty.



CONTACT

=======



Please direct any queries, bug reports etc. about XSel to the author,

Conrad Parker [email protected] .