How to use the command xclip (with examples)

The command xclip is a tool for manipulating the clipboard in the X11 window system. It allows you to interact with the X primary and secondary selections, as well as the system clipboard (Ctrl + C / Ctrl + V). This article will provide examples of various use cases for using the xclip command.

Use Case 1: Copy the output from a command to the X11 primary selection area (clipboard)

Code:

echo 123 | xclip

Motivation: In some cases, you may want to copy the output of a command to the clipboard for later use. By using the xclip command in combination with the pipe (|) symbol, you can easily copy the output to the X11 primary selection area.

Explanation: In this use case, the command echo 123 is used to generate the output “123”. The pipe symbol (|) is then used to redirect the output of the echo command to the xclip command, which will copy it to the X11 primary selection area.

Example output: The output “123” is copied to the X11 primary selection area and can now be pasted into other applications using the standard paste command (Ctrl + V).

Use Case 2: Copy the output from a command to a given X11 selection area

Code:

echo 123 | xclip -selection primary

Motivation: Sometimes, you may want to copy the output of a command to a specific X11 selection area, such as the primary or secondary selection. By using the -selection flag followed by the desired selection area (primary, secondary, or clipboard), you can achieve this.

Explanation: In this use case, the command echo 123 is used to generate the output “123”. The pipe symbol (|) is then used to redirect the output of the echo command to the xclip command. The -selection flag is specified with the argument “primary”, indicating that the output should be copied to the X11 primary selection area.

Example output: The output “123” is copied to the X11 primary selection area and can now be pasted into other applications using the standard paste command (Ctrl + V).

Use Case 3: Copy the output from a command to the system clipboard, using short notation

Code:

echo 123 | xclip -sel clip

Motivation: When you want to copy the output from a command directly to the system clipboard, you can use the -sel flag followed by the argument “clip” as a shorthand notation.

Explanation: In this use case, the command echo 123 is used to generate the output “123”. The pipe symbol (|) is then used to redirect the output of the echo command to the xclip command. The -sel flag is specified with the argument “clip”, indicating that the output should be copied to the system clipboard.

Example output: The output “123” is copied to the system clipboard and can now be pasted into other applications using the standard paste command (Ctrl + V).

Use Case 4: Copy the contents of a file into the system clipboard

Code:

xclip -sel clip input_file.txt

Motivation: If you have a file whose contents you want to copy to the clipboard, you can use the xclip command along with the -sel flag followed by the argument “clip” to achieve this.

Explanation: In this use case, the xclip command is used to copy the contents of a file named “input_file.txt” to the system clipboard. The -sel flag is specified with the argument “clip”, indicating that the file contents should be copied to the system clipboard.

Example output: The contents of the “input_file.txt” file are copied to the system clipboard and can now be pasted into other applications using the standard paste command (Ctrl + V).

Use Case 5: Copy the contents of a PNG into the system clipboard (can be pasted in other programs correctly)

Code:

xclip -sel clip -t image/png input_file.png

Motivation: Sometimes, you may want to copy the contents of an image file to the clipboard, ensuring that it can be correctly pasted into other programs. By specifying the -t flag followed by the argument “image/png”, you can copy image data to the system clipboard.

Explanation: In this use case, the xclip command is used to copy the contents of a PNG image file named “input_file.png” to the system clipboard. The -sel flag is specified with the argument “clip” to copy it to the system clipboard. Additionally, the -t flag is used with the argument “image/png” to ensure that the image data is correctly recognized when pasted.

Example output: The contents of the “input_file.png” image file are copied to the system clipboard and can now be pasted into other programs as an image.

Use Case 6: Copy the user input in the console into the system clipboard

Code:

xclip -i

Motivation: When you want to copy the user input from the console to the clipboard, you can use the xclip command with the -i flag, allowing you to paste it into other applications conveniently.

Explanation: In this use case, the xclip command is used with the -i flag, without any input redirection. This allows the command to read the user input directly from the console and copy it to the system clipboard.

Example output: The user input from the console is copied to the system clipboard and can now be pasted into other applications using the standard paste command (Ctrl + V).

Use Case 7: Paste the contents of the X11 primary selection area to the console

Code:

xclip -o

Motivation: When you want to paste the contents of the X11 primary selection area into the console, you can use the xclip command with the -o flag, allowing you to retrieve and use the copied content within your command-line applications.

Explanation: In this use case, the xclip command is used with the -o flag. The command retrieves the contents of the X11 primary selection area and outputs it to the console.

Example output: The contents of the X11 primary selection area are displayed in the console.

Use Case 8: Paste the contents of the system clipboard to the console

Code:

xclip -o -sel clip

Motivation: When you want to paste the contents of the system clipboard into the console, you can use the xclip command with the -o flag along with the -sel flag and the argument “clip”, allowing you to retrieve and use the copied content within your command-line applications.

Explanation: In this use case, the xclip command is used with the -o flag, indicating that the contents of the system clipboard should be outputted. Additionally, the -sel flag is specified with the argument “clip”, which directs the command to retrieve the contents from the system clipboard.

Example output: The contents of the system clipboard are displayed in the console.

Conclusion:

The xclip command is a versatile tool for manipulating the clipboard in the X11 window system. With its various options and flags, it allows you to copy the output of commands, file contents, and user input to the clipboard, as well as retrieve and paste contents from the clipboard to the console. By utilizing these different use cases, you can effectively manage and utilize the clipboard in your command-line applications.