xsel(1)
NAME
xsel - manipulate the X selection.
SYNOPSIS
xsel [OPTION]...
DESCRIPTION
Retrieve and set the X selection.
- The X server maintains three selections, called PRIMARY,
- SECONDARY and CLIPBOARD. The PRIMARY selection is conventionally
- used to implement copying and pasting via the middle mouse but
- ton. The SECONDARY and CLIPBOARD selections are less frequently
- used by application programs. This program operates on the PRIMA
- RY selection unless otherwise specified.
- By default, this program outputs the selection without
- modification if both standard input and standard output are ter
- minals (ttys). Otherwise, the current selection is output if
- standard output is not a terminal (tty), and the selection is set
- from standard input if standard input is not a terminal (tty). If
- any input or output options are given then the program behaves
- only in the requested mode.
- If both input and output is required then the previous se
- lection is output before being replaced by the contents of stan
- dard input.
- Input options
- -a, --append
- append standard input to the selection. Implies -i.
- -f, --follow
- append to selection as standard input grows. Im
- plies -i.
- -i, --input
- read standard input into the selection.
- Output options
- -o, --output
- write the selection to standard output.
- Action options
- -c, --clear
- clear the selection. Overrides all input options.
- -d, --delete
- Request that the current selection be deleted. This
- not only clears the selection, but also requests to the program
- in which the selection resides that the selected contents be
- deleted. Overrides all input options.
- Selection options
- -p, --primary
- operate on the PRIMARY selection (default).
- -s, --secondary
- operate on the SECONDARY selection.
- -b, --clipboard
- operate on the CLIPBOARD selection.
- -k, --keep
- Do not modify the selections, but make the PRIMARY
- and SECONDARY selections persist even after the programs they
- were selected in exit. (Conventionally, the CLIPBOARD selection
- is persisted by a separate special purpose program such as
- xclipboard(1)). Ignores all input and output options.
- -x, --exchange
- exchange the PRIMARY and SECONDARY selections. Ig
- nores all input and output options.
- X options
- -d displayname, --display displayname
- specify the server to use; see X(1).
- -t ms, --selectionTimeout ms
- Specify the timeout in milliseconds within which
- the selection must be retrieved. A value of 0 (zero) specifies no
- timeout (default).
- Miscellaneous options
- -l filename, --logfile filename
- Specify the file to log errors to when detached.
- (Default $HOME/.xsel.log)
- -n, --nodetach
- Do not detach from the controlling terminal. With
- out this option, xsel will fork to become a background process in
- input, exchange and keep modes.
- -h, --help
- display usage information and exit
- -v, --verbose
- Print informative messages. Additional instances of
- -v raise the debugging level, ie. print more information.
- -v, --version
- output version information and exit
NOTES
- There is no X selection buffer. The selection mechanism in
- X11 is an interclient communication mediated by the X server each
- time any program wishes to know the selection contents, eg. to
- perform a middle mouse button paste. In order to implement modi
- fication of the selection(s) (in input, keep and exchange modes)
- this program detaches from the terminal, spawning a child process
- to supply the new selection(s) on demand. This child exits imme
- diately when any other program takes over the selection(s), eg.
- when the user next selects some text in a terminal window or by
- running xsel -c.
STANDARDS
- xsel conforms to the Inter-Client Communication Conven
- tions Manual Version 2.0 (ICCCM2).
SEE ALSO
X(1), Xserver(1), xset(1), xclipboard(1), xpaste(1)
AUTHOR
- Conrad Parker <conrad@vergenet.net>, July 2001
- July 2001