XSEL(1x) XSEL(1x)
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 button. The SECONDARY and
CLIPBOARD selections are less frequently used by application programs.
This program operates on the PRIMARY selection unless otherwise speci-
fied.
By default, this program outputs the selection without modification if
both standard input and standard output are terminals (ttys). Other-
wise, the current selection is output if standard output is not a ter-
minal (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 selection is
output before being replaced by the contents of standard input.
Input options
-a, --append
append standard input to the selection. Implies -i.
-f, --follow
append to selection as standard input grows. Implies -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. Ignores all input
and output options.
X options
--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. In --input mode, the background process exits
after this amount of time. 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. Without this op-
tion, 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.
--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 pro-
gram wishes to know the selection contents, eg. to perform a middle
mouse button paste. In order to implement modification of the selec-
tion(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 immediately 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 Conventions Manual Ver-
sion 2.0 (ICCCM2).
SEE ALSO
X(7), Xserver(1), xset(1), xclipboard(1), xpaste(1)
AUTHOR
Conrad Parker <conrad@vergenet.net>, July 2001
January 2008 XSEL(1x)
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