Microsoft/vscode

Support X11 primary selection buffer in inputs

Open

#167,266 opened on Nov 25, 2022

View on GitHub
 (11 comments) (1 reaction) (0 assignees)TypeScript (74,848 stars) (10,221 forks)batch import
feature-requesthelp wantedkeeplinuxworkbench-os-integration

Description

This affects Linux users who make use of the primary selection buffer.

Related: https://github.com/microsoft/vscode/issues/130208

Normally you can select something, and then you can paste your most recent selection by middle clicking. It seems like whenever you open an input, eg Command Palette or the File Picker, the contents of the input are considered as a "selection" by the OS so overwrite the primary selection buffer.

Eg, say you are on a website which says "Run the foo command from the command palette". You select "foo", switch to VS Code. Run command palette, and middle click expecting it to paste "foo", however, instead it pastes ">".

Contributor guide

Tech stack
typescriptelectron
Domain
desktop
Issue type
bug
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
3
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
3-5 days
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
stale
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
clear
Prerequisites
Linux X11 knowledgeElectron clipboard APITypeScript fundamentals
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
45
Research direction
Investigate how VSCode handles the primary selection buffer on Linux. Look into the Electron clipboard API and the handling of selection changes in input fields. The issue mentions that opening an input like Command Palette or File Picker causes the input content to be treated as a selection. Consider checking the code for how inputs register selection updates, and examine any related issues linked (e.g., microsoft/vscode#130208). A solution may involve ignoring selection events from input fields or manually restoring the primary selection buffer after input is opened.