openstyles/stylus

[Linux/X] CSS editor: text selection is not setting the primary selection

Open

#1969 opened on May 29, 2025

View on GitHub
 (2 comments) (0 reactions) (0 assignees)JavaScript (4,893 stars) (303 forks)batch import
bugeditorexternalhelp wanted

Description

Selecting text normally sets the primary selection. This is not happening within the CSS editor.

Pasting the primary selection content via middle-click, however, is working properly. The failure to set the primary selection means that I'm about to paste something other than intended.

(Copying and pasting via the clipboard works normally, but that's not what I usually use.)

Contributor guide

Tech stack
javascriptcss
Domain
frontend
Issue type
bug
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
2
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
under 1 hour
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
fresh
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
clear
Prerequisites
basic understanding of Linux X11 selection behavior
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
60
Research direction
Investigate the CSS editor component in the Stylus extension (likely using CodeMirror). Look for how text selection events are handled, specifically the 'selectionchange' or 'mouseup' events. Check if the primary selection (X11 selection) is being set manually or if there's a missing call to set the selection buffer. Review the CodeMirror configuration and any custom event handlers. The issue mentions that middle click paste works but setting the selection fails, so focus on the code that updates the X11 selection clipboard.