Allow copying selection to primary clipboard

A new configuration option `save_to_clipboard` has been added
to the `selection` section of the configuration. This allows writing
every selection to the primary system clipboard when it is set
to `true`.

On linux the selection is still written to the selection clipboard,
independent of the value of the `save_to_clipboard` setting.

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
         viewport to extend to the top of the window.
     - `buttonless` - Similar to transparent but also removed the buttons.
 - Add support for changing the colors from 16 to 256 in the `indexed_colors` config section
+- Add `save_to_clipboard` configuration option for copying selected text to the system clipboard
 
 ### Changed
 

alacritty.yml

@@ -262,6 +262,11 @@ mouse:
 selection:
   semantic_escape_chars: ",│`|:\"' ()[]{}<>"
 
+  # When set to `true`, selected text will be copied to both the primary and
+  # the selection clipboard. Otherwise, it will only be copied to the selection
+  # clipboard.
+  save_to_clipboard: false
+
 dynamic_title: true
 
 hide_cursor_when_typing: false

alacritty_macos.yml

@@ -260,6 +260,9 @@ mouse:
 selection:
   semantic_escape_chars: ",│`|:\"' ()[]{}<>"
 
+  # When set to `true`, selected text will be copied to the primary clipboard.
+  save_to_clipboard: false
+
 dynamic_title: true
 
 hide_cursor_when_typing: false

src/config.rs

@@ -40,12 +40,15 @@ fn true_bool() -> bool {
 #[derive(Clone, Debug, Deserialize)]
 pub struct Selection {
     pub semantic_escape_chars: String,
+    #[serde(default, deserialize_with = "failure_default")]
+    pub save_to_clipboard: bool,
 }
 
 impl Default for Selection {
     fn default() -> Selection {
         Selection {
-            semantic_escape_chars: String::new()
+            semantic_escape_chars: String::new(),
+            save_to_clipboard: false
         }
     }
 }

src/event.rs

@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ use std::time::{Instant};
 use serde_json as json;
 use parking_lot::MutexGuard;
 use glutin::{self, ModifiersState, Event, ElementState};
-use copypasta::{Clipboard, Load, Store};
+use copypasta::{Clipboard, Load, Store, Buffer as ClipboardBuffer};
 
 use ansi::{Handler, ClearMode};
 use grid::Scroll;
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ impl<'a, N: Notify + 'a> input::ActionContext for ActionContext<'a, N> {
         self.terminal.clear_screen(ClearMode::Saved);
     }
 
-    fn copy_selection(&self, buffer: ::copypasta::Buffer) {
+    fn copy_selection(&self, buffer: ClipboardBuffer) {
         if let Some(selected) = self.terminal.selection_to_string() {
             if !selected.is_empty() {
                 Clipboard::new()
@@ -238,6 +238,7 @@ pub struct Processor<N> {
     last_modifiers: ModifiersState,
     pending_events: Vec<Event>,
     window_changes: WindowChanges,
+    save_to_clipboard: bool,
 }
 
 /// Notify that the terminal was resized
@@ -281,6 +282,7 @@ impl<N: Notify> Processor<N> {
             last_modifiers: Default::default(),
             pending_events: Vec::with_capacity(4),
             window_changes: Default::default(),
+            save_to_clipboard: config.selection().save_to_clipboard,
         }
     }
 
@@ -442,6 +444,7 @@ impl<N: Notify> Processor<N> {
                 mouse_config: &self.mouse_config,
                 key_bindings: &self.key_bindings[..],
                 mouse_bindings: &self.mouse_bindings[..],
+                save_to_clipboard: self.save_to_clipboard,
             };
 
             let mut window_is_focused = window.is_focused;
@@ -496,5 +499,6 @@ impl<N: Notify> Processor<N> {
         self.key_bindings = config.key_bindings().to_vec();
         self.mouse_bindings = config.mouse_bindings().to_vec();
         self.mouse_config = config.mouse().to_owned();
+        self.save_to_clipboard = config.selection().save_to_clipboard;
     }
 }

src/input.rs

@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ use std::process::Command;
 use std::time::Instant;
 use std::os::unix::process::CommandExt;
 
-use copypasta::{Clipboard, Load, Buffer};
+use copypasta::{Clipboard, Load, Buffer as ClipboardBuffer};
 use glutin::{ElementState, VirtualKeyCode, MouseButton, TouchPhase, MouseScrollDelta, ModifiersState};
 
 use config;
@@ -49,13 +49,14 @@ pub struct Processor<'a, A: 'a> {
     pub mouse_config: &'a config::Mouse,
     pub scrolling_config: &'a config::Scrolling,
     pub ctx: A,
+    pub save_to_clipboard: bool,
 }
 
 pub trait ActionContext {
     fn write_to_pty<B: Into<Cow<'static, [u8]>>>(&mut self, B);
     fn terminal_mode(&self) -> TermMode;
     fn size_info(&self) -> SizeInfo;
-    fn copy_selection(&self, Buffer);
+    fn copy_selection(&self, ClipboardBuffer);
     fn clear_selection(&mut self);
     fn update_selection(&mut self, point: Point, side: Side);
     fn simple_selection(&mut self, point: Point, side: Side);
@@ -206,7 +207,7 @@ impl Action {
                 ctx.write_to_pty(s.clone().into_bytes())
             },
             Action::Copy => {
-                ctx.copy_selection(Buffer::Primary);
+                ctx.copy_selection(ClipboardBuffer::Primary);
             },
             Action::Paste => {
                 Clipboard::new()
@@ -469,7 +470,10 @@ impl<'a, A: ActionContext + 'a> Processor<'a, A> {
             return;
         }
 
-        self.ctx.copy_selection(Buffer::Selection);
+        if self.save_to_clipboard {
+            self.ctx.copy_selection(ClipboardBuffer::Primary);
+        }
+        self.ctx.copy_selection(ClipboardBuffer::Selection);
     }
 
     pub fn on_mouse_wheel(&mut self, delta: MouseScrollDelta, phase: TouchPhase, modifiers: ModifiersState) {
@@ -688,6 +692,7 @@ mod tests {
     use grid::Scroll;
 
     use super::{Action, Binding, Processor};
+    use copypasta::Buffer as ClipboardBuffer;
 
     const KEY: VirtualKeyCode = VirtualKeyCode::Key0;
 
@@ -723,7 +728,7 @@ mod tests {
             *self.size_info
         }
 
-        fn copy_selection(&self, _buffer: ::copypasta::Buffer) {
+        fn copy_selection(&self, _buffer: ClipboardBuffer) {
             // STUBBED
         }
 
@@ -824,6 +829,7 @@ mod tests {
                     scrolling_config: &config::Scrolling::default(),
                     key_bindings: &config.key_bindings()[..],
                     mouse_bindings: &config.mouse_bindings()[..],
+                    save_to_clipboard: config.selection().save_to_clipboard
                 };
 
                 if let Event::WindowEvent { event: WindowEvent::MouseInput { state, button, modifiers, .. }, .. } = $input {