trusty (1) xsel.1x.gz

Provided by: xsel_1.2.0-2_amd64 bug

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 specified.

       By default, this program outputs the selection without modification if both standard input  and  standard
       output  are  terminals  (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 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

       -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. Without 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.

       --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 modification 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 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 Version 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)