How to Use Copy and Paste Functions in Ubuntu Server

Managing an Ubuntu server often involves moving text between different files, configurations, or terminal sessions. While GUI environments make copy-pasting straightforward with mouse actions, working on a server, particularly over SSH, requires a good grasp of command-line tools and techniques. This blog will guide you through various methods to copy and paste efficiently in an Ubuntu server environment.

Using screen

screen is a terminal multiplexer that allows you to use multiple terminal sessions within a single SSH session. One of its handy features is the ability to copy and paste text.

Installation

First, you need to install screen if it is not already installed:

Basic Usage

1. Start a new screen session:
   screen

        

2. Press Ctrl + a followed by Esc to enter copy mode.
3. Use the arrow keys to move the cursor to the start of the text you want to copy.
4. Press Enter to mark the beginning, then move the cursor to the end of the text and press Enter again to copy the text.
5. To paste the copied text, press Ctrl + a followed by ].

Exiting screen

To exit the screen session, you can press Ctrl + a followed by d to detach the session or Ctrl + a followed by k to kill the session.

Using tmux

tmux is another terminal multiplexer, similar to screen, but with more modern features.

Installation

Install tmux with:

Basic Usage

1. Start a new tmux session:
   tmux

   

2. Enter copy mode by pressing Ctrl + b followed by [.
3. Use the arrow keys to navigate to the beginning of the text you want to copy.
4. Press Space to start the selection, navigate to the end of the text, and press Enter to copy.
5. To paste the text, press Ctrl + b followed by ].

Exiting tmux

You can detach from the tmux session with Ctrl + b followed by d and reattach with:

Using xclip

xclip is a command-line utility that provides an interface to the clipboard, allowing you to copy and paste text.

Installation

Install xclip with:

Basic Usage

To copy the contents of a file to the clipboard:

To copy the output of a command:

To paste the clipboard contents:

Using pbcopy and pbpaste (macOS Clients)

If you’re connecting to your Ubuntu server from a macOS client, you can use pbcopy and pbpaste for clipboard operations.

Copying to Clipboard

To copy the output of a command:

Pasting from Clipboard

To paste the clipboard contents into a file:

Using ssh with X11 Forwarding

If you have X11 forwarding enabled, you can use graphical clipboard tools.

Enabling X11 Forwarding

Ensure X11Forwarding is enabled in your SSH configuration file (/etc/ssh/sshd_config):

Restart the SSH service:

Connecting with X11 Forwarding

Connect to the server with X11 forwarding:

 

Now, you can use graphical clipboard tools like xclip as mentioned earlier.

Conclusion

Copying and pasting in a terminal-based Ubuntu server environment can seem daunting at first, but with the right tools and a bit of practice, it becomes second nature. Whether you prefer screen, tmux, xclip, or leveraging macOS clipboard utilities, there is a method that fits your workflow. Experiment with these tools to find the most efficient way to manage your server tasks. Happy copying and pasting!