Re: clipboard & klipper in X11 terminal

[Ethan M. <merritt@u.washington.edu>]

On Friday 03 February 2006 12:00 pm, you wrote:
> We may conclude that the text selection, known as PRIMARY (intended
> to be pasted with MB2) is kept in memory by X, whereas the CLIPBOARD
> may not be.

Amazingly enough, this is explained via the Help panel in klipper
itself:
   klipper->Configure->Help->Clipboard/Selection Behavior

> we should comply with ICCCM conventions, 
> explained in the previous links.

I've just had a look at 
   <http://tronche.com/gui/x/icccm/sec-2.html#s-2.6>

It seems to me that klipper is not acting in accordance with
section 2.6.1.3.   As I read the standard, it says that when
"another client" [in this case gnuplot_x11] acquires ownership
of the clipboard, then the "special client" [klipper] is supposed
to request the exported data and then immediately reacquire
ownership for itself.  

This section does talk about synchronizing via the TIMESTAMP,
but it mandates that the special client reacquire ownership
regardless of the success or failure of TIMESTAMP match-up.

klipper is not doing this.  So far as I can tell, gnuplot_x11
retains ownership of the clipboard until either it voluntarily
gives it up [that was my 2 Feb patch] or some 3rd party
application intervenes.

Your patch may indicate that klipper regains ownership properly
only if the TIMESTAMP comparison succeeds, even though section
2.6.1.3 says it should regain ownership in all circumstances.

> I think these are pretty old and common
> conventions, dated 1994, and they won't break anything as they 
> consist of supplying an *additionnal* peace of information.

Agreed. But I think the bug we are working around is in klipper.

-- 
Ethan A Merritt
Biomolecular Structure Center
University of Washington, Seattle WA