How to force clipboard to only use plain text?

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openletter
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How to force clipboard to only use plain text?

Post by openletter »

I would like to disable formatted clipboard text so that I only can paste text without any formatting.

I want this behavior everywhere in Linux Mint on every application always at all times forever without exception, not even once for a single instance, ever.

I do not want a workaround like copy into a different program and then copy from there or paste using some different keystroke combination.

Example:

I am using the (primary?) clipboard to highlight text in a browser and paste into a word processor using middle-click. Each page I copy from is formatted slightly differently, and the selection pastes into the word processor differently, including automatic hyperlinks, color, font size (e.g., 24), different typeface, and italic or bold font.
Last edited by LockBot on Wed Dec 28, 2022 7:16 am, edited 1 time in total.
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pbear
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Re: How to force clipboard to only use plain text?

Post by pbear »

Perhaps someone else knows how to do this, I don't. I will mention, Ctrl-Shift-Alt-V = Paste Unformatted in LibreOffice. Perhaps you can map that to middle-click. Don't know, as I use a trackball without the option.
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Re: How to force clipboard to only use plain text?

Post by AZgl1800 »

I doubt very seriously that you ever find a solution for what you want.

I always copy then paste to XED and then paste into whatever else.
the time delay is about 2 seconds, what you want, is not worth the trouble to try and find a better way IMO.

I've tried just about everything that has been suggested for the last 5 years, and none of them are acceptable.

I used to use an app called 'Clippy' but can't find it today

Google shows a lot of work arounds.

https://www.google.com/search?client=fi ... +clipboard


for Web page stuff, I highlight/copy and then in LO Writer or Calc Right Click / Paste as Unformatted Text
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Re: How to force clipboard to only use plain text?

Post by mikeflan »

So what is wrong with this one?
https://askubuntu.com/questions/46031/h ... by-default

I use Ctrl-Shift-V quite often in thunderbird. Try it is your applications.
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Re: How to force clipboard to only use plain text?

Post by AZgl1800 »

mikeflan wrote: Wed May 25, 2022 6:52 am So what is wrong with this one?
https://askubuntu.com/questions/46031/h ... by-default

I use Ctrl-Shift-V quite often in thunderbird. Try it is your applications.
That brings up a menu in LO Writer asking if you want to "paste" or use "Unformatted Text"
I find it faster to just Right Click and choose Unformatted Text.
paste plain text.jpg
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Re: How to force clipboard to only use plain text?

Post by mikeflan »

Oddly enough, Ctrl + Alt + Shift + V works in LO.
https://help.libreoffice.org/7.3/en-US/ ... ystem=UNIX
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Re: How to force clipboard to only use plain text?

Post by openletter »

AZgl1800 wrote: Wed May 25, 2022 2:50 am I've tried just about everything that has been suggested for the last 5 years, and none of them are acceptable.
This has been my experience.

it is confounding that even in open source desktop environments there can be such a productivity-destructive non-reversible "innovation".

While it is a constant annoyance for me, it really becomes a hassle when trying to communicate to "normies" on how to use Mint, because for some reason the way Linux implements this "feature" it seems more intrusive than whatever Microsoft is doing.
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Re: How to force clipboard to only use plain text?

Post by Kendoori »

I am a big fan of the Clipboard Manager CopyQ: https://hluk.github.io/CopyQ/

In CopyQ one can create shortcuts to various clipboard behaviors. While this is not the same as the disabling you'd prefer, this would give you what you want independent of a specific application's behavior.

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Re: How to force clipboard to only use plain text?

Post by vanadium »

You fail to indicate your use case. It is strange you would want this anywhere anytime. Many users of word processors and graphics applications will heavily complain if the clipboard is restricted to mere textual input only. By the way, you could remap paste unformatted text in Libreoffice to Ctrl+Shift+V or even Ctrl+V if you wanted.
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Re: How to force clipboard to only use plain text?

Post by openletter »

vanadium wrote: Wed May 25, 2022 8:18 am You fail to indicate your use case. It is strange you would want this anywhere anytime. Many users of word processors and graphics applications will heavily complain if the clipboard is restricted to mere textual input only. By the way, you could remap paste unformatted text in Libreoffice to Ctrl+Shift+V or even Ctrl+V if you wanted.
You fail reading comprehension. (IOW, stop using that phrase. It's childish.)
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Re: How to force clipboard to only use plain text?

Post by vanadium »

Continue ranting as you like, but not here please. Someone else may find the answers given to you useful.
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Re: How to force clipboard to only use plain text?

Post by openletter »

vanadium wrote: Wed May 25, 2022 8:28 am Continue ranting as you like, but not here please. Someone else may find the answers given to you useful.
I am not ranting. You are the one intruding into the topic with claims I "failed" while not taking a few moments to reflect on what I have written before reflexively puking out your reply.
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Re: How to force clipboard to only use plain text?

Post by vanadium »

My reflection was clear: I reflected on the suggestion you prominently put forward
openletter wrote: I want this behavior everywhere in Linux Mint on every application always at all times forever without exception, not even once for a single instance, ever.
indicating that such idea would probably not be very well acceptable by many users.

In addition, like many others, I provided a concise suggestion, to change the keybindings in your word processor, which would solve the example you presented. Still, your reaction to these was a rant.
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Re: How to force clipboard to only use plain text?

Post by openletter »

You are evading my point that beginning a post with "You fail..." is very rude and disrespectful.
vanadium wrote: Wed May 25, 2022 8:52 am indicating that such idea would probably not be very well acceptable by many users.
I stated I am looking for a solution for me.
vanadium wrote: Wed May 25, 2022 8:52 am like many others, I provided a concise suggestion, to change the keybindings in your word processor,
You assume I didn't read those, as if I can't read, or are incapable of comprehending what they wrote, or perhaps you thought I've never attempted to resolve this problem before, or perhaps never attempted to resolve any problem before.
vanadium wrote: Wed May 25, 2022 8:52 am which would solve the example you presented
Which of the proposed solutions solves the problem of middle-click pasting formatted text?

You assume you know better what I should do with my computer. Please go some place else. Your input is not useful here.
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Re: How to force clipboard to only use plain text?

Post by vanadium »

I now see you explicitly refer to middle-click pasting, which is pasting the primary clipboard. I was not aware that a middle click now also pastes formatting (I never use middle click myself on my laptop with touchpad). That must be a rather recent change. I can see that this change is very unfortunate, leaving out any possibility to paste plain text where needed. There will be no fundamental solution other than filling this as an issue to the developers. I for sure owe you an apology now.
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Re: How to force clipboard to only use plain text?

Post by openletter »

Apology accepted! Thank you!
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Re: How to force clipboard to only use plain text?

Post by pbear »

openletter wrote: Wed May 25, 2022 7:48 am ... the way Linux implements this "feature" it seems more intrusive than whatever Microsoft is doing.
Huh? Paste-with-formatting is default in Windows also. Indeed, I know of no way to change the default globally. Rather, as in LibreOffice, paste-without is usually a special app-based option. The clipboard, after all, is just a buffer.
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Re: How to force clipboard to only use plain text?

Post by openletter »

I don't actually know what Windows does, which is why I worded that vaguely. However, based on the response from someone I've convinced to migrate over to Mint from Windows, the formatting is somehow not the same as Windows in a more intrusive way.
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Re: How to force clipboard to only use plain text?

Post by pbear »

Hard to know what the friend means, but I use both and they seem about the same on this issue.
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Re: How to force clipboard to only use plain text?

Post by AZgl1800 »

openletter wrote: Wed May 25, 2022 10:49 am I don't actually know what Windows does, which is why I worded that vaguely. However, based on the response from someone I've convinced to migrate over to Mint from Windows, the formatting is somehow not the same as Windows in a more intrusive way.
as a Windows user from its' infancy to about 2 years ago, I can tell you that the Default was HTML copy/paste

I had to always paste into NoteBook the copy/paste to elsewhere to get straight ASCII text pasting.

Word Perfect ala 1992ish is the last word processor that I recall that pasted straight ASCII, that was when my employer switched us over from a good office product to the junk that has taken over the world by cutting deals with PC manufacturers
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