Copiable error message would be nice

[newling]

When encountering an error message one is already a bit exercised. Would be nice to be able to just highlight, right click, copy and paste it into a browser rather than having to memorize and manually type.

[cliffcoggin]

Can you not copy the text into a text editor?

[newling]

As I indicated error messages don't appear to be possible to highlight and copy.

[karlchen]

This depends on where the error messages appear:

Whatever is displayed inside a terminal window, is pure text. It can be marked with the mouse. <Ctrl><Shift>C copies the marked text into the clipboard. The clipboard content can be pasted into a forum post.

Warnings / error messages, displayed by graphical applications, can sometimes really not be marked in the message box and copied into the clipboard.
What can always be done is, create a screenshot of the dialogue box, which displays the error message.
The result will be an image, usually in .png file format. This can be uploaded to a free image hoster like e.g. imgur.com. The hoster will display the URL of the uploaded screenshot file. This URL can be pasted into a forum post.

Note:
Each desktop environment, (Cinnamon, Mate, xfce), brings along its own screenshot application.
There is gnome-screenshot (Cinnamon), mate-screenshot (Mate), xfce4-screenshooter (xfce).
Consult the available help on your screenshot application in order to learn how to handle it, please.

Sample output from a terminal window:

Code: Select all

karl@unimatrix3:~$ inxi -Sx3
System:    Host: unimatrix3 Kernel: 4.15.0-91-generic x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 7.4.0 Desktop: Xfce 4.14.1 
           tk: Gtk 3.22.30 info: xfce4-panel wm: xfwm4 dm: LightDM 1.26.0 Distro: Linux Mint 19.3 Tricia 
           base: Ubuntu 18.04 bionic 

Sample screenshot:

https://i.imgur.com/nrmd9SH.png

[newling]

This depends on where the error messages appear:

Whatever is displayed inside a terminal window, is pure text. It can be marked with the mouse. <Ctrl><Shift>C copies the marked text into the clipboard. The clipboard content can be pasted into a forum post.

Warnings / error messages, displayed by graphical applications, can sometimes really not be marked in the message box and copied into the clipboard.
What can always be done is, create a screenshot of the dialogue box, which displays the error message.
The result will be an image, usually in .png file format. This can be uploaded to a free image hoster like e.g. imgur.com. The hoster will display the URL of the uploaded screenshot file. This URL can be pasted into a forum post.

Yes, where things can be highlighted and copied, they can be highlighted and copied. So,those would not be the situations I'm referring to. Yes, I also have a 15+ year familiarity with (partial)screen grab technology which will require around 6 steps and the result of which still cannot be posted into a search engine.

I'm starting to suspect why my complaint seems to meet with the incomprehension it has so far: Perhaps it's because it is a petty one borne out of my laziness and wanting instant or at least the fastest solution possible.

What mystifies, however, is what were the good IT folks thinking when coding their error messaging system? That the average computer user will read, say, "No XENIX semaphores available" and think "Right, got it, gonna pick up a couple of semaphores at the store on the way home, hope they've got the XENIX in stock? Or: "Damn, why can't stuff just work?!? Ok, let me google this error message and see if I can find instructions how to fix it?

[karlchen]

Hi, Newling.

I can assure you that message/warning/error boxes, which do not permit highlighting and copying the text inside the boxes, are an annoyance to me as well. For precisely the reason which you explained: no text to be copied and pasted into a Google search box. Instead trying to type the stuff manually, which can be a real p.i.t.a.
Yet, this here is only the users-help-users forum. We do not grant properties to or revoke properties from such dialogue boxes.
All I had tried to do was to explain a possible workaround for error messages, which cannot be copied and pasted as text.
Resolving the root causes is outside the scope of what forum users can do.

Best regards,
Karl

[smurphos]

Most on screen errors will also be in a plain text log file somewhere. But to give you an idea of where we'd need to know what application is throwing the error message.

[karlchen]

Hi, smurphos.

newling is not trying to get help on a specific error message box, but he really suggests / requests to make sure that the text displayed in any warning or error dialogue should be copiable into the clipboard. As simple as that.

Cheers,
Karl

[smurphos]

I understand that - just suggesting another solution and if the OP's got some examples we can point him/her in the direction of what logs to look for.

[Flemur]

When encountering an error message one is already a bit exercised. Would be nice to be able to just highlight, right click, copy and paste it into a browser rather than having to memorize and manually type.

That bothers me also. It's bad programming.

In synaptic you can't copy the displayed properties/dependencies of a package; but you can copy the "terminal" output.

Also "Software manager" and "software sources" - can't seem to copy any text at all.

Edit: I just opened a bogus mp4 file in smplayer; you can't copy the initial error message, which includes "Error code 2", but you can display and copy the log...which does NOT mention error code 2.

[MrEen]

When encountering an error message one is already a bit exercised. Would be nice to be able to just highlight, right click, copy and paste it into a browser rather than having to memorize and manually type.

That bothers me also. It's bad programming.

In synaptic you can't copy the displayed properties/dependencies of a package; but you can copy the "terminal" output.

Also "Software manager" and "software sources" - can't seem to copy any text at all.

Edit: I just opened a bogus mp4 file in smplayer; you can't copy the initial error message, which includes "Error code 2", but you can display and copy the log...which does NOT mention error code 2.

I'll bet the log has "No such file or directory", and it wouldn't be hard to code that in like this.

[Flemur]

I'll bet the log has "No such file or directory", and it wouldn't be hard to code that in like this.

Sure they could fix it. It look like this:

When I was coding with Unix/C/Motif (= a long ago), I made all the error messages be text boxes so the text could be copied.

[MrEen]

There ya go!

Where can I get a copy of FlemurPlayer?

[newling]

I'll bet the log has "No such file or directory", and it wouldn't be hard to code that in like this.

Sure they could fix it. It look like this:
smplayer.gif

When I was coding with Unix/C/Motif (= a long ago), I made all the error messages be text boxes so the text could be copied.

A lone maverick coder achieved back during the IT bronze age what entire legions of coders (paid even -MS Win also has uncopiable messages) have not been able to pull off since!

[newling]

Hi, smurphos.

newling is not trying to get help on a specific error message box, but he really suggests / requests to make sure that the text displayed in any warning or error dialogue should be copiable into the clipboard. As simple as that.

Cheers,
Karl

That's right. Just a bit of a rant/vent on something that's been bugging me for a long time on Windows. Lo and behold only to find it again in Linux