GNU bug report logs - #64423
29.0.92; save-interprogram-paste-before-kill doesn't prevent streaming large selections

Previous Next

Full log

Message #80 received at 64423 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Po Lu <luangruo <at> yahoo.com>
To: Spencer Baugh <sbaugh <at> janestreet.com>
Cc: sbaugh <at> catern.com, 64423 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#64423: 29.0.92; save-interprogram-paste-before-kill doesn't
 prevent streaming large selections
Date: Thu, 06 Jul 2023 09:59:14 +0800

Spencer Baugh <sbaugh <at> janestreet.com> writes:

> And yet, we do this today: that's what x-selection-timeout does.  Should
> we remove that functionality?

[...]

> I assume we should not remove that functionality.  So if automatically
> interrupting a selection transfer if the owner takes too long is fine,
> what's the issue with interrupting it if the owner sends too much data?

Because sending a lot of data is *NOT* a bug in the selection owner.
Delaying subsequent user activity for a significant amount of time is.

> Both situations are usually the result of buggy X clients, both
> situations would break Emacs if not handled, both situations are
> standard considerations for robustness in any network protocol.

Blocking user interaction while quitting remains possible is not
``broken'' in my book.

> No, because then they are performing an operation which it makes sense
> might block: pasting data copied from another application.  In that
> situation, they are fine with it.

[...]

> No, there is no problem with other X clients.  It is simply that users
> expect delays when yanking and don't expect delays when killing.
>
> So, Emacs should be able to configure a different x-selection-timeout
> when running the save-interprogram-paste-before-kill logic, to reflect
> the fact that users have these different expectations for yanking and
> killing.  I don't see why this is objectionable.

Taking more than five seconds to yank points to a bug in whichever
client is owning the clipboard selection at the time of the yank.

Previous Next

GNU bug tracking system
Copyright (C) 1999 Darren O. Benham, 1997,2003 nCipher Corporation Ltd, 1994-97 Ian Jackson.