GNU bug report logs - #74833
31.0.50; Copy to OS clipboard doesn't work in macOS Terminal.app with xterm-mouse-mode enabled

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Message #68 received at 74833 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Gerd Möllmann <gerd.moellmann <at> gmail.com>
To: Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org>
Cc: Jared Finder <jared <at> finder.org>, 74833 <at> debbugs.gnu.org,
 Filipp Gunbin <fgunbin <at> fastmail.fm>, shipmints <at> gmail.com
Subject: Re: bug#74833: 31.0.50; Copy to OS clipboard doesn't work in macOS
 Terminal.app with xterm-mouse-mode enabled
Date: Sat, 14 Dec 2024 10:40:50 +0100

Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org> writes:

>> From: Filipp Gunbin <fgunbin <at> fastmail.fm>
>> Cc: shipmints <at> gmail.com,  74833 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
>> Date: Fri, 13 Dec 2024 23:32:39 +0300
>> 
>> On 13/12/2024 18:49 +0200, Eli Zaretskii wrote:
>> 
>> >> From: Filipp Gunbin <fgunbin <at> fastmail.fm>
>> >> Cc: Ship Mints <shipmints <at> gmail.com>,  74833 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
>> >> Date: Fri, 13 Dec 2024 19:35:15 +0300
>> >>
>> >> On 13/12/2024 09:21 +0200, Eli Zaretskii wrote:
>> >>
>> >> > So why is this an Emacs bug?  It sounds like the OP expects something
>> >> > to happen which shouldn't, because the xterm protocol for selections
>> >> > and the clipboard are not supported by Terminal.app?  In that case,
>> >> > this could be at best a feature request, not a bug.
>> >>
>> >> I'll try to explain differently.
>> >>
>> >> Without xterm-mouse-mode you can copy/paste from/into Terminal.app
>> >> window, looks like Terminal.app gives this ability on its own.  This is
>> >> not integration with Emacs kill ring, no.  Emacs cursor does not react
>> >> to mouse clicks, and selection happens with OS mouse pointer.  Paste
>> >> works rather slow (bad idea to paste large chunks of text), but
>> >> tolerable.
>> >>
>> >> Now, yesterday my daily master build got me xterm-mouse-mode enabled, so
>> >> I did some testing just out of curiosity.  Most of the things work,
>> >> including clicking and selection.  However, Command-C now just doesn't
>> >> copy text to OS clipboard.  And it's non-obvious that you should disable
>> >> xterm-mouse-mode to be able to copy.
>> >
>> > xterm-mouse-mode is supposed to be enabled only on terminals that load
>> > xterm.el, which means they are xterm-compatible.  Does Terminal.app
>> > load xterm.el on startup?
>> 
>> Terminal.app sets TERM=xterm-256color (this is configurable in "Settings
>> -> Profiles -> Advanced -> Declare terminal as", I doubt I ever changed
>> it), so xterm.el should be loaded, yes.
>> 
>> Other term-related vars are:
>> 
>> TERM_PROGRAM=Apple_Terminal
>> TERM_PROGRAM_VERSION=453
>> TERM_SESSION_ID=1251C872-8246-4380-A2AE-ED1F8B649878
>
> Then we should amend xterm.el to not allow xterm-mouse on this
> terminal.  Jared, could you please add such a condition?
>
> And I think the Terminal.app developers should be told that pretending
> to be xterm without full support for all the xterm features is not
> TRT, and they should stop.  Would someone please file an issue with
> their issue tracker?

I still think that this is a cockpit error.

Terminal.app's Command-C can only copy a selection that the app knows
about. If the mouse is used by an app like Emacs (Terminal.app's
Settings/Report ....)) the user tells Terminal to let the app use the mouse.
I find it little surprising that when Terminal.app does that, it doesn't
use the mouse itself to make a selection it could then copy.

Do Command-A Command-C and see what happens.

Or use Command-R to toggle the mouse reporting setting on the fly.

Or use xclip in Emacs.

Please don't disable xterm-mouse for this.

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