Allow copy/paste keybindings to pass through if they did nothing

[hatch01]

I really like to use the natural ctrl+c and ctrl+v to copy in a terminal.

For ctrl+c :
In Konsole, this can be done pretty elegantly because if I map ctrl+c to copy, it copies only if I have something selected.
If nothing is selected, it sends the classical sigint.

For ctrl+v
I did not have any solution in konsole and was unable to use the vim visual selection, but I just used my mouse with nvim.
So for this shortcut, I think that there is no big deal.

[mitchellh]

This would be pretty easy to support for Ghostty, we already have the unconsumed: modifier on keybindings and could extend that to copy/paste very easily.

I'd just like to repeat so I understand what you're asking: you want copy/paste but if they do nothing (i.e. the clipboard is empty) then you want them to encode the key and pass it on to the pty?

[mitchellh]

Approved #4328

[hatch01]

Yes, you are right, you've understood exactly what I want.
Would love to see it in ghostty.

[mitchellh]

I've converted this to a discussion because actually I think we need to think about this a bit more. I'm very supportive of making this work, but I realized there's a central issue in the way keybindings work in Ghostty:

We already know if an action was performed. We use this to pass through some keys already. But the keybindings are either always passthrough or always not on performed. What this issue is asking for is a conditional way to do that.

The easy thing to do would be to make a new keybinding action like copy_if_nonempty (and likewise for paste). If we decide that's the right way to do it that's fine.

I want to consider introducing a new keybinding syntax so that we can generalize this to the behavior of "consume only if performed." This is missing today and it'd be possible for us to generalize.

[rafikdraoui]

a new keybinding action like copy_if_nonempty

Kitty has a copy_or_interrupt action to "copy the selected text from the active window to the clipboard, if no selection, send SIGINT": https://sw.kovidgoyal.net/kitty/actions/#action-copy_or_interrupt

For pasting, I'm not sure how useful this would be, because unless the clipboard is explicitly cleared, in my experience there is always something already in the clipboard from a previous copy action.

for ctrl+v I did not have any solution and was unable to use the vim visual selection

In Vim, you can use ctrl-q instead of ctrl-v. This works in normal mode for visual selection, and in insert and command mode to insert special characters.

Another idea is to swap ctrl-v and ctrl-shift-v in your Ghostty config: ctrl-v could be bound to "paste", and ctrl-shift-v bound to "send literal ctrl-v", and then you could use ctrl-shift-v for visual selection in Vim.

[BarbUk]

I really like to use the natural ctrl+c and ctrl+v to copy in a terminal.

+1

The main way I use this is with a smart copy feature, CTRL+C will copy the selected text if there are any and clear the current selection, or send ^C if no selection.

I use this with wezterm to handle copy when there is some selection:
https://github.com/BarbUk/dotfiles/blob/master/apps/wezterm/wezterm.lua#L29-L48

In termite, this is implemented like that:
https://github.com/aperezdc/termite/blob/3d63314a6d5e4c214ec3d2b3cd6e1307eeb0a02d/termite.cc#L1147-L1150

In kitty:
https://sw.kovidgoyal.net/kitty/actions/#action-copy_or_interrupt

[haydonryan]

I came here looking for a way to just swap ctrl-c and ctrl-shift-c.

Love the idea of a smart ctrl+c - would love to see this in ghostty

[skaphi]

I completely agree. Smart ctrl-c is one of few things that Microsoft has done a much better job with for Windows terminal, than for any of the Linux terminals. I personally think that is the default way that all terminals should behave, but would probably be too much of a norm-breaker.

I think we need a new meme for the default though! ctrl-shift-c-ctr-shift-v-ringfinger!

[Majoramari]

I like the way kitty handle it with copy_or_interrupt I guess its the way to go

[IrishBruse]

Made a mockup PR for an action similar to copy_or_interrupt from kitty I feel like its a common use case for people coming from windows terminals and kitty #3970

[glenni83]

Yes, this is a must for me as well. An easy way to set ctrl+c ctrl+v. Or else I prolly wont be using Ghostty in the future, due its a deal breaking thing for me. Why I tend to use the Konsole instead.

Seems like there is a fix to? Or am I misstaken? Im not sure how you do this?

If someone can make me a small guide to do it. I would be verry happy.

[Majoramari]

There's no fix yet, but a pull request (#3970) has been opened to introduce the copy_or_interrupt action in Ghostty.

If it gets merged, you'll probably be able to add this line to your Ghostty config:

keybind = ctrl+c=copy_or_interrupt  

EDIT: It seems the maintainer decided to take a different approach and opened PR #4328. This introduces performable:, which adds functionality to check if an action is "performable." If not, it will fallback to an alternative action.

keybind = performable:ctrl+c=copy_to_clipboard

Also, note that Ctrl+V for pasting is already working, so there's no need to wait for that. Just add:

keybind = ctrl+v=paste_from_clipboard  

[Amir-Ahmad]

I'm trying out the new performable prefix to use Ctrl+C for both copy and SIGINT, but am having trouble getting SIGINT working.

I've added this to my config:

keybind = performable:ctrl+c=copy_to_clipboard

While ctrl+C correctly only copies when text is highlighted, SIGINT never seems to get sent. I'm testing with sleep 100 and then pressing Ctrl+C. Nothing happens.

This is on fedora 40 with gnome and wayland. version:

Version
  - version: 1.0.1-1+20250107.003840.a3837a1e4ee06a183f32d4a622c2cdcd51f73fb8.fc40
  - channel: tip
Build Config
  - Zig version: 0.13.0
  - build mode : builtin.OptimizeMode.ReleaseFast
  - app runtime: apprt.Runtime.gtk
  - font engine: font.main.Backend.fontconfig_freetype
  - renderer   : renderer.OpenGL
  - libxev     : main.Backend.io_uring
  - desktop env: gnome
  - GTK version:
    build      : 4.14.5
    runtime    : 4.14.5
  - libadwaita : enabled
    build      : 1.5.5
    runtime    : 1.5.3
  - libX11     : enabled
  - libwayland : enabled

Is this working for anyone else?

[rinormaloku]

It isn't working for me either. Added a comment to the issue linked as an answer

[Majoramari]

Did you build it from source? as far as I know this PR merged but not released yet and planned to be out in 1.1.0.

[codeknight03]

I have build it from source but this does not work for me either. This is on PopOs 22.04.

info: ghostty version=1.0.2-main+72d08552
info: ghostty build optimize=ReleaseFast
info: runtime=apprt.Runtime.gtk
info: font_backend=font.main.Backend.fontconfig_freetype
info: dependency harfbuzz=8.4.0
info: dependency fontconfig=21402
info: renderer=renderer.OpenGL
info: libxev backend=main.Backend.io_uring
info(os): setlocale from env result=en_US.UTF-8
info(gtk): GTK version build=4.6.9 runtime=4.6.9
info: reading configuration file path=/home/codeknight03/.config/ghostty/config
info(config): default shell source=env value=/bin/bash
warning(gtk): configuration error: cli:1:version: invalid field
warning(gtk): CLI errors detected, exiting

[rinormaloku]

This was already pointed out by mitchellh that this is an issue.