bugaevc/wl-clipboard
FreeCommand-line copy/paste utilities for Wayland
FreeFree tier
Inputs: text, file, imageOutputs: text, file, image
About bugaevc/wl-clipboard
wl-clipboard provides two command-line utilities for the Wayland display protocol: wl-copy and wl-paste. These tools let users easily copy data to and from the Wayland clipboard using standard Unix pipes, sockets, and files. They support text, file paths, images, and arbitrary binary data. wl-paste includes a --watch flag to continuously monitor clipboard changes and pipe them to other commands. The project is free software under the GPL-3.0 license and is available via package managers on most Linux and BSD distributions.
Key Features
Copy data to clipboard via Unix pipes (wl-copy)
Paste clipboard contents to stdout (wl-paste)
Supports text, file paths, images, and binary data
Monitor clipboard changes with --watch flag
Available via package managers on most Linux/BSD distributions
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Simple command-line interface using standard Unix pipes
- Widely available in Linux and BSD distro repositories
- Free and open source (GNU General Public License v3 or later)
- Supports copying and pasting various data types (text, images, files)
- Watch mode enables automated clipboard-based pipelines
Cons
- Wayland only; requires Wayland compositor (wl-clipboard-x11 wrapper available for X11)
- No built-in graphical user interface
Best For
Copy command output directly to clipboardPaste clipboard contents to a fileSort clipboard contents using pipe to sortUpload clipboard contents to a pastebin on each changeIntegrate clipboard operations into shell scripts and workflows
FAQ
What is wl-clipboard?
wl-clipboard is a set of command-line utilities (wl-copy and wl-paste) for copying and pasting data to/from the Wayland clipboard.
How do I install wl-clipboard?
wl-clipboard is likely available in your favorite Linux or BSD distribution's package manager. You can also build from source following the instructions in BUILDING.md.
What license does wl-clipboard use?
wl-clipboard is free software released under the GNU General Public License version 3 or later.
Can wl-clipboard work on X11?
wl-clipboard is designed for Wayland only. There is a related wrapper project, wl-clipboard-x11, for using it as a drop-in replacement for X11 clipboard tools.