xcutsel

xcutsel [options]

-t
    Transfers the current X selection into cut buffer 0 (or the buffer specified by -o).

-s N
    Transfers the content of cut buffer N into the current X selection (PRIMARY).

-p
    Prints the content of the current X selection (or the specified cut buffer if -s is used) to standard output.

-o N
    Specifies which cut buffer (0-7) to operate on. The default is cut buffer 0.

-n N
    Specifies the maximum number of characters to transfer or print. By default, all characters are transferred/printed.

-target atom
    Specifies the target atom for the selection request, such as STRING or UTF8_STRING.

-display display
    Specifies the X display to connect to.

xcutsel is a utility designed to manipulate the X Window System's selections and its older "cut buffers." It serves as a bridge, allowing users to transfer content between the active X selection (typically PRIMARY or CLIPBOARD) and a specified cut buffer, or vice versa. The command can also print the content of either the current selection or a cut buffer to standard output. While modern X applications primarily rely on selections, xcutsel provides a means to interact with the legacy cut buffer mechanism, which can be useful for compatibility with older X applications or in specialized scripting scenarios where direct cut buffer manipulation is required.

xcutsel primarily interacts with X cut buffers, which are largely considered a legacy mechanism in modern X environments. Contemporary applications and desktop environments predominantly use X selections (like PRIMARY and CLIPBOARD) for copy/paste operations. Consequently, xcutsel might not always integrate seamlessly or behave as expected with all modern software. For general clipboard management, commands like xclip or xsel are often more appropriate and widely used.

The X Window System features two primary mechanisms for data transfer between applications: Selections and Cut Buffers.

Selections (e.g., PRIMARY, CLIPBOARD) are the modern, widely used method. They are managed by the application that 'owns' the selection, meaning the data is only available as long as the owning application holds it. When another application requests the selection, the owner dynamically provides the data.

Cut Buffers are an older, more limited mechanism. There are typically 8 global cut buffers (numbered 0-7), which store actual data. When data is put into a cut buffer, it's immediately copied, and the buffer holds a fixed piece of data until overwritten. This makes them less flexible and efficient than selections, particularly for large data or dynamic content. xcutsel specifically targets these cut buffers.

xcutsel is a long-standing utility that forms part of the core X Window System distribution, typically found within packages like x11-utils or xorg-xev. Its existence reflects the historical evolution of inter-application data transfer within X, bridging the gap between older cut buffer mechanisms and the more modern X selection model. It has been maintained for many years primarily for compatibility and specialized uses within the X.org project.

xclip(1), xsel(1), xev(1), X(7)