clipboard provider wl-copy failed

[rahji]

Summary

When I select some text with the mouse, I get the error clipboard provider wl-copy failed. I am on Windows 11, WSL2, Windows Terminal. wl-copy exists [only] in /usr/bin and works fine from the shell prompt. I swear this used to work. 🤔 Highlighting using the keyboard and doing [space] y does yank to the clipboard, at which point I can paste the yanked text in Windows.

Reproduction Steps

Highlight text with the mouse. It immediately tries to copy to the clipboard but fails.

Helix log

I removed the log file, edited my markdown file, yanked a line, yanked a line with space & y, then highlighted the line with my mouse. After all that, the log file contains only this line.

2024-08-25T12:01:47.698 helix_lsp::transport [ERROR] marksman err <- "[12:01:47 INF] <LSP Entry> Starting Marksman LSP server: {}\n"

Platform

Windows WSL2

Terminal Emulator

Windows Terminal 1.18.3181.0

Installation Method

maybe built from source?

Helix Version

helix 24.3 (2cadec0)

[mandx]

Could you try running Helix with hx -vv? The -vv flag will increase the verbosity of the log file.

Something like this happened to me this morning as well, however in my case it turned out to be an environmental issue; I looked around in Helix' commit history, but recently nothing related to the clipboard has changed, and then I found out that my Ubuntu box was logging me in using XOrg instead of Wayland. It started working again when I logged out and made sure I log back in using the Wayland session.

[rahji]

I started the editor, selected a line with x, yanked the line with y, yanked again with space y, tried highlighting a line (producing the error), then quit.

2024-08-26T20:17:00.073 globset [DEBUG] glob converted to regex: Glob { glob: "*/Dockerfile.*", re: "(?-u)^.*/Dockerfile\\..*$", opts: GlobOptions { case_insensitive: false, literal_separator: false, backslash_escape: true, empty_alternates: false }, tokens: Tokens([ZeroOrMore, Literal('/'), Literal('D'), Literal('o'), Literal('c'), Literal('k'), Literal('e'), Literal('r'), Literal('f'), Literal('i'), Literal('l'), Literal('e'), Literal('.'), ZeroOrMore]) }
2024-08-26T20:17:00.073 globset [DEBUG] glob converted to regex: Glob { glob: "*/dockerfile.*", re: "(?-u)^.*/dockerfile\\..*$", opts: GlobOptions { case_insensitive: false, literal_separator: false, backslash_escape: true, empty_alternates: false }, tokens: Tokens([ZeroOrMore, Literal('/'), Literal('d'), Literal('o'), Literal('c'), Literal('k'), Literal('e'), Literal('r'), Literal('f'), Literal('i'), Literal('l'), Literal('e'), Literal('.'), ZeroOrMore]) }
2024-08-26T20:17:00.073 globset [DEBUG] glob converted to regex: Glob { glob: "*/Containerfile.*", re: "(?-u)^.*/Containerfile\\..*$", opts: GlobOptions { case_insensitive: false, literal_separator: false, backslash_escape: true, empty_alternates: false }, tokens: Tokens([ZeroOrMore, Literal('/'), Literal('C'), Literal('o'), Literal('n'), Literal('t'), Literal('a'), Literal('i'), Literal('n'), Literal('e'), Literal('r'), Literal('f'), Literal('i'), Literal('l'), Literal('e'), Literal('.'), ZeroOrMore]) }
2024-08-26T20:17:00.073 globset [DEBUG] glob converted to regex: Glob { glob: "*/containerfile.*", re: "(?-u)^.*/containerfile\\..*$", opts: GlobOptions { case_insensitive: false, literal_separator: false, backslash_escape: true, empty_alternates: false }, tokens: Tokens([ZeroOrMore, Literal('/'), Literal('c'), Literal('o'), Literal('n'), Literal('t'), Literal('a'), Literal('i'), Literal('n'), Literal('e'), Literal('r'), Literal('f'), Literal('i'), Literal('l'), Literal('e'), Literal('.'), ZeroOrMore]) }
2024-08-26T20:17:00.073 globset [DEBUG] glob converted to regex: Glob { glob: "*/BUILD.*", re: "(?-u)^.*/BUILD\\..*$", opts: GlobOptions { case_insensitive: false, literal_separator: false, backslash_escape: true, empty_alternates: false }, tokens: Tokens([ZeroOrMore, Literal('/'), Literal('B'), Literal('U'), Literal('I'), Literal('L'), Literal('D'), Literal('.'), ZeroOrMore]) }
2024-08-26T20:17:00.073 globset [DEBUG] glob converted to regex: Glob { glob: "*/.env.*", re: "(?-u)^.*/\\.env\\..*$", opts: GlobOptions { case_insensitive: false, literal_separator: false, backslash_escape: true, empty_alternates: false }, tokens: Tokens([ZeroOrMore, Literal('/'), Literal('.'), Literal('e'), Literal('n'), Literal('v'), Literal('.'), ZeroOrMore]) }
2024-08-26T20:17:00.073 globset [DEBUG] glob converted to regex: Glob { glob: "*/.envrc.*", re: "(?-u)^.*/\\.envrc\\..*$", opts: GlobOptions { case_insensitive: false, literal_separator: false, backslash_escape: true, empty_alternates: false }, tokens: Tokens([ZeroOrMore, Literal('/'), Literal('.'), Literal('e'), Literal('n'), Literal('v'), Literal('r'), Literal('c'), Literal('.'), ZeroOrMore]) }
2024-08-26T20:17:00.074 globset [DEBUG] glob converted to regex: Glob { glob: "*/Jenkinsfile.*", re: "(?-u)^.*/Jenkinsfile\\..*$", opts: GlobOptions { case_insensitive: false, literal_separator: false, backslash_escape: true, empty_alternates: false }, tokens: Tokens([ZeroOrMore, Literal('/'), Literal('J'), Literal('e'), Literal('n'), Literal('k'), Literal('i'), Literal('n'), Literal('s'), Literal('f'), Literal('i'), Literal('l'), Literal('e'), Literal('.'), ZeroOrMore]) }
2024-08-26T20:17:00.074 globset [DEBUG] built glob set; 1 literals, 0 basenames, 0 extensions, 0 prefixes, 122 suffixes, 5 required extensions, 8 regexes
2024-08-26T20:17:00.078 helix_view::clipboard [DEBUG] Using wl-copy+wl-paste to interact with the system and selection (primary) clipboard
2024-08-26T20:17:00.712 helix_lsp::transport [INFO] marksman -> {"jsonrpc":"2.0","method":"initialize","params":{"capabilities":{"general":{"positionEncodings":["utf-8","utf-32","utf-16"]},"textDocument":{"codeAction":{"codeActionLiteralSupport":{"codeActionKind":{"valueSet":["","quickfix","refactor","refactor.extract","refactor.inline","refactor.rewrite","source","source.organizeImports"]}},"dataSupport":true,"disabledSupport":true,"isPreferredSupport":true,"resolveSupport":{"properties":["edit","command"]}},"completion":{"completionItem":{"deprecatedSupport":true,"insertReplaceSupport":true,"resolveSupport":{"properties":["documentation","detail","additionalTextEdits"]},"snippetSupport":true,"tagSupport":{"valueSet":[1]}},"completionItemKind":{}},"hover":{"contentFormat":["markdown"]},"inlayHint":{"dynamicRegistration":false},"publishDiagnostics":{"tagSupport":{"valueSet":[1,2]},"versionSupport":true},"rename":{"dynamicRegistration":false,"honorsChangeAnnotations":false,"prepareSupport":true},"signatureHelp":{"signatureInformation":{"activeParameterSupport":true,"documentationFormat":["markdown"],"parameterInformation":{"labelOffsetSupport":true}}}},"window":{"workDoneProgress":true},"workspace":{"applyEdit":true,"configuration":true,"didChangeConfiguration":{"dynamicRegistration":false},"didChangeWatchedFiles":{"dynamicRegistration":true,"relativePatternSupport":false},"executeCommand":{"dynamicRegistration":false},"fileOperations":{"didRename":true,"willRename":true},"inlayHint":{"refreshSupport":false},"symbol":{"dynamicRegistration":false},"workspaceEdit":{"documentChanges":true,"failureHandling":"abort","normalizesLineEndings":false,"resourceOperations":["create","rename","delete"]},"workspaceFolders":true}},"clientInfo":{"name":"helix","version":"24.3 (2cadec0b)"},"processId":212012,"rootPath":"/mnt/c/Users/rduarte/Dropbox/teaching/course folders syllabi materials presentations/2024 Fall Interactive Art Creative Coding","rootUri":"file:///mnt/c/Users/rduarte/Dropbox/teaching/course%20folders%20syllabi%20materials%20presentations/2024%20Fall%20Interactive%20Art%20Creative%20Coding","workspaceFolders":[{"name":"2024%20Fall%20Interactive%20Art%20Creative%20Coding","uri":"file:///mnt/c/Users/rduarte/Dropbox/teaching/course%20folders%20syllabi%20materials%20presentations/2024%20Fall%20Interactive%20Art%20Creative%20Coding"}]},"id":0}
2024-08-26T20:17:00.817 helix_view::editor [DEBUG] Language server not found for `source.md` ltex-ls command 'ltex-ls' not found: cannot find binary path
2024-08-26T20:17:00.818 helix_view::editor [DEBUG] editor status: Loaded 1 file.
2024-08-26T20:17:00.819 helix_tui::backend::crossterm [DEBUG] The keyboard enhancement protocol is not supported in this terminal (checked in 1.006091ms)
2024-08-26T20:17:00.819 helix_view::document [DEBUG] id 1 modified - last saved: 0, current: 0
2024-08-26T20:17:00.820 helix_term::application [DEBUG] received editor event: IdleTimer
2024-08-26T20:17:01.310 helix_lsp::transport [ERROR] marksman err <- "[20:17:01 INF] <LSP Entry> Starting Marksman LSP server: {}\n"
2024-08-26T20:17:02.904 helix_lsp::transport [INFO] marksman <- {"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":0,"result":{"capabilities":{"textDocumentSync":{"openClose":true,"change":1},"hoverProvider":true,"completionProvider":{"triggerCharacters":["[","#","("]},"definitionProvider":true,"referencesProvider":true,"documentSymbolProvider":true,"workspaceSymbolProvider":true,"codeActionProvider":{"resolveProvider":false},"codeLensProvider":{},"renameProvider":{"prepareProvider":true},"executeCommandProvider":{"commands":[]},"semanticTokensProvider":{"legend":{"tokenTypes":["class","class","enumMember"],"tokenModifiers":[]},"range":true,"full":{"delta":false}},"workspace":{"workspaceFolders":{"supported":true,"changeNotifications":true},"fileOperations":{"didCreate":{"filters":[{"pattern":{"glob":"**/*.{md,markdown}","matches":"file","options":{"ignoreCase":true}}}]},"didDelete":{"filters":[{"pattern":{"glob":"**/*.{md,markdown}","matches":"file","options":{"ignoreCase":true}}}]}}}}}}
2024-08-26T20:17:02.904 helix_lsp::transport [INFO] marksman <- {"capabilities":{"codeActionProvider":{"resolveProvider":false},"codeLensProvider":{},"completionProvider":{"triggerCharacters":["[","#","("]},"definitionProvider":true,"documentSymbolProvider":true,"executeCommandProvider":{"commands":[]},"hoverProvider":true,"referencesProvider":true,"renameProvider":{"prepareProvider":true},"semanticTokensProvider":{"full":{"delta":false},"legend":{"tokenModifiers":[],"tokenTypes":["class","class","enumMember"]},"range":true},"textDocumentSync":{"change":1,"openClose":true},"workspace":{"fileOperations":{"didCreate":{"filters":[{"pattern":{"glob":"**/*.{md,markdown}","matches":"file","options":{"ignoreCase":true}}}]},"didDelete":{"filters":[{"pattern":{"glob":"**/*.{md,markdown}","matches":"file","options":{"ignoreCase":true}}}]}},"workspaceFolders":{"changeNotifications":true,"supported":true}},"workspaceSymbolProvider":true}}
2024-08-26T20:17:02.905 helix_lsp::transport [INFO] marksman -> {"jsonrpc":"2.0","method":"initialized","params":{}}
2024-08-26T20:17:02.905 helix_term::application [DEBUG] received editor event: LanguageServerMessage((0, Notification(Notification { jsonrpc: None, method: "initialized", params: None })))
2024-08-26T20:17:02.906 helix_lsp::transport [INFO] marksman -> {"jsonrpc":"2.0","method":"textDocument/didOpen","params":{"textDocument":{"languageId":"markdown","text":"# TODO\n\n- [x] weekly schedule\n- [x] ~~create list of project description~~\n- [x] update extensions and discord servers and remove flip! in first week pdf\n  - [x] create class discord server\n  - [x] create canvas discussions and prompts\n- [x] ~~make a video showing how to leave a video response in canvas~~\n- [x] upload rubric for participation\n- [x] create and upload rubrics for projects, ~~technical assignments~~, drafts, readings\n- [ ] **demo for cpx week 1 day 2**\n- [x] make assignments in canvas\n- [x] post syllabus, schedule, ~~project descriptions~~ in canvas\n- [x] post readings in canvas\n- [ ] make missing videos as required\n","uri":"file:///mnt/c/Users/rduarte/Dropbox/teaching/course%20folders%20syllabi%20materials%20presentations/2024%20Fall%20Interactive%20Art%20Creative%20Coding/todo.md","version":0}}}
2024-08-26T20:17:02.940 helix_term::application [DEBUG] received editor event: Redraw
2024-08-26T20:17:02.941 helix_view::document [DEBUG] id 1 modified - last saved: 0, current: 0
2024-08-26T20:17:03.048 helix_view::document [DEBUG] id 1 modified - last saved: 0, current: 0
2024-08-26T20:17:03.253 helix_view::document [DEBUG] id 1 modified - last saved: 0, current: 0
2024-08-26T20:17:03.418 helix_view::document [DEBUG] id 1 modified - last saved: 0, current: 0
2024-08-26T20:17:03.669 helix_term::application [DEBUG] received editor event: IdleTimer
2024-08-26T20:17:04.204 helix_view::document [DEBUG] id 1 modified - last saved: 0, current: 0
2024-08-26T20:17:04.455 helix_term::application [DEBUG] received editor event: IdleTimer
2024-08-26T20:17:05.594 helix_view::editor [DEBUG] editor status: yanked 1 selection to register "
2024-08-26T20:17:05.595 helix_view::document [DEBUG] id 1 modified - last saved: 0, current: 0
2024-08-26T20:17:05.845 helix_term::application [DEBUG] received editor event: IdleTimer
2024-08-26T20:17:07.212 helix_view::document [DEBUG] id 1 modified - last saved: 0, current: 0
2024-08-26T20:17:07.463 helix_term::application [DEBUG] received editor event: IdleTimer
2024-08-26T20:17:08.021 helix_view::editor [DEBUG] editor status: yanked 1 selection to register +
2024-08-26T20:17:08.021 helix_view::document [DEBUG] id 1 modified - last saved: 0, current: 0
2024-08-26T20:17:08.242 helix_term::application [DEBUG] received editor event: IdleTimer
2024-08-26T20:17:11.105 helix_view::document [DEBUG] id 1 modified - last saved: 0, current: 0
2024-08-26T20:17:11.296 helix_view::document [DEBUG] id 1 modified - last saved: 0, current: 0
2024-08-26T20:17:11.305 helix_view::document [DEBUG] id 1 modified - last saved: 0, current: 0
2024-08-26T20:17:11.327 helix_view::document [DEBUG] id 1 modified - last saved: 0, current: 0
2024-08-26T20:17:11.339 helix_view::document [DEBUG] id 1 modified - last saved: 0, current: 0
2024-08-26T20:17:11.353 helix_view::document [DEBUG] id 1 modified - last saved: 0, current: 0
2024-08-26T20:17:11.360 helix_view::document [DEBUG] id 1 modified - last saved: 0, current: 0
2024-08-26T20:17:11.366 helix_view::document [DEBUG] id 1 modified - last saved: 0, current: 0
2024-08-26T20:17:11.378 helix_view::document [DEBUG] id 1 modified - last saved: 0, current: 0
2024-08-26T20:17:11.380 helix_view::document [DEBUG] id 1 modified - last saved: 0, current: 0
2024-08-26T20:17:11.387 helix_view::document [DEBUG] id 1 modified - last saved: 0, current: 0
2024-08-26T20:17:11.401 helix_view::document [DEBUG] id 1 modified - last saved: 0, current: 0
2024-08-26T20:17:11.414 helix_view::document [DEBUG] id 1 modified - last saved: 0, current: 0
2024-08-26T20:17:11.422 helix_view::document [DEBUG] id 1 modified - last saved: 0, current: 0
2024-08-26T20:17:11.435 helix_view::document [DEBUG] id 1 modified - last saved: 0, current: 0
2024-08-26T20:17:11.443 helix_view::document [DEBUG] id 1 modified - last saved: 0, current: 0
2024-08-26T20:17:11.457 helix_view::document [DEBUG] id 1 modified - last saved: 0, current: 0
2024-08-26T20:17:11.468 helix_view::document [DEBUG] id 1 modified - last saved: 0, current: 0
2024-08-26T20:17:11.478 helix_view::document [DEBUG] id 1 modified - last saved: 0, current: 0
2024-08-26T20:17:11.492 helix_view::document [DEBUG] id 1 modified - last saved: 0, current: 0
2024-08-26T20:17:11.520 helix_view::document [DEBUG] id 1 modified - last saved: 0, current: 0
2024-08-26T20:17:11.549 helix_view::document [DEBUG] id 1 modified - last saved: 0, current: 0
2024-08-26T20:17:11.584 helix_view::document [DEBUG] id 1 modified - last saved: 0, current: 0
2024-08-26T20:17:11.620 helix_view::document [DEBUG] id 1 modified - last saved: 0, current: 0
2024-08-26T20:17:11.676 helix_view::document [DEBUG] id 1 modified - last saved: 0, current: 0
2024-08-26T20:17:11.718 helix_view::document [DEBUG] id 1 modified - last saved: 0, current: 0
2024-08-26T20:17:11.747 helix_view::document [DEBUG] id 1 modified - last saved: 0, current: 0
2024-08-26T20:17:11.788 helix_view::document [DEBUG] id 1 modified - last saved: 0, current: 0
2024-08-26T20:17:11.852 helix_view::document [DEBUG] id 1 modified - last saved: 0, current: 0
2024-08-26T20:17:11.964 helix_view::editor [DEBUG] editor error: clipboard provider wl-copy failed
2024-08-26T20:17:11.964 helix_view::document [DEBUG] id 1 modified - last saved: 0, current: 0
2024-08-26T20:17:12.209 helix_term::application [DEBUG] received editor event: IdleTimer
2024-08-26T20:17:14.183 helix_view::document [DEBUG] id 1 modified - last saved: 0, current: 0
2024-08-26T20:17:14.433 helix_term::application [DEBUG] received editor event: IdleTimer
2024-08-26T20:17:14.584 helix_view::document [DEBUG] id 1 modified - last saved: 0, current: 0
2024-08-26T20:17:14.763 helix_term::commands::typed [DEBUG] quitting...
2024-08-26T20:17:14.763 helix_view::document [DEBUG] id 1 modified - last saved: 0, current: 0
2024-08-26T20:17:14.834 helix_term::application [DEBUG] received editor event: IdleTimer
2024-08-26T20:17:14.901 helix_term::commands::typed [DEBUG] quitting...
2024-08-26T20:17:14.901 helix_view::document [DEBUG] id 1 modified - last saved: 0, current: 0
2024-08-26T20:17:14.901 helix_term::job [DEBUG] waiting on jobs...
2024-08-26T20:17:14.901 helix_term::job [DEBUG] waiting on jobs...
2024-08-26T20:17:14.901 helix_lsp::file_event [DEBUG] Removing LSP client: 0
2024-08-26T20:17:14.901 helix_lsp::transport [INFO] marksman -> {"jsonrpc":"2.0","method":"shutdown","id":1}
2024-08-26T20:17:14.905 helix_lsp::transport [INFO] marksman <- {"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":1,"result":null}
2024-08-26T20:17:14.905 helix_lsp::transport [INFO] marksman <- null
2024-08-26T20:17:14.906 helix_lsp::transport [INFO] marksman -> {"jsonrpc":"2.0","method":"exit"}

[aggsol]

echo "test string" | wl-copy

Yes, this works on the terminal. I can the paste with wl-paste and via keyboard shortcut.

[aggsol]

You need to install wayland (which is the "wl" in wl-copy, I believe). I think it might be as simple as sudo apt install weston.

I had wl-copy before and installing weston did not fix it. As wl-copy and wl-paste work in the terminal but not in Helix is kinda weird.

[rahji]

Honestly, that's the same issue I had. Wayland was installed and I still got that message. I do have some computers where it's working so it's still a bit of a mystery.

[mandx]

Reading from https://man.archlinux.org/man/wl-copy.1#ENVIRONMENT

• Maybe WAYLAND_DISPLAY isn't set properly when wl-copy is launched from within Helix?
• Try running Helix with the environment variable WAYLAND_DEBUG set to 1 , then check Helix's logs

[aggsol]

There is nothing in the Helix log but :

2025-06-18T15:11:36.431 helix_view::clipboard::external [ERROR] clipboard provider wl-copy failed with stderr: