When using RealVNC on Windows, I can sometimes cut and paste from VNC into Window's apps, and sometimes it just stops working. How can I get it reset so it works again? I've tried restarting VNC, but that doesn't do it.
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While crafting my excellent answer, it occurred to me that this isn't a programming question at all. Voted to move to superuser.com – Chris Thornton Nov 26 '10 at 23:11
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http://rreddy.blogspot.com/2009/07/vncviewer-clipboard-operations-like.html
Many times you must have observed that clipboard operations like copy/cut and paste suddenly stops workings with the vncviewer. The main reason for this there is a program called as vncconfig responsible for these clipboard transfers. Some times the program may get closed because of some bug in vnc or some other reasons like you closed that window.
To get those clipboard operations back you need to run the program "vncconfig &".
After this your clipboard actions should work fine with out any problems.
Run "vncconfig &" on the client.
Danny Staple
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Peter Lee
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1If Copy&Paste stops working after many months. The vncconfig process was killed, failed, or ended. As this answer shows restarting vncconfig with the right options brings Copy&Paste back. – Gregory May 14 '11 at 18:04
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Thanks for this. My vnc was putting that menu up in the upper left corner, and I was closing it to get it out of the way, not realizing that shut off the cut and paste as well. – Scott Franco Nov 15 '16 at 02:04
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1@ashish: for tightvnc, use `autocutsel -fork`. @ScottFranco: use `vncconfig -nowin &` to get rid of the little window. – Jeff Learman Sep 25 '17 at 18:23
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1klipper may also cause this issue. You may need to open klipper Configuration (right-click the scissors icon) and uncheck the "prevent empty clipboard" option. – Shloim May 17 '18 at 13:04
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I use Remote login with vnc-ltsp-config with GNOME Desktop Environment on CentOS 5.9. From experimenting today, I managed to get cut and paste working for the session and the login prompt (because I'm lazy and would rather copy and paste difficult passwords).
I created a file vncconfig.desktop in the /etc/xdg/autostart directory which enabled cut and paste during the session after login. The vncconfig process is run as the logged in user.
[Desktop Entry]
Name=No name
Encoding=UTF-8
Version=1.0
Exec=vncconfig -nowin
X-GNOME-Autostart-enabled=trueAdded vncconfig -nowin & to the bottom of the file /etc/gdm/Init/Desktop which enabled cut and paste in the session during login but terminates after login. The vncconfig process is run as root.
Adding vncconfig -nowin & to the bottom of the file /etc/gdm/PostLogin/Desktop also enabled cut and paste during the session after login. The vncconfig process is run as root however.
Alton XL
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This worked for me! (I'm not sure because I restarted vncserver in the mean time.) – Chan Kim Jun 02 '16 at 02:36
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You likely need to re-start VNC on both ends. i.e. when you say "restarted VNC", you probably just mean the client. But what about the other end? You likely need to re-start that end too. The root cause is likely a conflict. Many apps spy on the clipboard when they shouldn't. And many apps are not forgiving when they go to open the clipboard and can't. Robust ones will retry, others will simply not anticipate a failure and then they get fouled up and need to be restarted. Could be VNC, or it could be another app that's "listening" to the clipboard viewer chain, where it is obligated to pass along notifications to the other apps in the chain. If the notifications aren't sent, then VNC may not even know that there has been a clipboard update.
Chris Thornton
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