xclip fails with Error: Can't open display: (null)

[Gorthog]

• Your Windows build number: Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.19041.84]

• What you're doing and what's happening:

sudo apt install xclip
echo 111 > xclip

• What's wrong
  nothing was copied. instead the following error message appeared:

Error: Can't open display: (null)

• What should be happening instead: 111 copied to clipboard and shared in windows as well.

• Strace of the failing command, if applicable: https://gist.github.com/sinapis/c63332ce3c8e801d3fb14d65646007ef

I'm trying to make xclip work so I can use 3rd parties programs like micro which rely on xclip to copy the clipboard.

[therealkenc]

Your $DISPLAY is not set.

$ export DISPLAY=<x11-server-ip>:0

Similar #2975 see #646 (message) et al. You'll need an X Server of choice (such as VcXsrv) listening on <x11-server-ip>. Watch out gotcha #4106 aka #4619 on WSL2.

[dwmkerr]

Unfortunately I couldn't get this to work either. My approach was to fall back on this:

alias pbcopy="clip.exe"
alias pbpaste="powershell.exe -command 'Get-Clipboard' | head -n -1"

More details at #1069 (comment)

[gastonfun]

Hi, its my first post and cuestion and problem, pls Help me!
I´m Gaston, from Buenos Aires Argentina.
Ok the problem is whit adding ssh key to git agent. y cant copy i tried all ....
Like sinapis ...I'm trying to make xclip work so I can use 3rd parties programs like micro which rely on xclip to copy the clipboard.
But no way! cant copy my key. here is a capture from Ubuntu server 20 HA! I´ve installed MAAS over ubuntu its allfine Help Help Help! y nooooob in this im learning plis helpis :D

[gastonfun]

Hi, its my first post and cuestion and problem, pls Help me!
I´m Gaston, from Buenos Aires Argentina.
Ok the problem is whit adding ssh key to git agent. y cant copy i tried all ....
Like sinapis ...I'm trying to make xclip work so I can use 3rd parties programs like micro which rely on xclip to copy the clipboard.
But no way! cant copy my key. here is a capture from Ubuntu server 20 HA! I´ve installed MAAS over ubuntu its allfine Help Help Help! y nooooob in this im learning plis helpis :D

y Tried this: https://www.digitalocean.com/community/questions/copy-ssh-key-to-clipboard
i´ve folowed this directions: https://docs.github.com/en/github/authenticating-to-github/adding-a-new-ssh-key-to-your-github-account

[Gorthog]

for now i'm using this as workaround:
#4852 (comment)

[evandrouzeda]

I use
xclip -d :0 -i test.txt -selection clip
and work for me

[koushik355]

Not related to Xclip but you want to copy anything on WSL. Use clip.exe
Something like this

cat testing.txt | clip.exe

The content of testing.txt will be copied in the clipboard in this case.

[brandoncroberts]

Not related to Xclip but you want to copy anything on WSL. Use clip.exe
Something like this

cat testing.txt | clip.exe

The content of testing.txt will be copied in the clipboard in this case.

best comment!

[koushik355]

On another note, you can pretty much access many windows services from WSL itself.
Like
explorer.exe . would open the file explorer from your current dir that you're on WSL.
You will have to find the .exe that you run from the Run and you can execute it in WSL.

[Gorthog]

xclip on wsl2 requires xserver and I had corruption with clip.exe. That's why I use utf8clip. See #4852 (comment)

[cjadeveloper]

Not related to Xclip but you want to copy anything on WSL. Use clip.exe
Something like this

cat testing.txt | clip.exe

The content of testing.txt will be copied in the clipboard in this case.

Not related to Xclip but you want to copy anything on WSL. Use clip.exe
Something like this
cat testing.txt | clip.exe
The content of testing.txt will be copied in the clipboard in this case.

best comment!

Yep!