Linux – Why can’t I highlight text in a linux terminal emulator with shift+arrow keys

bashlinuxshellterminal-emulator

These are the standard text editing keyboard shortcuts that I use constantly whenever editing text in, literally, any linux application other than terminal emulators:

  • ←+→ arrows to move left+right
  • ctrl+← or ctrl+→ to move an entire word
  • home/end to move to start/end of line
  • ctrl+c/ctrl+v to copy/paste [some terminals can use shift+ctrl+c/shift+ctrl+v; this is a good substitute]
  • shift+← or shift+→ to highlight text
  • shift+ctrl+← or shift+ctrl+→ to highlight an entire word

I have never found a combination of shell plus terminal emulator that allows the last two items on this list, and it drives me nuts. Obviously terminal emulators support highlighting (the mouse can do it), and they support the use of the ctrl and shift keys as modifiers (they can be used to move the cursor an entire word, and to capitalize letters, respectively; [edit:] they can even be used together to copy/paste with shift+ctrl+c and shift+ctrl+v), so what is the issue preventing this functionality? I have several questions:

  • Is this an issue with my terminal emulator, or with my shell (bash, though I'm willing to change)?
  • Why do terminal emulators/shells not conform to this otherwise universal standard?
  • If there is an actual reason, is it ancient and obsolete, or is it still relevant to a significant number of desktop linux users?
  • Is there any kind of workaround?
  • Is there some obscure program I can use that supports this?
  • Is it feasible to modify the source of, say, gnome-terminal to support this?

I know text can be copied/pasted with the mouse, that's not what I'm asking about. I'm asking why I can't do these things with the keyboard in a terminal emulator.

Best Answer

I think it'd be most useful if I took this a piece at a time. The general problem is: who is the key press intended for? The terminal, or the program running inside the terminal?

As an example, "screen", which is kindof a terminal, uses Ctrl+A as a prefix for its commands, to distinguish them from things going to the running program itself. (And provides a way to send Ctrl+A.)

gnome-terminal has several keys that it captures to do various things, including some of the ones you ask about.

Also keep in mind that a terminal's "highlighting" is separate from the terminal's cursor position. Some terminals have no ability to highlight at all.

Now, taking this key combinations at a time:

left+right arrows to move left+right ctrl+arrow to move an entire word home/end to move to start/end of line

Move what left and right? Bash can be configured to do this, and typically is by default. Typically, these move the cursor position.

ctrl+c/ctrl+v to copy/paste

First: does copy/paste even make sense? If you're at a VT, you don't really have a clipboard, especially if X isn't running.

Some terminals can copy text in the output, and some will also "paste" by simulating you typing the contents of the clipboard. Ctrl+Shift+V, for example, is paste in gnome-terminal, which may help. (And Ctrl+Shift+C is copy.) As discussed earlier, the big problem with Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V is they overlap with common terminal/program commands. (Ctrl+C is send interrupt (SIGINT) and Ctrl+V is verbatim.)

Some terminals also support two modes of copying data: a more normal "just copy", and what's known as "block select" or "block copy". (Hold Ctrl, and then drag while in gnome-terminal for example.)

Additionally, xsel -b can be used to pipe clipboard contents around. Depends on the exact situtation whether xsel or the terminal's version of paste is more useful. See man xsel.

shift+arrow to highlight text shift+ctrl+arrow to highlight an entire word

Your terminal's highlight (if it has this capability) is separate from cursor position. Again, lack of available key combos is probably a factor. Keep in mind a highlight has two positions: either the start and end, or the upper left and lower right corners. How do you manage both?

Finally, note that many GUI terminals, double-clicking a word will highlight it. (And in X, copy to the primary selection.)

screen, as an example, has keys to switch into a mode for moving around the buffer (previous output) and copy/pasting.

I think if you make adequate use of xsel and the primary selection, you will find clipboard operations are both rare enough and complex enough to merit using the mouse.

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