feat: add terminal copy-on-select option (#1346)

src/ui/features/terminal/Terminal.tsx

@@ -14,6 +14,10 @@ import { FitAddon } from "@xterm/addon-fit";
 import { ClipboardAddon } from "@xterm/addon-clipboard";
 import { RobustClipboardProvider } from "@/lib/clipboard-provider";
 import { copyToClipboard, readFromClipboard } from "@/lib/clipboard";
+import {
+  resolveTerminalContextMenuAction,
+  selectedTextToCopy,
+} from "@/features/terminal/terminal-clipboard-actions";
 import { Unicode11Addon } from "@xterm/addon-unicode11";
 import { WebLinksAddon } from "@xterm/addon-web-links";
 import { SearchAddon } from "@xterm/addon-search";
@@ -1108,6 +1112,10 @@ const TerminalInner = forwardRef<TerminalHandle, SSHTerminalProps>(
       return getCookie("rightClickCopyPaste") !== "false";
     }
 
+    function getCopyOnSelect() {
+      return getCookie("copyOnSelect") === "true";
+    }
+
     function attemptReconnection() {
       if (
         isUnmountingRef.current ||
@@ -2597,10 +2605,15 @@ const TerminalInner = forwardRef<TerminalHandle, SSHTerminalProps>(
           return;
         }
 
-        if (getUseRightClickCopyPaste()) {
+        const action = resolveTerminalContextMenuAction({
+          rightClickCopyPaste: getUseRightClickCopyPaste(),
+          copyOnSelect: getCopyOnSelect(),
+          hasSelection: terminal.hasSelection(),
+        });
+        if (action !== "native") {
           e.preventDefault();
           e.stopPropagation();
-          if (terminal.hasSelection()) {
+          if (action === "copy") {
             const text = terminal.getSelection();
             writeTextToClipboard(text).then(() => terminal.clearSelection());
           } else {
@@ -2613,6 +2626,32 @@ const TerminalInner = forwardRef<TerminalHandle, SSHTerminalProps>(
       };
       element?.addEventListener("contextmenu", handleContextMenu);
 
+      const handleSelectionMouseUp = (e: MouseEvent) => {
+        const text = selectedTextToCopy({
+          copyOnSelect: getCopyOnSelect(),
+          button: e.button,
+          selection: terminal.getSelection(),
+        });
+        if (text) void writeTextToClipboard(text);
+      };
+      element?.addEventListener("mouseup", handleSelectionMouseUp);
+
+      const handleMiddleClick = (e: MouseEvent) => {
+        if (
+          e.button !== 1 ||
+          !getCopyOnSelect() ||
+          !getUseRightClickCopyPaste()
+        ) {
+          return;
+        }
+        e.preventDefault();
+        e.stopPropagation();
+        readTextFromClipboard().then((text) => {
+          if (text) terminal.paste(text);
+        });
+      };
+      element?.addEventListener("auxclick", handleMiddleClick);
+
       const handlePaste = (e: ClipboardEvent) => {
         const text = e.clipboardData?.getData("text");
         if (text) {
@@ -2698,6 +2737,8 @@ const TerminalInner = forwardRef<TerminalHandle, SSHTerminalProps>(
         resizeObserver.disconnect();
         clipboardProvider.dispose();
         element?.removeEventListener("contextmenu", handleContextMenu);
+        element?.removeEventListener("mouseup", handleSelectionMouseUp);
+        element?.removeEventListener("auxclick", handleMiddleClick);
         element?.removeEventListener("paste", handlePaste);
         element?.removeEventListener("mousedown", handleTmuxDragStart);
         element?.removeEventListener("mousemove", handleTmuxDragMove);

src/ui/features/terminal/terminal-clipboard-actions.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+export type TerminalContextMenuAction = "native" | "copy" | "paste";
+
+export function resolveTerminalContextMenuAction({
+  rightClickCopyPaste,
+  copyOnSelect,
+  hasSelection,
+}: {
+  rightClickCopyPaste: boolean;
+  copyOnSelect: boolean;
+  hasSelection: boolean;
+}): TerminalContextMenuAction {
+  if (!rightClickCopyPaste) return "native";
+  return hasSelection && !copyOnSelect ? "copy" : "paste";
+}
+
+export function selectedTextToCopy({
+  copyOnSelect,
+  button,
+  selection,
+}: {
+  copyOnSelect: boolean;
+  button: number;
+  selection: string;
+}): string | null {
+  return copyOnSelect && button === 0 && selection ? selection : null;
+}

src/ui/locales/en.json

@@ -3808,7 +3808,8 @@
         "stopRecording": "Stop Recording",
         "startRecording": "Start Recording",
         "settingsTitle": "Settings",
-        "enableRightClickCopyPaste": "Enable right-click copy/paste"
+        "enableRightClickCopyPaste": "Enable right-click copy/paste",
+        "copyOnSelect": "Copy selected text automatically"
       },
       "splitScreen": {
         "layoutTitle": "Layout",

src/ui/main-axios.ts

@@ -291,7 +291,7 @@ if (isElectron()) {
       const electronAPI = (window as ElectronWindow).electronAPI;
 
       if (electronAPI?.getSetting) {
-        const settingsToLoad = ["rightClickCopyPaste"];
+        const settingsToLoad = ["rightClickCopyPaste", "copyOnSelect"];
         for (const key of settingsToLoad) {
           const value = await electronAPI.getSetting(key);
           if (value !== null && value !== undefined) {

src/ui/sidebar/SshToolsPanel.tsx

@@ -19,6 +19,9 @@ export function SshToolsPanel({
   const [rightClickPaste, setRightClickPaste] = useState(
     () => getCookie("rightClickCopyPaste") !== "false",
   );
+  const [copyOnSelect, setCopyOnSelect] = useState(
+    () => getCookie("copyOnSelect") === "true",
+  );
   const [selectedTabIds, setSelectedTabIds] = useState<Set<string>>(
     () =>
       new Set(
@@ -349,6 +352,27 @@ export function SshToolsPanel({
             />
           </button>
         </div>
+        <div className="flex items-center justify-between gap-4">
+          <span className="text-sm text-muted-foreground">
+            {t("newUi.sidebar.sshTools.copyOnSelect")}
+          </span>
+          <button
+            onClick={() => {
+              const next = !copyOnSelect;
+              setCopyOnSelect(next);
+              setCookie("copyOnSelect", next ? "true" : "false");
+            }}
+            className={`relative inline-flex h-5 w-9 shrink-0 cursor-pointer items-center border-2 transition-colors ${
+              copyOnSelect
+                ? "bg-accent-brand border-accent-brand"
+                : "bg-muted border-border"
+            }`}
+          >
+            <span
+              className={`pointer-events-none inline-block h-3 w-3 bg-background shadow-sm transition-transform ${copyOnSelect ? "translate-x-4" : "translate-x-0.5"}`}
+            />
+          </button>
+        </div>
       </div>
     </div>
   );

src/ui/tests/features/terminal/terminal-clipboard-actions.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import {
+  resolveTerminalContextMenuAction,
+  selectedTextToCopy,
+} from "@/features/terminal/terminal-clipboard-actions";
+
+describe("terminal clipboard actions", () => {
+  it("copies a completed left-button selection when enabled", () => {
+    expect(
+      selectedTextToCopy({
+        copyOnSelect: true,
+        button: 0,
+        selection: "selected output",
+      }),
+    ).toBe("selected output");
+    expect(
+      selectedTextToCopy({ copyOnSelect: false, button: 0, selection: "x" }),
+    ).toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it("pastes on right-click after copy-on-select", () => {
+    expect(
+      resolveTerminalContextMenuAction({
+        rightClickCopyPaste: true,
+        copyOnSelect: true,
+        hasSelection: true,
+      }),
+    ).toBe("paste");
+  });
+
+  it("preserves existing right-click and native-menu behavior", () => {
+    expect(
+      resolveTerminalContextMenuAction({
+        rightClickCopyPaste: true,
+        copyOnSelect: false,
+        hasSelection: true,
+      }),
+    ).toBe("copy");
+    expect(
+      resolveTerminalContextMenuAction({
+        rightClickCopyPaste: false,
+        copyOnSelect: true,
+        hasSelection: true,
+      }),
+    ).toBe("native");
+  });
+});