[Qemu-devel] [Bug 614958] Re: copy-paste between client and host

[Paolo Bonzini]

SPICE is supposed to address this kind of issue. Hopefully it will  be
merged in 0.14.

Anyway, after SPICE support is merged this feature would belong in
SPICE, not in QEMU. See http://spice-
space.org/page/Features/SharedClipboard for more information.

We might keep this open until SPICE is merged, but I'm not sure this bug
really belongs in QEMU's bug tracker.

-- 
copy-paste between client and host
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/614958
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Status in QEMU: New

Bug description:
Hi,

I propose that copy/paste between VMs be implemented somehow directly in QEMU.
This has been discussed repeatedly elsewhere; various solutions are proposed.  
See below.

As it is, each user has to do their own research and testing if they are to 
find a solution.   This makes the product frustratingly unattractive for many.

Most solutions involve either running vnc and using a vnc client that supports 
copy/paste (this can be tricky to find itself), or running some other tcp-based 
copy-paste application. 

For many users, the networking in a client VM is unimportant--they just want to 
run some application there, and setting up netoworking in a VM itself can be an 
issue.  Most of these solutions rely on un-maintained software, and some 
require that other software be installed to make them work (Basic interpreter, 
Java, etc).  Any of these solutions take some work to set up.

I can tell you, the absence of a copy/paste mechanism makes the project an 
immediate no-go for many users.  I work with a guy who spent a lot of time 
trying, gave up, and switched to VirtualBox for this exact reason.

It would be much better if copy/paste worked out of the box.  Ideally, it 
should work independently of networking.

Cheers!

Some discussions and proposed solutions:
-----------------------------------------------------
http://qemu-forum.ipi.fi/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=161
    Somebody suggests VNC into the virtual host, and use vncviewer
    Somebody else suggests TCP/IP Clipboard (text editor with tcp/ip)

http://qemu-forum.ipi.fi/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=2626
    primitive app for sharing text across machines (in Basic)
    http://homepage.mac.com/bnej/shareclip/

http://borderworlds.dk/blog/20070217-00.html
    Says doesn't know a good solution but points to unmaintained package
    Qemu Guest Tools
    http://wolfpackally.wo.funpic.de/qemu/qgt/

http://bonzoli.com/docs/How_to_setup_Qemu_on_Fedora_8.html
    proposes Java remoteclip running on client and server
    http://www.cs.cmu.edu/afs/cs/user/rcm/WWW/RemoteClip/