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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

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Disabling middle click paste by default makes sense for distros aimed at new users. (lemmy.zip)

submitted 1 week ago by Blisterexe@lemmy.zip to c/linux@lemmy.ml

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Middle click paste is a very useful feature for a lot of people, but new linux users are not those people.

I personally switched two years ago, and got several people I know to switch too. Everyone I know who switched (including me) was confused by middle click paste.

It's a hard to intuitively understand action (took me several months until I understood it took the selection for some reason) that is very easy to trigger accidentally, and that duplicates existing functionality.

The people who like it already know it exists, and could just toggle it on.

Of course, on distros not aimed at beginners, like say, debian, it should remain the default.

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[–] BCsven@lemmy.ca 20 points 6 days ago (3 children)

It's been middle click paste since the 70s 80s maybe, so that you could do copy paste ad hoc without altering your clipboard content.

What might be better than turning it off is a onboarding screen that shows you how it works and you test it while the install completes.

[–] ashleythorne@lemmy.world 21 points 6 days ago (1 children)

What might be better than turning it off is a onboarding screen that shows you how it works and you test it while the install completes.

There's a million more important things it could show you instead

[–] BCsven@lemmy.ca 3 points 6 days ago

Basic GUI interaction is paramount, the rest can be documentation

[–] yaroto98@lemmy.world 2 points 6 days ago (1 children)

I was under the assumption it was so you could copy/paste in the terminal. Highlight to copy, middle click to paste. Ctrl+c / ctrl+v are used by other things in the terminal already.

[–] BCsven@lemmy.ca 2 points 6 days ago

I think that is originally how it was used because GUI apps were less prevalent. But there is also Ctrl+Shift+C/V for terminal copy paste. And in Vi you have Y for yank and p and P for put. So many clipboards😱

[–] Blisterexe@lemmy.zip 2 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (1 children)

do copy paste ad hoc without altering your clipboard content.

Thing is modern clipboard managers like the one on kde server and equivalent purpose.

[–] BCsven@lemmy.ca 4 points 6 days ago

Oh I agree, but most windows users I know don't even realize they have a clipboard manager for history pasting. So may not even be looking for that.

But from a UI perspective select text and middle click is just way less key strokes and fluid.