[clipboard] How to fix broken paste clipboard in VNC on Windows

When using RealVNC on Windows, I can sometimes cut and paste from VNC into Window's apps, and sometimes it just stops working. How can I get it reset so it works again? I've tried restarting VNC, but that doesn't do it.

This question is related to clipboard vnc-viewer

The answer is


http://rreddy.blogspot.com/2009/07/vncviewer-clipboard-operations-like.html

Many times you must have observed that clipboard operations like copy/cut and paste suddenly stops workings with the vncviewer. The main reason for this there is a program called as vncconfig responsible for these clipboard transfers. Some times the program may get closed because of some bug in vnc or some other reasons like you closed that window.

To get those clipboard operations back you need to run the program "vncconfig &".

After this your clipboard actions should work fine with out any problems.

Run "vncconfig &" on the client.


I use Remote login with vnc-ltsp-config with GNOME Desktop Environment on CentOS 5.9. From experimenting today, I managed to get cut and paste working for the session and the login prompt (because I'm lazy and would rather copy and paste difficult passwords).

  1. I created a file vncconfig.desktop in the /etc/xdg/autostart directory which enabled cut and paste during the session after login. The vncconfig process is run as the logged in user.

    [Desktop Entry]
    Name=No name
    Encoding=UTF-8
    Version=1.0
    Exec=vncconfig -nowin
    X-GNOME-Autostart-enabled=true

  2. Added vncconfig -nowin & to the bottom of the file /etc/gdm/Init/Desktop which enabled cut and paste in the session during login but terminates after login. The vncconfig process is run as root.

  3. Adding vncconfig -nowin & to the bottom of the file /etc/gdm/PostLogin/Desktop also enabled cut and paste during the session after login. The vncconfig process is run as root however.


You likely need to re-start VNC on both ends. i.e. when you say "restarted VNC", you probably just mean the client. But what about the other end? You likely need to re-start that end too. The root cause is likely a conflict. Many apps spy on the clipboard when they shouldn't. And many apps are not forgiving when they go to open the clipboard and can't. Robust ones will retry, others will simply not anticipate a failure and then they get fouled up and need to be restarted. Could be VNC, or it could be another app that's "listening" to the clipboard viewer chain, where it is obligated to pass along notifications to the other apps in the chain. If the notifications aren't sent, then VNC may not even know that there has been a clipboard update.