If not why not? It seems as though reading, writing, and appending to it would be far more flexible provided multi instance and multi-user issues are accounted for.
views:
347answers:
4
+1
A:
There is no kernel-level "clipboard" - it's a concept belonging to higher layers, such as X11 for example. Of course, nothing stops you from writing a device driver, user-space filesystem, or whatever, to make it visible in those terms!
Alex Martelli
2009-06-14 21:05:32
Nothing but the fact that I am a drooling moron. As I understand the kernel itself is pluggable.
ojblass
2009-06-14 21:22:46
Sounds like a good way of getting into kernel device hacking...
JesperE
2009-06-14 21:33:16
@JasperE I agree, A good starter no doubt, but in terms of applications using it, other things I think would be better (such as xclip) in a practical sense
Aiden Bell
2009-06-14 21:41:43
+2
A:
No..
The operating system is not for GUI/Application layer semantics it only provides the raw abstraction to present a consistent, pretty system to user-space applications. If you want to do something like this, I would advise you write a system daemon that applications can use as a copy store and access through system IPC such as DBus.
Standards in the freedesktop.org standards may define standards for GUI interoperability and advise they communicate through something like DBus.
Rather than a kernel space system, you may want to manage copy and paste semantics above OS services such as IPC and keep the policy in user-land but through operating system mechanics.
Whilst a device driver presentation kind-of makes sense, IMHO it belongs in user-space as some kind of mini-database with source/target data and meta-data relating to encoding and so on ... none of which are strictly kernel concerns.
Please don't write a copy/paste device driver :)
edit toned down the bolding ..
Aiden Bell
2009-06-14 21:14:14
Triumph the comedy dog would have a field day with you. That is a compliment.
ojblass
2009-06-14 21:41:01
I googled the dog, but still don't get it ... but accept the compliment with grace. Good luck should you decide to write a driver. I found the book 'Linux device drivers' and others a good starting point.
Aiden Bell
2009-06-14 21:44:42
There is a scene where triumph visits with people on opening day of one of the Star Wars films. He comes across a guy that he talks about being assembled from lesser nerds. You know your stuff in an almost frightening way. :)
ojblass
2009-06-14 21:53:14
A:
This is why I would like this to be a reality. Submitting screen shots!
I am discussing something, perhaps a design flaw. Capture the screen (or the relevant part of it) and submit it, without having to open an image editor, pasting and saving!
itpastorn
2009-09-28 10:59:52