Vim: re-compile to use system clipboard

English Applications
#1

I have opensuse Leap 42.3 installed. Vim 7.4.326, in an xterm, is my editor of choice. Vim is not compiled with the clipboard or xterm_clipboard feature.

I would like to re-compile vim to use the system clipboard.

I downloaded the rpm file containing the source, vim-7.4.326-12.1.src.rpm, and extracted the source files. I then ran configure, then make and checked the output executable in the src directory:
vim –version, it still lacked the clipboard and xterm_clipboard features.

Do I need additional libraries? Or is there a switch to set on configure?

#2

Why re-compile xterm?
Personally, I leave that alone so that I have a bare bones, back-to-basics terminal.

You can choose among the many consoles already enhanced by openSUSE (and there are others) like
Konsole
Qterm
LXterm
Terminator

And, there are probably many more even I haven’t run into yet…
IIRC long ago I think I installed a vim plugin to enable clipboard sharing, but I can’t remember for sure… There are numerous results if you Google this…

TSU

#3

What do you think is missing?

I’m using “vim” in an “xterm” as my editor of choice. And the clipboard seems to be working fine for me.

As far as I know, when I run “vim” that way it is “xterm” which actually handles the clipboard.

#4

I’d have to play around with my vim to verify,
By default,
IIRC the clipboard works fine <within> the vim application, but I’ve also found that it’s not a clipboard shared with other applications or the Desktop.
At least, by default. As I described, I seem to remember I installed a plugin (among many to enhance vim) but from a Google search it looks like it might be possible to also make a simple config change.

TSU

#5

To answer the question, why am I using xterrm: It’s an old habit, I’ve used xterm for 20+ years.

I’m trying to re-compile vim. When I run vim --version to the list of features vime has been compiled with, I get:
vim --version | gr ep clipboard
-clipboard
-xterm_clipboard

I would like to copy snippets of text from a browser to a file that I have open in vim. For example:

  1. select the text via ctrl-c
  2. paste the text into the file opened in vim, "+p or "*p. Whichever works.
#6

I do that often. It works fine.

For example:

  1. select the text via ctrl-c
  2. paste the text into the file opened in vim, "+p or "*p. Whichever works.

I don’t know about that. I just select the text by selecting the text (no ctrl-c needed).
I paste with middle-click while vi is in insert mode. And “middle-click” is just clicking with the scroll wheel.

I’ve been doing that since forever, though sometimes with “vi”. And before the scroll wheel was invented, it was usually the middle button of a 3-button mouse. But sometimes it was the simultaneous click of left/right buttons with a two button mouse (middle-click emulation).

#7

Thanks. Middle-click works. At a recent job, I had been using "+p to paste…