Helix Clipboard Not Working
Quick answer
Helix uses external clipboard tools. Install xclip or xsel on X11, wl-clipboard on Wayland, or win32yank on WSL.
Most likely fix: X11
How to fix it
Try these in order — the most common fix is first.
1. X11
- Install xclip or xsel
- Make sure it is on PATH
Did this fix it?2. Wayland
- Install wl-clipboard
- Make sure wl-copy and wl-paste are on PATH
Did this fix it?3. WSL
- Put win32yank.exe on the Windows PATH
- Or run scoop install win32yank
Did this fix it?4. Check the provider
- Run hx --health and see which clipboard provider is detected
Did this fix it?
Symptoms
Space-y and Space-p do not copy to or paste from the system clipboard.
Why it happens
- Clipboard helper not installed
- Helper not on PATH
- Mouse yanks go to the primary selection, not the system clipboard
This guide also covers
- helix clipboard not working
- helix wayland clipboard
- helix copy paste system clipboard
Still not working?
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