Bug 62286

I'm not sure where this fits in most appropriately as a bug report, either
mozilla, kde, qt, or something else, but cut and paste in this context
has nothing to do with XFree86, this is a higher level abstraction.

Reassigning to KDE component

This is similar (though opposite) to a problem I reported in the Roswell beta as
Bug 51716 having to do with the differences between KDE, Mozilla and Gnome in
how it treats the clipboard and select.  You can read about the clipboard
problems of KDE 2.2.2 interoperability at this URL:
http://www.freedesktop.org/standards/clipboards.txt

In short, the old behavior in QT2 would always copy into CLIPBOARD and PRIMARY
on select, while Gnome and Mozilla would only copy into PRIMARY.  This behavior
was very annoying to many people because it lacks consistency between
applications and made for an annoying time when you want to delete a block of
text and paste in its place (wasn't possible).

In QT3 the behavior was changed to act like Gnome and Mozilla where select will
only copy into PRIMARY, and not CLIPBOARD.  This behaves in a consistent way
across all applications, and it will not continue to be a nasty surprise for
Windows and Mac users (one of the reasons the German government mentioned when
they turned down KDE for government desktop use).

This change in behavior wont effect Unix users that like "SELECT and
middle-click" for all of their copying and pasting needs.  It will work in your
case, or alternatively you can select "Copy" after you select in Mozilla then
Shift-Ins will work in Konsole.

I'm guessing you don't like this change in behavior.  I had nothing to do with
the change, but I have to strongly agree with their reasons mentioned in that
URL above and I am very happy that it now behaves in a way that Windows and Mac
users expect.

If this is a satisfactory explanation, I would suggest this bug be closed as
NOTABUG.

Sounds sensible to me.

I don't understand exactly why SHIFT+INS can't have the same action as the
middle mouse button.  I guess, what is the proper way to copy and paste?  For
example,
I copy some text by highlighting it (in any application), what is the proper way
to paste it?  CTL+V does not work in Konsole, but does in mozilla.  Middle mouse
button works everywhere I have tested.  I am guessing that some of this is on a
per application basis.  

If I am just a misguided fool, let me know, but perhaps even a way to map the
keystroke SHIFT+INS to the 'correct' (in my eyes) action would be cool too.

Thank you!  I can learn a new method but what is the preferred, most used, best
method of copying and pasting in all applications?

> I don't understand exactly why SHIFT+INS can't have 
> the same action as the middle mouse button. 

Middle mouse click did this in Unix a LONG time go.  We don't want to take away 
this old select and paste behavior from the old Unix users who expect this to 
work.

Fortunately, this is almost entirely independent of the Copy/Cut/Paste behavior 
that Windows and Mac users have come to expect.  KDE3, Gnome, and Mozilla now 
treat these two methods as seperate entities, hopefully keeping both camps 
happy.

About the question of what is the "right way".  There is no right way.  I use 
both methods depending on the situation.  If you don't like either way, change 
it yourself.  It is Open Source.  You have choice.

One more thing.

There is one notable exception to the select/middle click.  Wine currently 
doesn't support that.