Say Goodbye to Middle-Mouse Paste
Both Gnome and Firefox have proposed getting rid of a long-time favorite Linux feature.
Gnome developer Jordan Petridis submitted proposals to both GNOME and Firefox for disabling what he called the "abomination" that is middle-mouse paste.
In the Firefox proposal, titled "Get `middlemouse.paste` from system," there were comments such as, "Middlepaste is bad and needs to be disabled by default," but several commenters made it very clear that they'd like to see it remain.
There are those who claim that middle-mouse paste is a security issue, with one commenter saying, "middle-clicking could paste sensitive information (e.g., passwords from a password manager) into a page when the user does not intend to and without the user's knowledge."
The thing is, that can happen with Ctrl-V as well. Given that this feature has been around for a very long time, it's my opinion (as someone who's been using Linux since 1997) that this is short-sighted.
Middle-mouse paste was added to Wayland 10 years ago. If Firefox were to remove it, it could well be the only desktop application that doesn't support the feature.
One of the reasons why I use middle mouse paste is that it makes it possible to copy two different strings and paste one with Ctrl-v and the other with middle mouse paste.
There's no way of knowing if other desktops and apps will follow suit. For those who do depend on the feature, a different desktop might be the only solution if Gnome were to follow through with the proposal.
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Say Goodbye to Middle-Mouse Paste
Both Gnome and Firefox have proposed getting rid of a long-time favorite Linux feature.
-
Manjaro 26.0 Primary Desktop Environments Default to Wayland
If you want to stick with X.Org, you'll be limited to the desktop environments you can choose.
-
Mozilla Plans to AI-ify Firefox
With a new CEO in control, Mozilla is doubling down on a strategy of trust, all the while leaning into AI.
-
Gnome Says No to AI-Generated Extensions
If you're a developer wanting to create a new Gnome extension, you'd best set aside that AI code generator, because the extension team will have none of that.
-
Parrot OS Switches to KDE Plasma Desktop
Yet another distro is making the move to the KDE Plasma desktop.
-
TUXEDO Announces Gemini 17
TUXEDO Computers has released the fourth generation of its Gemini laptop with plenty of updates.
-
Two New Distros Adopt Enlightenment
MX Moksha and AV Linux 25 join ranks with Bodhi Linux and embrace the Enlightenment desktop.
-
Solus Linux 4.8 Removes Python 2
Solus Linux 4.8 has been released with the latest Linux kernel, updated desktops, and a key removal.
-
Zorin OS 18 Hits over a Million Downloads
If you doubt Linux isn't gaining popularity, you only have to look at Zorin OS's download numbers.
-
TUXEDO Computers Scraps Snapdragon X1E-Based Laptop
Due to issues with a Snapdragon CPU, TUXEDO Computers has cancelled its plans to release a laptop based on this elite hardware.
