Problem Statement

The Coder Terminal does not provide optimal Copy/Paste due to the overlap of Ctrl-C, Ctrl-Shift-C (and Paste), and requires use of context menus for Copy/Paste.

Current User Experience Issues

• Inconsistent Experience: Different behavior compared to native terminal applications
• Browser Conflicts: Ctrl+Shift+C opens browser developer tools instead of copying text (during testing GCP Shell, it would do both, fill the Copy Buffer AND open Devtools, a quirk that is not desired)
• OS Differences: Cmd-C on Mac works because it bypasses Ctrl

Reproduction Steps

1. Windows environment (laptop or VDI)
2. Using Chrome browser, open Terminal window
3. Attempt to use standard copy/paste terminal key mappings
4. Standard shortcuts (Ctrl+C, Ctrl+Shift+C, Ctrl+V, Ctrl+Shift+V) conflict with browser shortcuts or OS built int (Interrupt)
5. Only workaround is right-click menu selection, which is unsuitable for frequent use
6. Secondary workaround is remapping, i.e. using PowerToys on Windows to Ctrl-Insert

Proposed Solution

Implement copy/paste functionality similar to Google Cloud Platform's Cloud Console terminal, which provides:

1. Copy-on-select: Automatically copy text when it's highlighted/selected in the terminal
2. Browser shortcut override: Allow Ctrl+Shift+C and Ctrl+Shift+V to work specifically within the terminal context, overriding browser defaults
3. Fallback support: Maintain compatibility with alternative shortcuts like Ctrl+Insert/Shift+Insert
4. Middle-click paste: Support for middle mouse button paste functionality

Technical Implementation

• Leverage xterm.js capabilities for enhanced keyboard handling
• Implement browser-specific overrides for terminal-focused shortcuts
• Ensure compatibility across different browsers and operating systems
• Maintain existing terminal functionality (Ctrl+C for interrupt/break)

Business Impact

Developer Productivity

Customer Satisfaction

• Matches functionality available in other cloud terminal solutions
• Demonstrates commitment to developer experience
• Reduces barriers to adoption

Success Criteria

• Developers can use Ctrl+Shift+C/V for copy/paste in web terminal
• Copy-on-select functionality works reliably across browsers
• Middle-click paste support implemented
• No regression in existing terminal features
• Reduced support tickets related to copy/paste issues
• Positive feedback from beta testing with enterprise customers

Reference Implementation

Google Cloud Platform's Cloud Console terminal demonstrates this functionality is technically feasible and provides a good user experience benchmark. The GCP implementation shows that browser shortcut overrides can be successfully implemented for terminal-specific contexts.

xterm.js Integration

• Investigate keyboard event handling capabilities
• Ensure compatibility with current xterm.js version
• Plan for future xterm.js updates

Related Issues and Dependencies

• Current xterm.js implementation and limitations
• Browser security policies for keyboard event handling
• Cross-platform testing requirements
• Integration with existing Coder terminal infrastructure