Accessing Clipboard Contents Across Multiple Instances of Vim from Terminal
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**Vim (Vi IMproved)** is one of the most favourite text editors among programmers. It has its own specialities in performing different operations with short hand commands.

![Accessing Clipboard Contents from Vim](http://www.tecmint.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/vim-clipboard-content.jpeg)

For example, to copy the highlighted text we use the ‘**y**‘ command and ‘x‘ to cut the same. But, by default **vim** (and not **gVim**) clipboard contents cannot be accessed after closing vim instances.

Vim uses the ‘**+**‘ register to refer to the system clipboard. You can run ‘**vim ­­–version**‘ and if you cannot see something like “**+xterm_clipboard**” and instead “­**xterm_clipboard**“, then internal clipboard contents will not be available outside **vim**.

### Install gvim and parcellite ###

In order to access the vim clipboard contents, you need to install **gvim** package. The **gVim** is a GUI mode for vim editor where clipboard option is enabled by default.

    # yum install -y gvim

Next, enable [RPMForge Repository][1] to install **parcellite** package. The Parcellite is a lightweight, tiny and free clipboard manager for Linux.

    # yum install -y parcellite

Once installed, run the following command. Where argument ‘**&**’ is used to send parcellite for running as a background process.

    # parcellite &

Check whether the option is enabled in gvim.

    # gvim --version

Make sure you have the “**+xterm_clipboard**” option displayed in the output as shown below.

    VIM - Vi IMproved 7.2 (2008 Aug 9, compiled Apr  5 2012 10:12:08)
    Included patches: 1-411
    Modified by <bugzilla@redhat.com>
    Compiled by <bugzilla@redhat.com>
    Huge version with GTK2 GUI.  Features included (+) or not (-):
    +arabic +autocmd +balloon_eval +browse ++builtin_terms +byte_offset +cindent 
    +clientserver +clipboard +cmdline_compl +cmdline_hist +cmdline_info +comments 
    +cryptv +cscope +cursorshape +dialog_con_gui +diff +digraphs +dnd -ebcdic 
    +emacs_tags +eval +ex_extra +extra_search +farsi +file_in_path +find_in_path 
    +float +folding -footer +fork() +gettext -hangul_input +iconv +insert_expand 
    +jumplist +keymap +langmap +libcall +linebreak +lispindent +listcmds +localmap 
    +menu +mksession +modify_fname +mouse +mouseshape +mouse_dec +mouse_gpm 
    -mouse_jsbterm +mouse_netterm -mouse_sysmouse +mouse_xterm +multi_byte 
    +multi_lang -mzscheme +netbeans_intg -osfiletype +path_extra +perl +postscript 
    +printer +profile +python +quickfix +reltime +rightleft -ruby +scrollbind 
    +signs +smartindent -sniff +startuptime +statusline -sun_workshop +syntax 
    +tag_binary +tag_old_static -tag_any_white -tcl +terminfo +termresponse 
    +textobjects +title +toolbar +user_commands +vertsplit +virtualedit +visual 
    +visualextra +viminfo +vreplace +wildignore +wildmenu +windows +writebackup 
    +X11 -xfontset +xim +xsmp_interact +xterm_clipboard -xterm_save

Open up user’s .bashrc file.

    # vim ~/.bashrc

And add the alias and save the file (press ‘**i**’ to insert line and press **ESC**, then run **:wq** to save and exit).

    # .bashrc

    # User specific aliases and functions

    alias rm='rm -i'
    alias cp='cp -i'
    alias mv='mv -i'
    alias vim='gvim -v'
    # Source global definitions
    if [ -f /etc/bashrc ]; then
            . /etc/bashrc
    fi

This alias is a built-in used to bypass some command to another. Thus every time when vim command is issued, the corresponding alias goes to gvim with clipboard enabled by default.

Now edit your ‘**.vimrc**‘ file in a similar way (In case if you don’t have a **.vimrc** file, generate one such file through and then get back here.

    # vim ~/.vimrc

Append the following line and save the file.

    autocmd VimLeave * call system("echo -n $'" . escape(getreg(), "'") . "' | xsel -ib")

Now open any file in vim and highlight the portion of text (using ‘v‘ command) and press “+y. Try to paste anywhere outside vim (after closing or without closing vim) and you are done.

### Generating .vimrc File ###

Run the following command to generate **.vimrc** file (skip this part if you already have one).

    # cd   [This will put you in home directory]       
    # vim .vimrc

In vim run the following after pressing the ESC key (In vim every command is run after pressing ESC key which puts you in command mode).

    :r $VIMRUNTIME/vimrc_example.vim 
    :w

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[1]:http://www.tecmint.com/install-and-enable-rpmforge-repository-in-rhel-centos-6-5-4/