🐾 CopyCat – Linux Copy-Paste Superpower

Crafted with ❤️ by Pink Pixel

🚀 What Is CopyCat?

CopyCat is your all-in-one clipboard utility for Linux. It crushes copy-paste headaches in stubborn apps and web UIs. With built-in virtual typing, advanced clipboard tricks, and a clean GUI, CopyCat makes paste restrictions a thing of the past.

✨ Features

🎯 Core Tools

• Virtual Keyboard Typing – Simulate real keystrokes to bypass paste blocks
• Clipboard Control – Read, write, and manipulate clipboard content
• Multi-Format Ready – Handle text, JSON, URLs, API keys, and more
• GUI & Tray App – Simple interface with system tray access

🔧 Power Features

• Clipboard History – Persistent storage with search & management
• Text Templates – Reusable snippets at your fingertips
• Smart Detection – Auto-detect and adapt to different data types
• Desktop Integration – Global shortcuts and menu entries

🛠️ Installation

🎉 PyPI Installation (Recommended)

CopyCat is now available on PyPI! Install with a single command:

pip install copycat-linux

That's it! All commands (copycat, copycat-gui, copycat-tray) are now available system-wide.

Manual Dependencies (Ubuntu/Mint)

sudo apt update
sudo apt install xclip xdotool python3-tk libnotify-bin

Development Installation

For development or to get the latest features:

git clone https://github.com/pinkpixel-dev/copycat.git
cd copycat
pip install -e .

Guided Setup (Alternative)

Prefer interactive installation? Clone the repo and run:

./scripts/setup_copycat.sh

Choose pip, uv, or conda—the script builds a virtual environment, installs dependencies, and registers CopyCat.

📖 Usage

CLI Basics

# Core
copycat --get              # Show clipboard
copycat --set "text"       # Set clipboard
copycat --type             # Type clipboard (bypasses restrictions)
copycat --type-delayed     # Type after 3s delay

# Advanced
copycat --history          # Clipboard history
copycat --templates        # Templates list
copycat --gui              # Launch GUI

GUI

• Start from desktop menu, tray icon, or Ctrl+Alt+V
• Access history, templates, and one-click “Type Clipboard”

Usage

1. Copy text, API key, or config

2. Focus input field

3. Use one of these:

   • GUI: click Type Clipboard
   • CLI: copycat --type-delayed then switch to the designated paste location
   • Shortcut: Ctrl+Alt+T

🎨 Templates

Custom templates live in ~/.config/copycat/templates/:

# API key
copycat --template api-key "sk-your-key-here"

# JSON schema
copycat --template json-schema '{"type": "object", "properties": {...}}'

⌨️ Keyboard Shortcuts

• Ctrl+Alt+V → Open GUI
• Ctrl+Alt+T → Type clipboard
• Ctrl+Alt+H → Show history
• Ctrl+Shift+V → Enhanced paste (when supported)

🔧 Config

Edit ~/.config/copycat/config.conf:

[general]
typing_delay = 50
max_history = 100
auto_detect_types = true

[gui]
show_tray_icon = true
start_minimized = false

[shortcuts]
type_clipboard = Ctrl+Alt+T
show_history = Ctrl+Alt+H
open_gui = Ctrl+Alt+V

🐛 Troubleshooting

Paste still blocked?

• Try copycat --type-delayed
• Confirm xdotool is installed
• Ensure input field focus

GUI not showing?

• Install tkinter: sudo apt install python3-tk
• Check desktop environment

Shortcuts failing?

• Install xbindkeys: sudo apt install xbindkeys
• Check system shortcut conflicts

🤝 Contributing

Want to help?

1. Fork the repo
2. Create a branch
3. Submit a PR

📄 License

Apache 2.0 – see LICENSE.

🏷️ Version

1.0.1 – Published to PyPI September 17, 2025 🎉

• 📦 Available on PyPI: pip install copycat-linux
• 🎨 GUI improvements: Fixed emoji compatibility and font rendering
• ✨ Enhanced cross-platform support: Better compatibility across Linux distributions

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Made with 🩷 by Pink Pixel

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