install-and-configure

Install & Configure CopyQ on Ubuntu

Install

CopyQ ships in the Ubuntu archive but the upstream PPA is fresher. Default to PPA unless the user objects.

# Upstream PPA (preferred — newer features, regular releases)
sudo add-apt-repository -y ppa:hluk/copyq
sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y copyq

# Or: distro package (older, no PPA needed)
sudo apt install -y copyq

Verify:

copyq --version

First start

copyq &

The server must be running for any copyq <subcommand> calls to work. Subsequent invocations attach to the running server.

Autostart on login

CopyQ writes its own autostart entry when enabled via the GUI (Preferences → General → Autostart), but to do it from the shell:

mkdir -p ~/.config/autostart
cat > ~/.config/autostart/copyq.desktop <<'EOF'
[Desktop Entry]
Type=Application
Name=CopyQ
Exec=copyq
Icon=copyq
X-GNOME-Autostart-enabled=true
NoDisplay=false
Terminal=false
EOF

Baseline config

CopyQ's config file lives at ~/.config/copyq/copyq.conf. Most settings are also reachable via copyq config <key> [value] — prefer this since it's safer than editing the file while the server is running.

Sensible defaults to apply:

copyq config maxitems 1000              # history depth per tab
copyq config check_clipboard true       # monitor clipboard
copyq config check_selection false      # ignore X11 PRIMARY by default (set true if user wants mouse-selection capture)
copyq config copy_clipboard true        # store new clipboard entries
copyq config copy_selection false
copyq config save_filtered_items false
copyq config show_tray true
copyq config tray_item_paste true       # clicking a tray entry pastes it
copyq config tray_items 8
copyq config activate_closes true       # close window after activating an item
copyq config activate_pastes true       # ...and paste it into the previously focused window
copyq config disable_tray false
copyq config hide_tabs false

To dump current values:

copyq config | sort

Confirm it works

copyq add "test entry"
copyq read 0    # should print: test entry
copyq remove 0

Uninstall

sudo apt remove --purge copyq
sudo add-apt-repository -r ppa:hluk/copyq   # if PPA was added
rm -f ~/.config/autostart/copyq.desktop

User data lives at ~/.config/copyq/ — leave it unless the user asks to wipe history.