Keyboard shortcut to copy current command from terminal to clipboard

Question

Is there any way to copy current command (line typed in bash prompt) in terminal to X-clipboard without involving a mouse?

Solution

Yes, first you have to install xclip. (sudo apt-get install xclip)

Then to copy previous line:

echo !! | xclip

To Paste: Middle click or

xclip -o

For example:

date
Wed Jul 24 15:46:54 IST 2013
echo !! | xclip

xclip -o
date

To copy Output of any command: <command> | xclip

However, this may fail if the command has special characters.

Comments

[Marco]

What is the “current command”? If you know what to copy, you can use xclip.

[Loom]

@Marco - Thank you - I expanded question. As for xclip, I am a newbie and do not know what it about. Could you explain?

[Loom]

@Gilles - Frankly, I do not really understand how the knowledge of how to put the selected text to the clipboard can help with putting the current command to the clipboard. Is there a keyboard shortcut, that allows to select the current command from bash prompt?

[Gilles 'SO- stop being evil']

That fails if the command contains just about any special character.

[Hielke Walinga]

Just add :q to !! of your command and it is fixed: echo !!:q | xclip. :q makes sure your variable is expanded and only then quoted. (Single quotes, so that nothing is interpreted by the shell.)