Ctrl+V image paste should warn when xclip/xsel missing on Linux
Resolved 💬 3 comments Opened Apr 10, 2026 by adampaulsen Closed Apr 14, 2026
Description
On Linux, the input prompt shows a tooltip: "press Ctrl+V to paste images". However, this feature silently fails if xclip (or xsel) is not installed — there's no error message or indication of what's wrong.
Expected behavior
Either:
- The tooltip should mention the dependency: "press Ctrl+V to paste images (requires xclip)"
- Or when paste fails due to missing clipboard tool, show an actionable error: "Image paste requires xclip. Install with: sudo apt install xclip"
Environment
- Platform: Linux (Zorin OS / Ubuntu-based)
- Terminal: gnome-terminal, Kitty
- Claude Code: latest
Steps to reproduce
- Fresh Linux install without
xcliporxsel - Copy an image to clipboard
- Press Ctrl+V in Claude Code prompt
- Nothing happens — no error, no feedback
- Install
xclip→ image paste works
The fix is trivial for the user once they know, but the silent failure is confusing.
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