tmux/Q/What is a conceptual overview of how copy paste works in oh-my-tmux with nvim?

• What is a conceptual overview of how copy paste works in oh-my-tmux with nvim?

  • Answer

    • AI/Response

      • The Three Clipboard Layers

        • At its core, copy-paste in this stack involves three independent clipboard systems that must cooperate:
          • tmux's internal buffer — a paste buffer private to the tmux server process
          • nvim's registers — in-process yank storage, including the special + (system clipboard) and * (primary selection) registers
          • the OS system clipboard — macOS Pasteboard (pbcopy/pbpaste) or X11/Wayland clipboard
        • Getting text from A to B means understanding which layer it lands in and how (or whether) the layers are bridged.

      • tmux's Internal Buffer

        • Enter copy mode with Prefix+[ (oh-my-tmux default; some configs use Prefix+Escape)
        • oh-my-tmux enables vi-style bindings in copy mode: v to begin selection, y to yank
        • Yanked text goes into tmux's paste buffer — shared across all windows and sessions of the same tmux server
        • Paste anywhere in the same server with Prefix+]
        • This means tmux-buffer copy/paste works transparently across sessions and windows without touching the OS clipboard at all

      • oh-my-tmux Clipboard Bridge

        • oh-my-tmux auto-detects the OS and wires y in copy mode to also send the selection to the system clipboard:
          • macOS: pipes through pbcopy
          • Linux: uses xclip, xsel, or wl-copy depending on what's available
        • Controlled in .tmux.conf.local via settings like set -g @copy_use_prefix on
        • After this bridge is active, yanking in tmux copy mode simultaneously fills both the tmux buffer and the OS clipboard
        • On macOS inside Terminal.app or iTerm2, this just works. Inside SSH or nested tmux, you may need reattach-to-user-namespace (older macOS) or proper $TERM / $TMUX detection

      • nvim's Clipboard Register

        • By default, nvim yanks (y, dd, etc.) go to nvim's unnamed register — not the OS clipboard
        • To yank explicitly to the system clipboard from nvim: "+y (or "*y for primary selection)
        • To make all nvim yanks go to the system clipboard automatically, add to your nvim config:
          • lua

            vim.opt.clipboard = "unnamedplus"

          • or in vimscript: set clipboard=unnamedplus
        • With unnamedplus set, y in nvim = "+y — text lands in both nvim's register and the OS clipboard

      • Practical Scenarios

        • Copy in nvim → paste in another tmux window or session

          • If clipboard=unnamedplus is set in nvim: yank normally, then Prefix+] will not work (that's the tmux buffer, not OS clipboard)
          • Better path: switch to the target window, enter nvim (or another shell), and paste with Cmd+V (macOS) or Ctrl+Shift+V (Linux terminal)
          • Alternative: explicitly yank to tmux buffer from nvim using a shell command: :!echo -n "text" | tmux load-buffer - (awkward)
          • Cleanest solution: with clipboard=unnamedplus on and oh-my-tmux's clipboard bridge active, both the OS clipboard and tmux buffer stay in sync — Prefix+] works anywhere in the server after a tmux-mode yank

        • Copy in tmux copy mode → paste in browser

          • Must go through the OS clipboard — the tmux buffer is invisible to the browser
          • With oh-my-tmux's clipboard bridge active: yank with y in copy mode → OS clipboard is filled → Cmd+V / Ctrl+V in browser works
          • If the bridge is not active, use mouse-select + Cmd+C (macOS) to copy directly via the terminal emulator

        • Copy in nvim → paste in browser

          • Yank to + register in nvim: "+y or use clipboard=unnamedplus
          • Cmd+V in browser works immediately

        • Copy from browser → paste in nvim

          • Cmd+C in browser fills OS clipboard
          • In nvim normal mode: "+p to paste from system clipboard
          • With clipboard=unnamedplus: plain p works
          • In tmux copy mode is not involved here at all

      • Summary Mental Model

        • Goal	Mechanism
          tmux window → tmux window/session	Prefix+[ yank → Prefix+] paste
          tmux → browser	oh-my-tmux clipboard bridge → OS clipboard → Cmd+V
          nvim → browser	"+y in nvim (or clipboard=unnamedplus) → Cmd+V
          nvim → other tmux window	OS clipboard (via clipboard=unnamedplus) → Cmd+V or "+p in destination
          browser → nvim	Cmd+C browser → "+p in nvim (or p with clipboard=unnamedplus)

      • Recommended Setup for Smooth Interop

        • In nvim config: vim.opt.clipboard = "unnamedplus" — makes nvim always use OS clipboard
        • Verify oh-my-tmux clipboard bridge is working: yank something in copy mode, then pbpaste (macOS) in a shell — should print it
        • With both in place, you effectively have one unified clipboard: yank anywhere, paste anywhere

      • Sources

        • oh-my-tmux README — copy/paste section
        • Neovim clipboard documentation
        • tmux man page — buffers