What is the most suitable way to copy text between host Windows and guest Ubuntu?

I use windows server 2008r2 with role Hyper-V. The guest system is Ubuntu 12.04 LTC. There is local network between Ubuntu and other machines.

Sometimes I need copy-paste text between OS windows server 2008r2 and guest OS Ubuntu. Today I use WinSCP for this purpose. It is not convenient (first of all, I create file; secondly copy text; then browse this file).

What is the most suitable way to copy-paste text between host and guest OS Ubuntu?

AmShegar

Posted 2013-11-15T07:10:34.557

Reputation: 123

Can’t you use the clipboard? Most VM software has a shared-clipboard functionality, and both Windows and Ubutnu have clipboards, so it should be able to support cross-system copy/paste. Check the settings for the guest OS and there should be a setting to enable a shared clipboard. – Synetech – 2013-11-15T17:37:56.667

no, there is not clipboard( – AmShegar – 2013-11-18T07:41:35.520

Wow, that’s annoying. VMWare, VirtualPC, VirtualBox, etc. all support clipboard integration. Why would Hyper-V (a Microsoft product related to VirtualPC) not support it? Tsk tsk. ಠ_ಠ – Synetech – 2013-11-18T16:01:57.913

Sadness( But you can emulate "mouse integration" if you will use tightVNC. http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/windows-and-office/how-do-i-run-a-remote-linux-desktop-in-windows/

– AmShegar – 2013-11-21T06:48:11.003

Answers

Whenever i did set up a virtual machine, i connect afterwards with ssh to the machine. Depending on the ssh client you use, it's easy to copy and paste text.

For example you connect from the windows machine to the linux server with ssh user@linuxmachine. For convinience you could use a certificate based authentification. Once logged in you can copy and paste your commands or files displayed on the console with cat by the function provided by your windows ssh client.

I admit this doesn't work well if you're working with a gui in linux, and want to copy/paste a value displayed on a web page for example.

Fabian

Posted 2013-11-15T07:10:34.557

Reputation: 61

I instal Bitwise SSH Server on Windows. Then I connect from Linux to Windows. In linux I have a window with Windows console. But I do not know how can I redirect text from this console to real Windows console. Please, write an example. – AmShegar – 2013-11-21T14:12:27.360

That won't work, or i'm not aware of any way you could do this, if you have windows as ssh server. – Fabian – 2013-11-27T14:58:54.217

Assuming you are copying from Windows to Debian. If you are using putty, then just highlight the text in putty, this will copy it, you can then paste into whatever application you need it in.

In reverse, just copy from the application, and right click in the putty window to paste.

GeoSword

Posted 2013-11-15T07:10:34.557

Reputation: 234

if you just want to do text copy paste

you should install the hyper-v guest tools on the ubuntu and enable the feature support on the windows host.

then you have a shared clipboard.

konqui

Posted 2013-11-15T07:10:34.557

Reputation: 504

1Either the OP has already tried that or they don’t know how, so if they haven’t, then specific directions on how to install and enable it would be good. – Synetech – 2013-11-15T17:40:05.033

Sry synetech overread your first comment. – konqui – 2013-11-15T18:01:49.263

No problem. I think this is the correct approach, but I don’t have Hyper-V and cannot find any screenshots that show how to enable it, so I only posted a comment instead of an answer. If you have it or know specifically how to enable it (assuming it’s actually included in Hyper-V), then it would be good to let them know since the may not know how.

– Synetech – 2013-11-15T18:05:01.973

i can't do any screen shots cause my win server is currently out of order, but i once wrote a little tutorial for some of my course members maybe luckily i found it still on my google drive. have a look here: link

– konqui – 2013-11-15T19:19:36.873

Hyper-V doesn't provide clipboard integration. You would have to connect to the machine over a protocol that supports the clipboard, like RDP or VNC. – AmShegar – 2013-11-18T07:40:56.593