fix(terminal): restore terminal text copy behavior (#452)

* fix(terminal): restore terminal text copy behavior

* fix(desktop): route Cmd+C through terminal-aware copy handler on macOS

- Use a custom macOS Copy menu action to dispatch app copy events first, so terminal selections copy without native “no target” beep, while preserving DOM copy fallback for non-terminal contexts.

---------

Co-authored-by: Bohdan Triapitsyn <artmore@protonmail.com>

packages/desktop/src-tauri/src/main.rs

@@ -98,6 +98,8 @@ const MENU_ITEM_OPEN_FILES_TAB_ID: &str = "menu_open_files_tab";
 #[cfg(target_os = "macos")]
 const MENU_ITEM_OPEN_TERMINAL_TAB_ID: &str = "menu_open_terminal_tab";
 #[cfg(target_os = "macos")]
+const MENU_ITEM_COPY_ID: &str = "menu_copy";
+#[cfg(target_os = "macos")]
 const MENU_ITEM_THEME_LIGHT_ID: &str = "menu_theme_light";
 #[cfg(target_os = "macos")]
 const MENU_ITEM_THEME_DARK_ID: &str = "menu_theme_dark";
@@ -218,6 +220,7 @@ fn build_macos_menu<R: tauri::Runtime>(
         true,
         Some("Cmd+T"),
     )?;
+    let copy = MenuItem::with_id(app, MENU_ITEM_COPY_ID, "Copy", true, Some("Cmd+C"))?;
 
     let theme_light =
         MenuItem::with_id(app, MENU_ITEM_THEME_LIGHT_ID, "Light Theme", true, None::<&str>)?;
@@ -353,7 +356,7 @@ fn build_macos_menu<R: tauri::Runtime>(
                     &PredefinedMenuItem::redo(app, None)?,
                     &PredefinedMenuItem::separator(app)?,
                     &PredefinedMenuItem::cut(app, None)?,
-                    &PredefinedMenuItem::copy(app, None)?,
+                    &copy,
                     &PredefinedMenuItem::paste(app, None)?,
                     &PredefinedMenuItem::select_all(app, None)?,
                 ],
@@ -2462,6 +2465,10 @@ fn main() {
                     dispatch_menu_action(app, "open-terminal-tab");
                     return;
                 }
+                if id == MENU_ITEM_COPY_ID {
+                    dispatch_menu_action(app, "copy");
+                    return;
+                }
 
                 if id == MENU_ITEM_THEME_LIGHT_ID {
                     dispatch_menu_action(app, "theme-light");

packages/ui/src/components/terminal/TerminalViewport.tsx

@@ -339,29 +339,55 @@ const TerminalViewport = React.forwardRef<TerminalController, TerminalViewportPr
       };
     }, [useHiddenInputOverlay, focusHiddenInput]);
 
-    const copySelectionToClipboard = React.useCallback(async () => {
+    const getTerminalSelectionText = React.useCallback((): string => {
-      if (typeof window === 'undefined' || typeof document === 'undefined') {
+      const terminal = terminalRef.current as unknown as {
-        return;
+        getSelection?: () => string;
+      } | null;
+      if (!terminal || typeof terminal.getSelection !== 'function') {
+        return '';
+      }
+      const text = terminal.getSelection();
+      return typeof text === 'string' ? text : '';
+    }, []);
+
+    const getDomSelectionTextInViewport = React.useCallback((): string => {
+      if (typeof window === 'undefined') {
+        return '';
       }
       const selection = window.getSelection();
       if (!selection) {
-        return;
+        return '';
       }
+
       const text = selection.toString();
       if (!text.trim()) {
-        return;
+        return '';
       }
 
       const container = containerRef.current;
       if (!container) {
-        return;
+        return '';
       }
+
       const anchorNode = selection.anchorNode;
       const focusNode = selection.focusNode;
       if (anchorNode && !container.contains(anchorNode)) {
-        return;
+        return '';
       }
       if (focusNode && !container.contains(focusNode)) {
+        return '';
+      }
+
+      return text;
+    }, []);
+
+    const copySelectionToClipboard = React.useCallback(async () => {
+      if (typeof document === 'undefined') {
+        return;
+      }
+
+      const text = getTerminalSelectionText() || getDomSelectionTextInViewport();
+      if (!text.trim()) {
         return;
       }
 
@@ -388,37 +414,34 @@ const TerminalViewport = React.forwardRef<TerminalController, TerminalViewportPr
       } catch {
         return;
       }
-    }, []);
+    }, [getDomSelectionTextInViewport, getTerminalSelectionText]);
 
     const hasCopyableSelectionInViewport = React.useCallback((): boolean => {
+      const terminalSelection = getTerminalSelectionText();
+      if (terminalSelection.trim()) {
+        return true;
+      }
+      return Boolean(getDomSelectionTextInViewport().trim());
+    }, [getDomSelectionTextInViewport, getTerminalSelectionText]);
+
+    React.useEffect(() => {
       if (typeof window === 'undefined') {
-        return false;
+        return;
-      }
-      const selection = window.getSelection();
-      if (!selection) {
-        return false;
-      }
-      const text = selection.toString();
-      if (!text.trim()) {
-        return false;
       }
 
-      const container = containerRef.current;
+      const handleMenuCopy = (event: Event) => {
-      if (!container) {
+        if (!hasCopyableSelectionInViewport()) {
-        return false;
+          return;
-      }
+        }
+        event.preventDefault();
+        void copySelectionToClipboard();
+      };
 
-      const anchorNode = selection.anchorNode;
+      window.addEventListener('openchamber:copy', handleMenuCopy);
-      const focusNode = selection.focusNode;
+      return () => {
-      if (anchorNode && !container.contains(anchorNode)) {
+        window.removeEventListener('openchamber:copy', handleMenuCopy);
-        return false;
+      };
-      }
+    }, [copySelectionToClipboard, hasCopyableSelectionInViewport]);
-      if (focusNode && !container.contains(focusNode)) {
-        return false;
-      }
-
-      return true;
-    }, []);
 
     const resetWriteState = React.useCallback(() => {
       pendingWriteRef.current = '';

packages/ui/src/hooks/useMenuActions.ts

@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ type MenuAction =
   | 'open-diff-tab'
   | 'open-files-tab'
   | 'open-terminal-tab'
+  | 'copy'
   | 'theme-light'
   | 'theme-dark'
   | 'theme-system'
@@ -152,6 +153,15 @@ export const useMenuActions = (
           break;
         }
 
+        case 'copy': {
+          const copyEvent = new Event('openchamber:copy', { cancelable: true });
+          const wasHandled = !window.dispatchEvent(copyEvent);
+          if (!wasHandled) {
+            document.execCommand('copy');
+          }
+          break;
+        }
+
         case 'theme-light':
           setThemeMode('light');
           break;

packages/ui/src/index.css

@@ -888,11 +888,8 @@ html:not(.dark) .chat-scroll {
 /* Keep Ghostty's internal focus textarea fully non-painting on desktop. */
 .terminal-viewport-container textarea:not([data-terminal-hidden-input="true"]) {
   opacity: 0 !important;
-  width: 0 !important;
-  height: 0 !important;
   font-size: 0 !important;
   line-height: 0 !important;
-  clip-path: inset(100%) !important;
   color: transparent !important;
   -webkit-text-fill-color: transparent !important;
   background: transparent !important;
@@ -908,9 +905,6 @@ input[aria-label="Terminal input"] {
   color: transparent !important;
   -webkit-text-fill-color: transparent !important;
   opacity: 0 !important;
-  width: 0 !important;
-  height: 0 !important;
-  clip-path: inset(100%) !important;
   outline: none !important;
 }