Technology tools do have their limits. No one will become a master chef simply because they use chef-endorsed saucepans, the finest ingredients, or have access to sought-after recipes. For example, a diary application can make it easier for individuals to keep track of their daily activities and thoughts, but will the application really bring order into a chaotic world? Time tracker apps help users keep track of how much time is spent on various activities during the day, but still the user has to remember to start them.

Don’t get me wrong. There is a real burning passion inside me for small productivity tools. Lean tools that focus on a single productivity enhancing activity can make an enormous difference to the way time is spent. Bloated, complex productivity tools tend to only slow you down, and complex solutions require too much maintenance.

The applications featured in this article fall into the first category; small lean applications that focus on speed and efficiency, cutting down time spent on hunting for snippets of text.

Linux has a number of proficient clipboard managers. This type of application lets you copy and manage items to your clipboard. Copying, searching, managing and sharing clips is common functionality offered by this type of application. Keeping tabs on reusable text snippets can make a real difference for people who need to swap parcels of text. Some tools go further supporting and storing pictures and HTML, and even synchronizing clippings between computers. We give our strongest recommendation to CopyQ, a remarkable clipboard manager.

Now, let’s explore the 5 clipboard managers at hand. For each title we have compiled its own portal page, a full description with an in-depth analysis of its features, a screenshot, together with links to relevant resources and reviews.

Clipboard Managers CopyQ Clipboard manager with advanced features Parcellite Lightweight GTK+ Clipboard Manager ClipIt A fork of Parcellite which adds many bugfixes and features Glipper Clipboard utility for the GNOME panel Klipper Clipboard manager for the KDE interface

Return to our complete collection of recommended free and open source software including our latest additions.

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