Paste doesn't always work as expected in broadcasted panes

[stevelipinski]

The pane broadcast functionality that's currently in preview does not describe nor allow to configure how paste functionality works.
Currently, if you paste into a broadcast group of panes using right-click, it only pastes in the pane that the mouse is hovering over.
On the other hand, if you paste using Ctrl-v, it inconsistently pastes into some of the broadcast group panes - but usually not all.

It would be nice if there was a configuration option that specified how to handle paste with a broadcast group.
And, the Ctrl-v paste should be consistent and either configurable or follow the same behavior as right-click.

[zadjii-msft]

This sorta sounds a bit like the last bullet point I had tracked in #15812

Broadcast doesn't work if you use context menu paste

That's a bit different - the right-click context menu uses the same paste mechanism as the normal right-click-to-paste. So that should act the same. But then you go and mention:

On the other hand, if you paste using Ctrl-v, it inconsistently pastes into some of the broadcast group panes - but usually not all

And that, I don't think we had tracked anywhere. We can probably use this to track both issues (I'd bet they have the same resolution). Could you elaborate more on the "aCtrl+V paste doesn't work" scenario more? I don't think we've got a solid repro for that...

[stevelipinski]

I use Rocky (RedHat) Linux in WSL, so that's my use case for Terminal (if that has any relevance - I dunno).

If I open 3 panes (1, 2, 3, top-bottom), enable broadcast.
Pressing Ctrl-V with 'foo' in the clipboard, multiple times does the following on the iterations:

• pastes in 1&2
• pastes in 1&2
• pastes in 1&2&3
• pastes in 2&3
• pastes in 3
• pastes in 1&3
• ...

AFAICT the delay between keystrokes does not seem to alter. fast or delay between - it is behaves inconsistently regardless.

[zadjii-msft]

other notes to self in #15812 (comment)

[MateuszBeru]

Problem still persist and it's crashing whole Windows Terminal [1.21.321.0].
While using Toggle Broadcast Input To All Panes and trying to paste you can experience such behaviors:
-Right-Click as Paste: pasting in only 1 pane (active)
-Ctrl+V as paste: pasting in random panes, missing 1st one and pasting in rest of them or in random pattern
-Ctrl+Shift+V as paste: even more random panes, sometimes sticking to only two-three panes and randomly pasting to other
-Pasting few times with Key-Combo (Ctrl+V/Ctrl+Shift+V) will crash whole Windows Terminal

Last one is super annoying when user is connected to multiple SSH sessions and it is in the middle of editing file or command chain.

To be honest whole Broadcast Input in Windows Terminal is a gimmick than actual helpful plugin, and once user will face such problems it quit using it straight away.

Our team basically was hyped for this functionality, after first such broken experience we jumped back to our rather complicated, yet more stable option I can recommend

install WSL
install tmux
use "setw synchronize-panes on"
no problem with pasting and you can save sessions

I would love to see fully working Broadcast Input functionality working on Windows Terminal

[stevelipinski]

I'm using Terminal Preview, v1.22.3232.0 , and I cannot get it to crash under any circumstance of Ctrl-v/Shift-Ctrl-v.

[MateuszBeru]

@stevelipinski Example: pasting snippet of 20 characters with hold on CTRL+V(+Shift) will crash it.
I can't crash Wterm on hold Ctrl-V(+Shift) when not using panes and not using broadcast input.

See Attached video

[stevelipinski]

ah, ok - I can confirm - holding it down does crash it in Preview as well.