Clipboard Sync
Clipboard sync enables seamless copy-paste between your Mac and the guest VM. Copy text on your Mac and paste it inside the VM, or vice versa.
Sync Modes
Clipboard sync supports four modes, configurable from the VM toolbar or the VM menu:
| Mode | Description |
|---|---|
| Bidirectional | Sync clipboard in both directions. Changes on either side are reflected on the other. |
| Host → Guest | Only push clipboard from host to guest. Guest clipboard changes are not synced back. |
| Guest → Host | Only pull clipboard from guest to host. Host clipboard changes are not pushed. |
| Disabled | No clipboard syncing. |
Permission Panel
When a workspace attempts to sync the clipboard, a permission panel appears with three options:
- Deny — block the sync. Nothing is copied.
- Allow Once — permit this single sync. The panel will appear again next time.
- Always Allow — permit all future syncs for this workspace without asking again.
Changing Permissions
You can reset a workspace's clipboard permission at any time from the VM toolbar clipboard menu.
How it Works
Clipboard sync is event-driven — it activates when the VM window gains or loses focus, rather than polling continuously. This ensures minimal overhead.
- When the VM window gains focus: host clipboard is pushed to guest (if mode allows)
- When the VM window loses focus: guest clipboard is pulled to host (if mode allows)
Persistence
The selected sync mode is persisted per-VM in UserDefaults and restored automatically when the VM is started again.
Requirements
Clipboard sync requires GhostTools to be running inside the guest VM. The Guest Tools indicator in the VM toolbar shows connection status.