name: wsl-clipboard-setup description: Guide the user through setting up WSL2 clipboard image paste fix - dependency installation, verification, and keybinding configuration
WSL2 Clipboard Fix Setup
Use this skill when the user asks to set up, configure, or troubleshoot WSL2 image pasting in Claude Code.
When to Use
- User mentions image paste not working in WSL2
- User asks to set up wsl-clipboard-fix
- User asks about pasting images in WSL
When NOT to Use
- User is on native Linux (not WSL)
- User is on macOS or Windows (not WSL)
Setup Steps
Step 1: Verify WSL2 Environment
Check that the user is running WSL2:
# Should show Microsoft in version string
grep -qi microsoft /proc/version && echo "WSL detected" || echo "Not WSL"
# Should show WSLInterop
ls /proc/sys/fs/binfmt_misc/WSLInterop* 2>/dev/null && echo "WSL2 confirmed" || echo "WSL1 or not WSL"
Step 2: Install Dependencies
Two packages are required:
sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y wl-clipboard imagemagick
Verify:
wl-paste --version
convert --version | head -1
If wl-paste cannot connect to Wayland, ensure WSLg is working:
echo $WAYLAND_DISPLAY # Should show "wayland-0" or similar
ls /mnt/wslg/runtime-dir/wayland-0 2>/dev/null && echo "WSLg OK" || echo "WSLg not available"
Step 3: Verify Plugin Hook
The plugin automatically starts the clip2png watcher on session start. Verify it works:
# Test manual conversion
"${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/clip2png" --once
# Check daemon status
"${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/clip2png" --status
Step 4: Configure Keybinding (Optional but Recommended)
Windows Terminal intercepts Ctrl+V for text paste. To paste images in Claude Code, bind Alt+V:
Create or edit ~/.claude/keybindings.json:
{
"bindings": [
{
"context": "Chat",
"bindings": {
"alt+v": "chat:imagePaste"
}
}
]
}
Important: The file must have an object with a bindings array at the top level, NOT a bare array.
Step 5: Test
- Copy an image on Windows (e.g., screenshot with Win+Shift+S, or right-click an image and Copy)
- Wait ~2 seconds for the watcher to convert BMP to PNG
- Press Alt+V (or your configured key) in Claude Code
- The image should paste successfully
Troubleshooting
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
wl-paste not found |
sudo apt install wl-clipboard |
convert not found |
sudo apt install imagemagick |
| Wayland not available | Update to Windows 11 with WSLg support, or run wsl --update |
| Daemon not starting | Check cat /tmp/clip2png.log for errors |
| Image still not pasting | Run wl-paste -l to check clipboard formats; run clip2png --once manually |
| Alt+V not working | Check ~/.claude/keybindings.json format (must be object with bindings array) |