Pasting text adds direct formatting, won't allow paste as unformatted text

English
#1

Just upgraded from Ubuntu 24.04 to 26.04, running the latest version of LibreOffice 26.2.2.2. When copying text from Dolphin file manager into a Writer document, LO does not perform a “Paste as unformatted text” when selected from the context menu. If attempting a second time, “Paste as formatted text” is not available in the context menu, and selecting “Paste” does nothing. However, using “paste” first, or using keyboard shortcuts <CTRL+C> and <CTRL+V> results in pasted text that has direct formatting applied. In my specific case, I am attempting to copy a filename - e.g. “filename.pdf” from Dolphin’s list as unformatted text into the LO document.

This is new since I’ve upgraded Ubuntu, two days ago, and is reproducible. Any thoughts or suggestions?

#2

I assume you’re under KDE Plasma desktop (because Dolphin is its file manager)…

Copying a filename on Dolphin load plain text in the clipboard. Dolphin has absolutely no notion of formatting.

What kind of direct formatting do you see after paste operation? Attach a sample document containing pasted text.

#3

That’s correct, and I agree - Dolphin has no notion of formatting - which is why I think this is a LibreOffice Writer issue in Ubuntu 26.04, because copy-paste functions seem to work in all other cases except this.

The attached document copy-paste-test.odt shows what happens: pasting from a Dolphin session applies the “Body text” style. Pasting as unformatted text doesn’t work, nor does a simple “paste” when it’s attempted immediately after a “paste special → unformatted text” attempt.

copy-paste-test.odt (22.7 KB)

#4

If you are pasting unformatted text into a paragraph in Writer then it will take on the existing paragraph style. This is absolutely correct behaviour for a word processor; consider if you need to use a text editor instead.
You could apply another paragraph style or character style, say with mono spaced font but it depends on what your goal is.

#5

Yep, and you have missed the point of my post, and you have not read what I wrote, or opened the document I uploaded. Pasting text from Dolphin does not take on the existing paragraph style. It should, but it doesn’t.

#6

In that case, do you use a clipboard manager? See this post, Problems when pasting text into LibreOffice Writer on Ubuntu 24.04 - #2 by mikekaganski

#7

Seriously, did you read my post? I’m not using 24.04. I’m not using a clipboard manager. Your posts are now nothing more than trolling.

#8

The clipboard manager softwares often cause similar problems. Even on the Windows.
EarnestAl just trying to help you. EarnestAl shows you similar problem from the past. Maybe this known problem appeared with your new

  • Linux version
  • LO version
  • Clipboard manager version,

but not appeared with the old versions.

#9

This is not a known problem. I have been using LO without this issue for as long as I have been using Ubuntu and LOW

Earnest AI did not try to help by looking at the facts first. Earnest AI made incorrect assumptions about the issue and moved forward as though his assumptions were correct. They were not accurate because they did not apply to my situation. The clipboard issue has never caused an issue with either Win64Pro9 or with ubuntu 24.04; it is new with 26.04. That’s my fast response.

#10

This is a known problem. Read the topics and questions in the forums.
Earnest AI try to help you.
But I won’t try to help you from now on.

#14

I can confirm that this became an issue only when upgrading to Kubuntu 26.04. LibreOffice 26.2.3.2
Text copied from a webpage, for instance, can be pasted normally, but if I want to paste it unformatted, I have to use Ctrl Alt Shift V. The option from right mouse click>Paste Special>Unformatted Text DOES NOT work.

While I have not confirmed this by downgrading LibreOffice, something is definitely broken here.

#11

Contrary to my initial supposition, Dolphin stores 3 versions in the clipboard, in this order:

  1. HTML
  2. Markdown
  3. Unformatted text

You can check this with Edit → Paste Special → Paste Special which allows you to select which version to paste.

When you (simply) paste, the first version is selected. Since this is HTML, it is “styled” and Writer automatically chooses Body Text because this is the “standard” style for the discourse.

As @EarnestAl points out, any unformatted text paste will insert text without modifying the current style. So, If you first did a simple paste, style is changed to Body Text and subsequent unformatted paste will use now current Body Text.

Your sample also shows a faulty use of Default Paragraph Style (DFS). DFS is not the “standard” style for text as Normal can be under Word. DFS offers a simple first-level document customisation. What you set there (font face, size, weight, spacing, …) propagates to all other styles to give a personal look. DFS should never be used over text (because you’ll be tempted to modify it with unexpected [by beginners] effects on other styles). DFS is reserved to store your preferences.

Here: Fedora 44 (Linux 7.0.9), KDE desktop, LO 26.2.3.2

1 Like
#12

Not sure why it seems like I have to keep rewriting the same words in my original post. My issue is with not being able to paste unformatted text. Full stop. Someone asked for an example, so I provided an example.

You pointed out something important: I agree that those three options are normally available when attempting to “paste special”. Here, they are not available in the right-click context menu. They are available in the menu Edit → Paste → Paste Special, but when attempting to drill down from the menu to select that and paste as unformatted text, LibreOffice Writer reports: “Requested Clipboard Format is not available.” Ergo, there is one and only one option to paste when copying from a Dolphin window. Because I don’t have this issue with any other application, I have nothing else to suspect at this time except that LOW isn’t handling the paste action as before, and as expected.

Thank you. I am trying to provide as much useful information as possible.

#13

Bottom line is that the paste functionality is now different in this version of LOW with Ubuntu 26.04 than what it was in previous versions of LOW in 24.04. Some paste functions do not work at all.

#15

Pushing this to the top. As others have confirmed, LOW doesn’t respect copy-paste formatting as it did before. If this is an Ubuntu 26.04 issue I’m happy to push it there. However, after extensive testing, I posit that this is a new LOW issue that wasn’t present before. You can confirm it in Ubuntu by trying to copy-paste text from anything into LOW. The “paste as unformatted text” does not work. LOW pastes the test with “body text” style, when it should not.

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