On 30 Oct 2002, Adam Williamson wrote: > On Wed, 2002-10-30 at 12:13, Guy.Bormann wrote: > > > > Linux you just highlight and middle click. And yes > > ^^^^^^ > > what has Linux got to do with it??????!!! You meant KDE? > > No, actually, I think he was right. From my understanding, the concept > of middle-click pasting in *nix OSes predates KDE. Anyone know for sure? No, this is X behaviour (and gpm on Linux) in combination with three-button mice, common hardware until Microsoft started pushing two-button mice (i.e. one more than one-button Mac mice, "We have more!"). It has nothing to do with Linux per se. This predates both KDE and Linux.
Guy PS: There was a transition period in the late eighties/early nineties of last century when some mice (like Genius) carried a switch to change between PC-AT three-button and MS two-button mode (disabling the middle button (and protocol)). And for some time three-button mice where very hard to come by. Some software on DOS used the middle button, but Microsoft didnot use (read : require) it for Windows. Although it could be used, the middle button only made a big comeback with the advent of the scroll wheel.
