TL;DR
Developers at GNOME and Mozilla are reviewing a proposal to disable the traditional middle-button paste behavior on Unix-like systems by default. The change would alter Firefox’s Unix builds and update a GNOME GTK schema; both proposals are under review and no final decision has been made.
What happened
Developers from Mozilla and the GNOME project are discussing a change that would stop the middle mouse button from inserting selected text by default on Unix-like desktops. Mozilla has a Phabricator revision (D277804) proposing that Firefox’s Unix builds no longer paste the primary selection when the middle button is pressed. A related GNOME merge request would modify the default GTK schema that controls whether primary-selection paste is enabled, aligning the desktop toolkit with the browser proposal. The behavior in question—automatic capture of selected text into a secondary buffer that pastes with a middle click—originated in the X Window System and has been a long-standing convention in Unix graphical environments. The proposals have drawn objections from reviewers who say disabling a decades-old feature could disrupt established workflows. Both the Mozilla revision and the GNOME schema change remain open for further review and community feedback.
Why it matters
- Middle-click paste is ingrained in many Linux/Unix users’ workflows and muscle memory, especially for quick text transfers between terminals and apps.
- Changing the default in Firefox and GTK could affect a broad set of applications that rely on the same toolkit settings.
- Removing a decades-old convention risks introducing confusion and interruptions for long-time users and administrators.
- The discussion illustrates tension between legacy X11 behaviors and evolving defaults in modern desktop stacks.
Key facts
- Mozilla has an active Phabricator revision (D277804) proposing to disable middle-button paste by default on Unix builds of Firefox.
- A GNOME gsettings-desktop-schemas merge request was filed to change the default GTK setting that controls primary-selection paste behavior.
- The middle-click paste feature is tied to the primary selection concept that dates back to the X Window System and has existed for 30+ years in Unix GUI environments.
- Supporters of the proposal cite confusion and accidental pastes as motivations for changing the default.
- Reviewers and users have pushed back, warning that disabling the feature could disrupt established workflows.
- Neither the Mozilla revision nor the GNOME merge request has been finalized or merged; both remain under review.
- The discussion and linked change requests are publicly visible and have generated user comments and debate.
- The reporting source is an article by Bobby Borisov published in early January 2026.
What to watch next
- Whether Mozilla finalizes the Phabricator revision to change Firefox’s middle-click default behavior (currently under review).
- Whether the GNOME gsettings-desktop-schemas merge request is merged and the GTK default is updated (currently under review).
- Whether other desktop environments or applications adopt similar defaults or retain the traditional middle-click paste behavior — not confirmed in the source.
Quick glossary
- Primary selection: A Unix/X11 convention where selected text is stored in a separate buffer and can be pasted with a middle mouse click.
- Middle-click paste: The user action of pressing the mouse middle button to insert the contents of the primary selection into a text field.
- GTK: A graphical toolkit used by GNOME and many Linux applications to build user interfaces.
- Phabricator: A code review and project tracking tool used by some open-source projects to manage revisions and discussions.
- Merge request: A request to integrate proposed changes into a project’s codebase, often accompanied by review and discussion.
Reader FAQ
Will Firefox stop pasting with the middle mouse button right away?
Not confirmed in the source; the Mozilla revision proposing the change is under review and no final decision has been announced.
Is GNOME already changing the default setting for middle-click paste?
A GNOME gsettings-desktop-schemas merge request to update the default was filed and is currently under review, but it has not been merged.
Why are developers proposing this change?
The proposal’s author and reviewers cited confusion and accidental pastes as reasons to consider disabling the default behavior.
How long has middle-click paste been part of Unix desktops?
The behavior dates back more than 30 years to conventions established in the X Window System.
HOME LINUX & OPEN SOURCE NEWS GNOME AND MOZILLA DISCUSS PROPOSAL TO DISABLE MIDDLE MOUSE PASTE ON LINUX GNOME and Mozilla Discuss Proposal to Disable Middle Mouse Paste on Linux…
Sources
- Gnome and Mozilla Discuss Proposal to Disable Middle Mouse Paste on Linux
- GNOME & Firefox Consider Disabling Middle Click Paste …
- An X11 Thing! Your Favorite Middle-Click Paste is Likely to …
- GNOME and Firefox Consider Disabling Middle Click Paste …
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