Add image paste support for xterm.js terminal

Intercept clipboard paste events containing images in the terminal,
upload them into the Docker container via bollard's tar upload API,
and inject the resulting file path into terminal stdin so Claude Code
can reference the image.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>

app/src-tauri/src/commands/terminal_commands.rs

@@ -72,3 +72,23 @@ pub async fn close_terminal_session(
     state.exec_manager.close_session(&session_id).await;
     Ok(())
 }
+
+#[tauri::command]
+pub async fn paste_image_to_terminal(
+    session_id: String,
+    image_data: Vec<u8>,
+    state: State<'_, AppState>,
+) -> Result<String, String> {
+    let container_id = state.exec_manager.get_container_id(&session_id).await?;
+
+    let timestamp = std::time::SystemTime::now()
+        .duration_since(std::time::UNIX_EPOCH)
+        .unwrap_or_default()
+        .as_millis();
+    let file_name = format!("clipboard_{}.png", timestamp);
+
+    state
+        .exec_manager
+        .write_file_to_container(&container_id, &file_name, &image_data)
+        .await
+}

app/src-tauri/src/docker/exec.rs

@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+use bollard::container::UploadToContainerOptions;
 use bollard::exec::{CreateExecOptions, ResizeExecOptions, StartExecResults};
 use futures_util::StreamExt;
 use std::collections::HashMap;
@@ -212,4 +213,51 @@ impl ExecSessionManager {
             session.shutdown();
         }
     }
+
+    pub async fn get_container_id(&self, session_id: &str) -> Result<String, String> {
+        let sessions = self.sessions.lock().await;
+        let session = sessions
+            .get(session_id)
+            .ok_or_else(|| format!("Session {} not found", session_id))?;
+        Ok(session.container_id.clone())
+    }
+
+    pub async fn write_file_to_container(
+        &self,
+        container_id: &str,
+        file_name: &str,
+        data: &[u8],
+    ) -> Result<String, String> {
+        let docker = get_docker()?;
+
+        // Build a tar archive in memory containing the file
+        let mut tar_buf = Vec::new();
+        {
+            let mut builder = tar::Builder::new(&mut tar_buf);
+            let mut header = tar::Header::new_gnu();
+            header.set_size(data.len() as u64);
+            header.set_mode(0o644);
+            header.set_cksum();
+            builder
+                .append_data(&mut header, file_name, data)
+                .map_err(|e| format!("Failed to create tar entry: {}", e))?;
+            builder
+                .finish()
+                .map_err(|e| format!("Failed to finalize tar: {}", e))?;
+        }
+
+        docker
+            .upload_to_container(
+                container_id,
+                Some(UploadToContainerOptions {
+                    path: "/tmp".to_string(),
+                    ..Default::default()
+                }),
+                tar_buf.into(),
+            )
+            .await
+            .map_err(|e| format!("Failed to upload file to container: {}", e))?;
+
+        Ok(format!("/tmp/{}", file_name))
+    }
 }

app/src-tauri/src/lib.rs

@@ -90,6 +90,7 @@ pub fn run() {
             commands::terminal_commands::terminal_input,
             commands::terminal_commands::terminal_resize,
             commands::terminal_commands::close_terminal_session,
+            commands::terminal_commands::paste_image_to_terminal,
             // Updates
             commands::update_commands::get_app_version,
             commands::update_commands::check_for_updates,

app/src/components/terminal/TerminalView.tsx

@@ -21,9 +21,10 @@ export default function TerminalView({ sessionId, active }: Props) {
   const fitRef = useRef<FitAddon | null>(null);
   const webglRef = useRef<WebglAddon | null>(null);
   const detectorRef = useRef<UrlDetector | null>(null);
-  const { sendInput, resize, onOutput, onExit } = useTerminal();
+  const { sendInput, pasteImage, resize, onOutput, onExit } = useTerminal();
 
   const [detectedUrl, setDetectedUrl] = useState<string | null>(null);
+  const [imagePasteMsg, setImagePasteMsg] = useState<string | null>(null);
 
   useEffect(() => {
     if (!containerRef.current) return;
@@ -85,6 +86,40 @@ export default function TerminalView({ sessionId, active }: Props) {
       sendInput(sessionId, data);
     });
 
+    // Handle image paste: intercept paste events with image data,
+    // upload to the container, and inject the file path into terminal input.
+    const handlePaste = (e: ClipboardEvent) => {
+      const items = e.clipboardData?.items;
+      if (!items) return;
+
+      for (const item of Array.from(items)) {
+        if (item.type.startsWith("image/")) {
+          e.preventDefault();
+          e.stopPropagation();
+
+          const blob = item.getAsFile();
+          if (!blob) return;
+
+          blob.arrayBuffer().then(async (buf) => {
+            try {
+              setImagePasteMsg("Uploading image...");
+              const data = new Uint8Array(buf);
+              const filePath = await pasteImage(sessionId, data);
+              // Inject the file path into terminal stdin
+              sendInput(sessionId, filePath);
+              setImagePasteMsg(`Image saved to ${filePath}`);
+            } catch (err) {
+              console.error("Image paste failed:", err);
+              setImagePasteMsg("Image paste failed");
+            }
+          });
+          return; // Only handle the first image
+        }
+      }
+    };
+
+    containerRef.current.addEventListener("paste", handlePaste, { capture: true });
+
     // Handle backend output -> terminal
     let aborted = false;
 
@@ -129,6 +164,7 @@ export default function TerminalView({ sessionId, active }: Props) {
       detector.dispose();
       detectorRef.current = null;
       inputDisposable.dispose();
+      containerRef.current?.removeEventListener("paste", handlePaste, { capture: true });
       outputPromise.then((fn) => fn?.());
       exitPromise.then((fn) => fn?.());
       if (resizeRafId !== null) cancelAnimationFrame(resizeRafId);
@@ -179,6 +215,13 @@ export default function TerminalView({ sessionId, active }: Props) {
     return () => clearTimeout(timer);
   }, [detectedUrl]);
 
+  // Auto-dismiss image paste message after 3 seconds
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (!imagePasteMsg) return;
+    const timer = setTimeout(() => setImagePasteMsg(null), 3_000);
+    return () => clearTimeout(timer);
+  }, [imagePasteMsg]);
+
   const handleOpenUrl = useCallback(() => {
     if (detectedUrl) {
       openUrl(detectedUrl).catch((e) =>
@@ -200,6 +243,14 @@ export default function TerminalView({ sessionId, active }: Props) {
           onDismiss={() => setDetectedUrl(null)}
         />
       )}
+      {imagePasteMsg && (
+        <div
+          className="absolute top-2 left-1/2 -translate-x-1/2 z-50 px-3 py-1.5 rounded-md text-xs font-medium bg-[#1f2937] text-[#e6edf3] border border-[#30363d] shadow-lg"
+          onClick={() => setImagePasteMsg(null)}
+        >
+          {imagePasteMsg}
+        </div>
+      )}
       <div
         ref={containerRef}
         className="w-full h-full"

app/src/hooks/useTerminal.ts

@@ -49,6 +49,14 @@ export function useTerminal() {
     [],
   );
 
+  const pasteImage = useCallback(
+    async (sessionId: string, imageData: Uint8Array) => {
+      const bytes = Array.from(imageData);
+      return commands.pasteImageToTerminal(sessionId, bytes);
+    },
+    [],
+  );
+
   const onOutput = useCallback(
     (sessionId: string, callback: (data: Uint8Array) => void) => {
       const eventName = `terminal-output-${sessionId}`;
@@ -76,6 +84,7 @@ export function useTerminal() {
     open,
     close,
     sendInput,
+    pasteImage,
     resize,
     onOutput,
     onExit,

app/src/lib/tauri-commands.ts

@@ -47,6 +47,8 @@ export const terminalResize = (sessionId: string, cols: number, rows: number) =>
   invoke<void>("terminal_resize", { sessionId, cols, rows });
 export const closeTerminalSession = (sessionId: string) =>
   invoke<void>("close_terminal_session", { sessionId });
+export const pasteImageToTerminal = (sessionId: string, imageData: number[]) =>
+  invoke<string>("paste_image_to_terminal", { sessionId, imageData });
 
 // Updates
 export const getAppVersion = () => invoke<string>("get_app_version");

app/src/lib/urlDetector.ts

@@ -2,12 +2,13 @@
  * Detects long URLs that span multiple hard-wrapped lines in PTY output.
  *
  * The Linux PTY hard-wraps long lines with \r\n at the terminal column width,
- * which breaks xterm.js WebLinksAddon URL detection. This class reassembles
- * those wrapped URLs and fires a callback for ones >= 100 chars.
+ * which breaks xterm.js WebLinksAddon URL detection. This class flattens
+ * the buffer (stripping PTY wraps, converting blank lines to spaces) and
+ * matches URLs with a single regex, firing a callback for ones >= 100 chars.
  *
- * Two-phase approach: when a URL candidate extends to the end of the buffer,
- * emission is deferred (the rest of the URL may arrive in the next PTY chunk).
- * A confirmation timer emits the pending URL if no further data arrives.
+ * When a URL match extends to the end of the flattened buffer, emission is
+ * deferred (more chunks may still be arriving). A confirmation timer emits
+ * the pending URL if no further data arrives within 500 ms.
  */
 
 const ANSI_RE =
@@ -57,38 +58,31 @@ export class UrlDetector {
   }
 
   private scan(): void {
+    // 1. Strip ANSI escape sequences
     const clean = this.buffer.replace(ANSI_RE, "");
-    const lines = clean.replace(/\r\n/g, "\n").replace(/\r/g, "\n").split("\n");
 
-    // Remove trailing empty elements (artifacts of trailing \n from split)
-    while (lines.length > 0 && lines[lines.length - 1] === "") {
-      lines.pop();
-    }
+    // 2. Flatten the buffer:
+    //    - Blank lines (2+ consecutive line breaks) → space (real paragraph break / URL terminator)
+    //    - Remaining \r and \n → removed (PTY hard-wrap artifacts)
+    const flat = clean
+      .replace(/(\r?\n){2,}/g, " ")
+      .replace(/[\r\n]/g, "");
 
-    if (lines.length === 0) return;
+    if (!flat) return;
 
-    for (let i = 0; i < lines.length; i++) {
-      const match = lines[i].match(/https?:\/\/[^\s'"]+/);
-      if (!match) continue;
+    // 3. Match URLs on the flattened string — spans across wrapped lines naturally
+    const urlRe = /https?:\/\/[^\s'"<>\x07]+/g;
+    let m: RegExpExecArray | null;
 
-      // Start with the URL fragment found on this line
-      let url = match[0];
-      let lastLineIndex = i;
-
-      // Concatenate subsequent continuation lines (non-empty, no spaces, no leading whitespace)
-      for (let j = i + 1; j < lines.length; j++) {
-        const next = lines[j];
-        if (!next || next.startsWith(" ") || next.includes(" ")) break;
-        url += next;
-        lastLineIndex = j;
-        i = j; // skip this line in the outer loop
-      }
+    while ((m = urlRe.exec(flat)) !== null) {
+      const url = m[0];
 
+      // 4. Filter by length
       if (url.length < MIN_URL_LENGTH) continue;
 
-      // If the URL reaches the last line of the buffer, the rest may still
-      // be arriving in the next PTY chunk — defer emission.
-      if (lastLineIndex >= lines.length - 1) {
+      // 5. If the match extends to the very end of the flattened string,
+      //    more chunks may still be arriving — defer emission.
+      if (m.index + url.length >= flat.length) {
         this.pendingUrl = url;
         this.confirmTimer = setTimeout(() => {
           this.confirmTimer = null;
@@ -97,7 +91,7 @@ export class UrlDetector {
         return;
       }
 
-      // URL is clearly complete (more content follows it in the buffer)
+      // 6. URL is clearly complete (more content follows) — dedup + emit
       this.pendingUrl = null;
       if (url !== this.lastEmitted) {
         this.lastEmitted = url;
@@ -105,7 +99,7 @@ export class UrlDetector {
       }
     }
 
-    // Scan finished without finding a URL reaching the buffer end.
+    // Scan finished without a URL at the buffer end.
     // If we had a pending URL from a previous scan, it's now confirmed complete.
     if (this.pendingUrl) {
       this.emitPending();