AWS Terminal Copy-Paste Helper

A Chrome/Opera browser extension that enables standard keyboard shortcuts (Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V) in AWS EC2 Instance Connect terminal.

Problem It Solves

AWS EC2 Instance Connect's browser-based terminal doesn't support standard keyboard shortcuts for copy and paste. Users have to right-click and select copy/paste from the context menu, which slows down workflow.

Features

• ✅ Ctrl+Shift+C - Copy selected text from terminal
• ✅ Ctrl+Shift+V - Paste text into terminal
• ✅ Visual notifications for copy/paste actions
• ✅ Auto-detects AWS EC2 terminal pages
• ✅ Works with both Chrome and Opera browsers
• ✅ Doesn't interfere with terminal operations (Ctrl+C still sends interrupt signal)

Installation Instructions

Step 1:Clone the Repo

Step 2: Load Extension in Chrome/Opera

For Chrome:

1. Open Chrome browser
2. Go to chrome://extensions/
3. Enable "Developer mode" (toggle in top-right corner)
4. Click "Load unpacked" button
5. Navigate to and select the aws-terminal-shortcuts folder
6. The extension should now appear in your extensions list!

For Opera:

1. Open Opera browser
2. Go to opera://extensions/
3. Enable "Developer mode" (toggle in top-right corner)
4. Click "Load unpacked" button
5. Navigate to and select the aws-terminal-shortcuts folder
6. The extension should now appear in your extensions list!

Step 3: Grant Permissions

When you first load the extension, you may need to grant clipboard permissions:

1. Click on the extension icon (or it will prompt you)
2. Allow clipboard read and write permissions
3. You're all set!

How to Use

1. Navigate to AWS Console: Go to your AWS EC2 Instance Connect terminal

   • Example: https://console.aws.amazon.com/ec2/...

2. Wait for notification: You should see a green notification saying "AWS Terminal shortcuts active!"

3. Copy text:

   • Select text in the terminal with your mouse
   • Press Ctrl+Shift+C
   • You'll see a "Copied!" notification

4. Paste text:

   • Press Ctrl+Shift+V
   • You'll see a "Pasted!" notification

Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcut	Action
Ctrl+Shift+C	Copy selected text
Ctrl+Shift+V	Paste from clipboard

Note: Regular Ctrl+C still works as the terminal interrupt signal (SIGINT) to stop processes. This extension uses Ctrl+Shift combinations to avoid interfering with normal terminal operations.

Troubleshooting

Extension not working?

1. Check if extension is enabled: Go to chrome://extensions/ and make sure the extension is enabled
2. Refresh the AWS page: After installing the extension, refresh your EC2 Instance Connect page
3. Check console: Press F12 to open Developer Tools, check the Console tab for any error messages

Clipboard permission errors?

1. Make sure you granted clipboard permissions when installing
2. In Chrome, go to chrome://extensions/ → click on extension details → check permissions
3. Some browsers may require you to interact with the page first (click somewhere) before clipboard access works

Copy/Paste not working?

1. Make sure you're on an actual EC2 Instance Connect page
2. Try the alternative shortcuts (Ctrl+Shift+C / Ctrl+Shift+V)
3. Check if the terminal has fully loaded (wait a few seconds after page load)

Technical Details

How it works:

1. Content Script Injection: The extension injects JavaScript into AWS Console pages
2. Terminal Detection: Automatically detects when you're on an EC2 terminal page
3. Keyboard Event Interception: Listens for keyboard shortcuts and intercepts them
4. Clipboard API: Uses modern browser Clipboard API for copy/paste operations
5. Visual Feedback: Shows notifications to confirm actions

Browser Permissions:

• clipboardRead: Required to read clipboard content for paste
• clipboardWrite: Required to write to clipboard for copy
• host_permissions: Only runs on AWS Console pages for security

Development

Want to modify or improve the extension?

1. Edit the content.js file to change behavior
2. Edit the manifest.json file to change permissions or metadata
3. After making changes, go to chrome://extensions/ and click the "Reload" button on the extension

Common Use Cases

• DevOps Engineers: Quickly copy commands, logs, and output from EC2 terminals
• System Administrators: Efficiently paste configuration commands
• Developers: Copy error messages and debugging output
• Anyone: Save time and improve workflow when using AWS EC2 Instance Connect

Privacy & Security

• Extension only runs on AWS Console pages
• No data is sent to external servers
• All clipboard operations happen locally in your browser
• Open source - you can inspect all the code

Future Enhancements

Potential features for future versions:

• Support for other cloud providers (GCP, Azure)
• Customizable keyboard shortcuts
• Command history feature
• Auto-paste formatting for common commands
• Settings page for user preferences

Support

If you encounter any issues or have suggestions, please:

1. Check the Troubleshooting section above
2. Check browser console for error messages (F12 → Console tab)
3. Verify you're using the latest version

License

This extension is provided as-is for educational and productivity purposes.

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Version: 1.0
Last Updated: February 2026
Compatible: Chrome, Opera, and Chromium-based browsers