fix(cli): Improve error message for /copy command (#5244)

[vero-code]

TLDR

Improves the error message shown when the /copy command fails, to help users understand why copying may not work in remote or SSH environments.

Dive Deeper

Previously, the message was too generic ("Failed to copy to the clipboard."). This change adds a clear hint that the issue may be related to the environment (e.g., SSH, tmux), and suggests using OSC52 or switching to a local terminal.

Reviewer Test Plan

1. Run gemini-cli in a remote session (e.g., SSH).
2. Prompt the model with any question (e.g., "Tell me a joke about devs").
3. Run /copy.
4. Confirm that the new message is shown if clipboard is unavailable.

Testing Matrix

	🍏	🪟	🐧
npm run	❓	❓	✅
npx	❓	❓	❓
Docker	❓	❓	❓
Podman	❓	-	-
Seatbelt	❓	-	-

Linked issues / bugs

Related to #5244

[gemini-code-assist]

Summary of Changes

Hello @vero-code, I'm Gemini Code Assist¹! I'm currently reviewing this pull request and will post my feedback shortly. In the meantime, here's a summary to help you and other reviewers quickly get up to speed!

This pull request focuses on enhancing the user experience of the CLI by providing more informative error messages. Specifically, it addresses a common pain point for users attempting to use the /copy command in remote or SSH environments, guiding them towards potential solutions rather than a generic failure message.

Highlights

• Improved Error Messaging: The error message displayed when the /copy command fails to copy content to the clipboard has been significantly improved. It now provides a clear hint that the issue might be related to remote environments (like SSH or tmux) and suggests alternative solutions such as using OSC52 or switching to a local terminal.

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[gemini-code-assist]

Code Review

This pull request improves the error message for the /copy command to be more informative in environments where clipboard access might be restricted. The change is clear and addresses the problem described. My review focuses on a critical issue: the unit tests for this command have not been updated to reflect the new error message, which will cause the test suite to fail. Please address this to maintain code quality and test coverage.

[vero-code]

It looks like #9966 implemented OSC52 clipboard support and resolved #5244.
Would it make sense to close this one as superseded?

[bdmorgan]

Hi @vero-code, thank you so much for your contribution to Gemini CLI! We really appreciate the time and effort you've put into this.

We're making some updates to our contribution process to improve how we track and review changes. Please take a moment to review our recent discussion post: Improving Our Contribution Process & Introducing New Guidelines.

Key Update: Starting January 26, 2026, the Gemini CLI project will require all pull requests to be associated with an existing issue. Any pull requests not linked to an issue by that date will be automatically closed.

Thank you for your understanding and for being a part of our community!

[vero-code]

Hi @bdmorgan, thanks for the update. Since the issue was resolved, this PR is superseded. I'll close it now.