ClippedImgToWSLPath

A Windows system tray application that automatically saves clipboard images and converts their paths to WSL2 format

Overview

This tool monitors the Windows clipboard for images and automatically:

1. Auto-saves images: Saves clipboard images to a specified folder in PNG format
2. WSL2 path conversion: Converts Windows paths (e.g., C:\ClipboardImages\image.png) to WSL2 paths (e.g., /mnt/c/ClipboardImages/image.png)
3. Updates clipboard: Automatically copies the converted WSL2 path to the clipboard

This makes it easy to reference Windows screenshots and images in WSL2 environments.

Key Features

• Runs in the system tray as a background service
• Windows+Shift+S screenshot support: Full compatibility with Windows native screenshot tool
• Timer-based monitoring: Checks clipboard every second to reliably detect new images
• Duplicate image detection (using SHA256 hash)
• Customizable save location
• Desktop notifications on image save
• Debug logging: Optional logging feature for troubleshooting
• Automatic icon generation: Generates icon if not present

Requirements

• Windows 10/11
• .NET SDK 8.0 or later

Installing .NET SDK 8.0

This application requires .NET 8.0. Download and install the .NET SDK 8.0 from:

https://dotnet.microsoft.com/download/dotnet/8.0

Building

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/ClippedImgToWSLPath.git
cd ClippedImgToWSLPath
dotnet build

Running

dotnet run

Or run the built executable directly:

.\bin\Debug\net8.0-windows\ClippedImgToWSLPath.exe

Usage

1. Launch the application - it will minimize to the system tray
2. Copy an image to clipboard using:
   • Windows+Shift+S: Windows native screenshot tool
   • PrintScreen: Full screen screenshot
   • Alt+PrintScreen: Active window screenshot
   • Snipping Tool: Windows snipping tool
   • Any other image copy operation
3. The image is automatically saved and the WSL2 path is copied to clipboard
4. Paste the path in WSL2 using Ctrl+V

Configuration

• Default save location: ClipboardImages folder in the application directory
• Double-click the tray icon or right-click → "Settings" to change the save location
• Debug logging: Right-click tray icon → "Enable Logging" to enable debug output
  • Log file: clipboard_log.txt (in application directory)

File Naming Format

Saved images use the following naming convention:

clipboard_yyyyMMdd_HHmmss.png

Example: clipboard_20240125_143052.png

Troubleshooting

• Application won't start: Verify .NET SDK 8.0 is installed
• Images not saving:
  • Check write permissions for the save folder
  • Enable debug logging to identify issues
• Windows+Shift+S not working:
  • Ensure the application is running
  • Check debug logs to verify clipboard monitoring is active
• System tray icon not visible: Check Windows notification area settings

Technical Details

• Clipboard monitoring: Uses both Windows API and timer-based monitoring
• Image format: Saves as PNG
• Duplicate detection: SHA256 hash-based image comparison
• Icon generation: Dynamic icon creation using System.Drawing API