I don't know what to tell you. I'm only using standard calls. If getClipboard takes that long (before any text is even requested!) it indicates a problem with the Suse/Java interface. I'd be curious whether users on other Linux systems encounter a similar problem.

Try this: compile specifying an execution version of 1.5. On Mac at least, the current 1.6 runtime is only available in a 64-bit version. That may somehow be related to the problem. I don't think I've used any constructs that aren't available in v1.5. FWIW, my environment is 1.6.0_05.

Another thought is that whatever application you're copying from doesn't actually make the data available on the clipboard, but rather waits to be notified when someone wants the data it offers, in some particular format. I don't do that kind of handshaking on the script end--none of my source apps have failed to put the text directly onto the clipboard.