Copy variable to system clipboard (as simpleclip)

[Tim Johnson]

Using emacs 25.1.1 in graphic mode on linux ubuntu 14.04. Clipboard
manager is glipper 2.4

I use simpleclip routinely so that I can copy and paste from the
system clipboard without affecting the emacs kill ring. However, I
could use a function that would copy any string variable (such as
output from buffer-file-name) to the system clipboard. 

Is such function available?

thanks
-- 
Tim 
http://www.akwebsoft.com, http://www.tj49.com