Screen

Original article: linuxize.com/post/how-to-use-linux-screen

Installation

Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt update ; sudo apt install screen
CentOS/Fedora
sudo yum install screen

Usage

Execute a new screen.

screen

Valid screen with Enter key and you are into a screen, you can execute any command with a really long time of execution. After this, you can detach screen with Ctrl+A D. You will be back into SSH session, you can get back your screen with screen -r to reattach it if you have one screen.

Now you can check yours screens with screen -ls and reattach any with ID like 10835.pts-0.linuxize-desktop (Detached) with screen -r 10835.

Of course you can exit SSH session and screen will continue to execute command in background.

Cheatsheet

Version

screen --version

List

screen -ls
There are screens on:
10835.pts-0.linuxize-desktop (Detached)
10366.pts-0.linuxize-desktop (Detached)
2 Sockets in /run/screens/S-linuxize.
screen -r 10835

Reattach

screen -r

Kill

pkill screen

Guide

To start a screen session.

screen

Commands

  • Ctrl+a c Create a new window (with shell).
  • Ctrl+a " List all windows.
  • Ctrl+a 0 Switch to window 0 (by number).
  • Ctrl+a A Rename the current window.
  • Ctrl+a S Split current region horizontally into two regions.
  • Ctrl+a | Split current region vertically into two regions.
  • Ctrl+a tab Switch the input focus to the next region.
  • Ctrl+a Ctrl+a Toggle between the current and previous windows
  • Ctrl+a Q Close all regions but the current one.
  • Ctrl+a X Close the current region.
  • Ctrl+a d Detach from the screen session, the program running in the screen session will continue to run after detach.