linux screen keyboard shortcuts

linux screen keyboard shortcuts

screen is a much under utilised program, which provides the following functionality:

  
    


   
     
Remote terminal session management (detaching or sharing terminal sessions)

   
     
unlimited windows (unlike the hardcoded number of Linux virtual consoles)

   
     
scrollback buffer (not limited to video memory like Linux virtual consoles)

   
     
copy/paste between windows

   
     
notification of either activity or inactivity in a window

   
     
split terminal (horizontally and vertically) into multiple regions

   
     
locking other users out of terminal

  
    
See also my screen settings

See also the tmux alternative

See also the byobu screen config manager.
See also the reptyr as another way to reattach programs to a terminal.

Note for nested screen sessions, use "Ctrl+a a" to send commands to the inner screen,
and the standard "Ctrl+a" to send commands to the outer screen.

Key	Action	Notes
Ctrl+a c	new window
Ctrl+a n	next window	I bind F12 to this
Ctrl+a p	previous window	I bind F11 to this
Ctrl+a "	select window from list	I have window list in the status line
Ctrl+a Ctrl+a	previous window viewed
Ctrl+a S	split terminal horizontally into regions	Ctrl+a c to create new window there
Ctrl+a |	split terminal vertically into regions	Requires screen >= 4.1
Ctrl+a :resize	resize region
Ctrl+a :fit	fit screen size to new terminal size	Ctrl+a F is the same. Do after resizing xterm
Ctrl+a :remove	remove region	Ctrl+a X is the same
Ctrl+a tab	Move to next region
Ctrl+a d	detach screen from terminal	Start screen with -r option to reattach
Ctrl+a A	set window title
Ctrl+a x	lock session	Enter user password to unlock
Ctrl+a [	enter scrollback/copy mode	Enter to start and end copy region. Ctrl+a ] to leave this mode
Ctrl+a ]	paste buffer	Supports pasting between windows
Ctrl+a >	write paste buffer to file	useful for copying between screens
Ctrl+a <	read paste buffer from file	useful for pasting between screens
Ctrl+a ?	show key bindings/command names	Note unbound commands only in man page
Ctrl+a :	goto screen command prompt	up shows last command entered