Code & computing / QUICK REFERENCE

GNU screen

Keep remote work attached to a persistent session and navigate windows, regions and scrollback.

32 entries

Start and reattach

Start a session
screen

Opens the first window of a new session. [1]

Name a new session
screen -S work

Gives the session a recognizable label. [1]

List sessions
screen -ls

Shows detached and attached sessions. [1]

Reattach a named session
screen -r work

Reconnects when a matching detached session exists. [1]

Create or resume
screen -R work

Reattaches a suitable session or starts one. [1]

Detach this display
Ctrl+a, d

Leaves session windows running. [1]

Detach elsewhere and reattach
screen -d -r work

Disconnects the previous display; coordinate with collaborators. [1]

Check the version
screen --version

Identifies the installed Screen release. [1]

Work with multiple windows

Create a window
Ctrl+a, c

Starts another shell window. [2]

Next window
Ctrl+a, n

Advances through windows. [2]

Previous window
Ctrl+a, p

Moves back through windows. [2]

Toggle last window
Ctrl+a, Ctrl+a

Swaps between the current and previous window. [2]

Select window zero
Ctrl+a, 0

Selects window number 0. [2]

Choose from window list
Ctrl+a, "

Opens the interactive window list. [2]

Show window summary
Ctrl+a, w

Displays window numbers and titles. [2]

Set window title
Ctrl+a, A

Prompts for a new title; uppercase A matters. [2]

Split the display into regions

Split top and bottom
Ctrl+a, S

Uppercase S creates another display region. [2]

Split left and right
Ctrl+a, |

Creates side-by-side regions when supported. [2]

Move to next region
Ctrl+a, Tab

Changes which region receives input. [2]

Remove this region
Ctrl+a, X

Removes the viewport, not its running window. [2]

Keep only this region
Ctrl+a, Q

Removes other viewports from the display. [2]

Put a window in a region
Ctrl+a, " then select a window

Choose what the focused region displays. [2]

Resize current region
Ctrl+a, : then resize +5

Grows the current region where layout permits. [2]

Balance regions
Ctrl+a, : then resize =

Gives regions comparable sizes. [2]

Scrollback, help and terminal controls

Enter copy/scrollback mode
Ctrl+a, [

Navigate the saved terminal output. [2]

Start and finish selection
Space, move, Space

Marks a range in the default copy mode. [2]

Paste the saved selection
Ctrl+a, ]

Sends the buffer to the current window. [2]

Send literal Ctrl+a
Ctrl+a, a

Useful for readline in a nested shell. [2]

Open command prompt
Ctrl+a, :

Accepts Screen commands. [2]

Show bindings
Ctrl+a, ?

Displays help for the installed key map. [2]

Redraw the screen
Ctrl+a, l

Lowercase l refreshes a disrupted display. [2]

Show session information
Ctrl+a, i

Displays information about the active window. [2]

Reserved placement, separate from reference controls. No ad network is active.

Updated GNU Screen 4.x / 5.x · default bindings

Sources

  1. GNU Screen manual ↗
  2. Default key bindings ↗