Screen CHEAT SHEET

This is a quick reference guide cheat sheet for the screen command.

terminalsessionutility
1
Sections
8
Cards

#Getting Started

Getting started
$ screen

1. Press to detach session


2. List all screen sessions

$ screen -ls

3. Re-attach a screen Session

$ screen -r <name/pid>
Options
OptionsExampleDescription
-Sscreen -S debugStart a new session with session name
-lsscreen -lsList running sessions / screens
-xscreen -xAttach to a running session
-rscreen -r debugAttach to a running session with name
-Rscreen -R debugAttach to a session (Will create if it doesn't exist)
-dscreen -d -m wget xxxx.com/large.fileStart screen in detached mode
-Xscreen -X -S debug killKill a running session

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Help
CommandDescription
Ctrl-A ?See help (Lists keybindings)

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Window Management
CommandDescription
Ctrl-A CCreate new window
Ctrl-A Ctrl-AChange to last-visited active window
Ctrl-A 0...9Change to window by number
Ctrl-A ' <0...9 or title>Change to window by number or name
Ctrl-A N or Ctrl-A <space>Change to next window in list
Ctrl-A P or Ctrl-A <backspace>Change to previous window in list
Ctrl-A "See window list
Ctrl-A WShow window bar
Ctrl-A KKill current window (not recommended)
Ctrl-A \Kill all windows (not recommended)
Ctrl-A ARename current window

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Getting Out
CommandDescription
Ctrl-A DDetach
Ctrl-A D DDetach and logout
(quick exit)
Ctrl-A :Exit all session
Ctrl-A C-\Force-exit screen
(not recommended)

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Split screen

| Command | Description | | -------------- | -------------------------------------- | ------------------------ | | Ctrl-A S | Split display horizontally | | Ctrl-A V | Split display vertically | | Ctrl-A | | Split display vertically | | Ctrl-A TAB | Jump to next display region | | Ctrl-A X | Remove current region | | Ctrl-A Q | Remove all regions but the current one |

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Misc
CommandDescription
Ctrl-A C-lRedraw window
Ctrl-A [Copy mode
Ctrl-A ESCCopy mode
Ctrl-A ]Paste
Ctrl-A MMonitor window for activity
Ctrl-A _Monitor window for silence
Ctrl-A Ctrl-VEnter digraph
(non-ASCII characters)
Ctrl-A XLock (password protect) display
Ctrl-A :Enter screen command
Ctrl-A HEnable logging in the screen session

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Screen tricks

SSH and attach in one line

$ ssh -t user@host screen -x <name/pid>