The Linux Screen command

The screen command in Linux is a tool that allows you to run multiple terminal sessions in the background and switch between them easily. You can also detach and reattach sessions, share sessions with other users, and split your screen into multiple regions. Here is a summary of how to use the screen command in Linux:

To start a new screen session, use the command screen -S session_name, where session_name is any name you want to give to your session. This will create a new window with a shell prompt.

• To detach from the current screen session, use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + A + D. This will return you to your original terminal, but the screen session will continue running in the background.

• To list all the screen sessions that are running, use the command screen -ls. This will show the session names and IDs, as well as their status (attached or detached).

• To reattach to a screen session, use the command screen -r session_name or screen -r session_ID, where session_name or session_ID is the name or ID of the session you want to resume. This will bring you back to the screen window where you left off.

• To switch between multiple windows within a screen session, use the keyboard shortcuts Ctrl + A + N for the next window and Ctrl + A + P for the previous window. You can also use Ctrl + A + number to go to a specific window by its number.

• To create a new window within a screen session, use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + A + C. This will open a new shell prompt in a new window. You can run any command or program in this window, and switch to other windows as needed.

• To split your screen into multiple regions, use the keyboard shortcuts Ctrl + A + S for a horizontal split and Ctrl + A + | for a vertical split. You can then use Ctrl + A + Tab to move between the regions and Ctrl + A + X to close a region.

• To share a screen session with another user, use the command screen -x session_name or screen -x session_ID, where session_name or session_ID is the name or ID of the session you want to join. This will allow you to see and interact with the same screen session as the other user, in real-time.

• To quit or kill a screen session, use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + A + K. This will terminate the current window and all the processes running in it. If you have multiple windows, you will need to repeat this for each window. Alternatively, you can use the command exit in each window to close it.