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Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 24 (from laksa175)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa024.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.liquidweb.com/blog/how-to-use-the-screen-command-in-linux/\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.liquidweb.com/blog/how-to-use-the-screen-command-in-linux/\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/www.liquidweb.com\/blog\/how-to-use-the-screen-command-in-linux\/","crawl_time":1775209103,"first_indexed_time":1719420003,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"com,liquidweb!www,\/blog\/how-to-use-the-screen-command-in-linux\/ s443","src_root_hash":"16217433953315287024","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"How to Use the Linux Screen Command | Liquid Web","meta_descriptions":["Get the most out of the Linux screen command. Manage multiple terminal sessions with ease, including remote access. Learn key bindings and more."],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"What is Screen?\nScreen is a terminal program in Linux which allows us to use a virtual (VT100 terminal) as full-screen window manager which multiplexes an open physical terminal between multiple processes, which are typically, interactive shells. It allows us to access multiple terminal sessions within a single terminal or a remote terminal session. It is most useful when addressing multiple Linux shell commands on the command line, as well as separating commands from the shell that started the commands.\nScreen also allows a user to initiate a command from one terminal, disconnect from that terminal, and then reconnect from a different location to that same terminal, while using a different terminal without having to restart the command. This simply lets a user better control multiple and separate command windows. \nScreen also lets multiple remote computers connect to the same screen session at once. This allows multiple users to connect to the same screen session allowing a second user to follow along with another administrator working on a server.\nBasic Commands\nScreen is started by using the following screen command:\nscreen\nScreen Flags\nHere is a list of some of the more common flags and how we can use them.\nFlag\nD\nescription\nE\nxample\n-ls\nLists the current screen sessions\nscreen -ls\n-aS\nCreate and names a screen session which include all capabilities\nscreen -aS screenname\n-r\nResume a detached screen session\nscreen -r (name|pid)\n-x\nAttach to an attached screen session\nscreen -x (name|pid)\n-d\nDetach an attached screen session\nscreen -d (name|pid)\n-d\n-m\nStart an new screen session in detached mode and run $command\nscreen -d -m $command\n-DR\nForce disconnect of current user and reconnect with your user\nscreen -DR\n-wipe\nRemoves all dead screen sessions. (Sessions that are unreachable)\nscreen -wipe\nDefault Session Key Bindings\nWhile inside the screen session,\nctrl+a\nactivates the key bindings. The following table shows some of the default key bindings:\nkey\nbinding\n?\nShow key bindings.\nA\nSet a title for the current window.\nc\nCreate a new window.\nn\nSwitch to the next window.\np\nSwitch to the previous window.\n0-9\nSwitch to window number n.\nw\nShow a list of windows.\n“\nPresent a list of windows for selection.\nF\nResize the window to the current region size.\n[ or esc\nEnter copy\/scrollback mode.\nk\nDestroy current window.\nScreen Examples\nTo get a full list of available screens, use this command:\nscreen -ls\nwe will then see output similar to this:\nThere is a screen on:  \n  26092.ttyp0.host\n  (Attached) 1 Socket in \/tmp\/screens\/S-root.\nThis output typically shows us the currently running screens. As you can see by the “\n(Attached)\n” output, the 26092 session is currently attached to a terminal. Since this screen is currently attached, we can detach it remotely using this command.\nscreen -d 26092\nIf another user is logged onto this screen session and actively working, this modification will kill their session. So, beware of detaching screen sessions this way. To reattach to that same screen, run this command.\nscreen -r 26092\nWe can detach and reattach to the screen concurrently using this command.\nscreen -d -r 26092\nIn order to create a new screen session called LW, we can enter this command.\nscreen -S LW\nModifying Screens Behavior\nScrollback\nTo enable scrollback in xterm, we can add the following information to our\n~\/.screenrc\nfile on our workstation.\n# Enable mouse scrolling and scroll bar history scrolling\ntermcapinfo xterm* ti@:te@\nLogging\nIf we use the\n-L\noption with screen, it tells screen to turn on the automatic logging output for the window. This will create a file within the current directory, with the name \nscreenlog.#\n where\n#\n is the ID number for that screen beginning from 0.\nscreen -L -S LW\nMultiuser Screen Sessions\nMultiuser is an excellent option to use if we need to share our session with others. It is not turned on by default for security reasons but can be enabled easily. In order to allow multiple users to connect to the same screen session, the\nmultiuser\noption must be enabled. Here are the steps needed to complete this task.\nBegin by logging in to the server and starting the screen session via the command line. \nNext, type\nCtrl-a\nto enter the command mode.\nNow, type in “:” (colon) to enter the screen’s built-in command line.\nWe can now activate the multiuser mode by entering\nmultiuser on\nin the screen’s command line, which appears in a reverse color at the bottom of the console window. \nTo confirm this change, hit Enter or Return. \nMultiuser mode can be very useful if we are attempting to demonstrate to someone what we are doing on a server. With this mode on, the other user will be able to follow our keystrokes within that screen session.\nFurther Exploration\nIf more in depth information is required, we can always consult the man page for screen using:\nman screen\nScreen Tricks\nTo initiate a screen session named\nLW\nand run the top command in it without attaching to it, nothing will appear to happen but you will see the screen with\nscreen -ls\n:\nscreen -S LW -d -m top\nTo end or kill the LW screen session, use this command:\nscreen -S LW -p 0 -X kill\nTo start a bash session in screen, we can use this command:\nscreen -S LW -d -m \/bin\/bash\nTo run the ls command inside the screen session use this command:\nscreen -S LW -p 0 -X exec ls \/home\nTo end or kill the LW screen session, run this command:\nscreen -S LW -p 0 -X kill\nTo scroll up within a screen window, use this command:\nCTRL+a then ESC, #Press CTRL KEY and 'A' KEY together and then hit the ESC KEY #to scroll using the arrow keys hit ESC again to exit.\nMost Useful Screen Commands\nHere is a quick overview of the most useful screen commands that we might need to use.\nWe should enter these key commands in lower case, but they are shown here in uppercase to make the command more readable.\nCtrl+A, C – This key command creates a new screen\nCtrl+A, N (where N is equal to the number of the screen) – This key command switch us to a specific screen\nCtrl+A, A – This key command switches us to the next screen\nCtrl+A, W – This key command lets us view a list of screens\nCtrl+A, ” (double quote) – This key command allows us to view the screen picker\nCtrl+A, Ctrl+D – This key command detaches us from the current session\nscreen -R – This key command attaches us to a running screen session\nCtrl+A, ? – This key command shows us the shortcut key options\nThere are numerous other commands that we can use to control our screen session, many of which can be viewed by typing “\nCtrl+A ?\n” at the prompt. This will bring up a help window that shows us all the available key bindings. For example:\nThe ‘\nC-a p\n‘ and ‘\nC-a n\n‘ key sequence can be used to switch to the next or previous window.\nUsing the ‘\nC-a N\n‘ key sequence – (where N is a number from 0 to 9, that can will connect to the corresponding screen window.\nThe ‘\nC-a w\n‘ key sequence displays a list of all screen windows. The unique ID of each window, along with its name, and running process is displayed, for each individual window. The current window will be marked with an asterisk (*).\nThe ‘\nC-a k\n‘key sequence will kill the current window session. We can also type ‘exit’ to kill the current window. If no other screen sessions are open, screen will simply exits. The ‘\nC-a \\\n‘ key sequence also accomplishes the same task.\nThe ‘\nC-a d\n‘ key sequence detaches the from the current screen session. \nWe can also detach from the screen by closing the terminal that is running our screen utility. Although this may appear to close our terminal session, in reality this simply closes the terminal and unbinds our session from the current terminal. All the commands that were started under our screen will continue to run.\nWe can also log out from the server and login again, then restart a terminal session and type ‘\nscreen -r\n‘ to connect again from where we left off. In case, there are more than one running screen sessions on the server, screen will prompt us for a\nhost.tty.pid\n. For example, say I have two screen sessions. So, when we type the ‘\nscreen -r\n‘ command, it gives the following message:\n$ screen -r There are several suitable screens on:\n2999.pts-6.localhost (Detached)\n 1920.PTS-6.localhost (Detached)\n To connect to one of the above detached screens\n run, screen -d -r 2999.pts-6.localhost\n to resume that screen.\nBottom Line\nScreen is an invaluable tool when we must work with the terminal daily. It allows us to utilize a limited amount of screen space while maintaining the full functionality of a terminal window. Additionally, screen has the ability to be used as a teaching tool allowing multiple users to connect to an existing screen and, if we have enabled logging, share that file with the user for later reference.\nAre you trying to use the screen command and experiencing some difficulty with the control commands, flags or other options with the program?\nOur knowledgeable system administrators and experienced linux technicians are standing by to assist you with the help you need. Open a\nchat\nor\nticket\nwith us to speak with us  right away!","attrs_markdown":"[Skip to content](https:\/\/www.liquidweb.com\/blog\/how-to-use-the-screen-command-in-linux\/#main)\n\nGet high-performance hosting with expert management built in. 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It allows us to access multiple terminal sessions within a single terminal or a remote terminal session. It is most useful when addressing multiple Linux shell commands on the command line, as well as separating commands from the shell that started the commands.\n\n[Explore Linux VPS servers](https:\/\/www.liquidweb.com\/linux-vps-hosting\/)\n\n[Build now](https:\/\/www.liquidweb.com\/configuration\/cloud-vps\/)\n\nScreen also allows a user to initiate a command from one terminal, disconnect from that terminal, and then reconnect from a different location to that same terminal, while using a different terminal without having to restart the command. This simply lets a user better control multiple and separate command windows.\n\nScreen also lets multiple remote computers connect to the same screen session at once. This allows multiple users to connect to the same screen session allowing a second user to follow along with another administrator working on a server.\n\n## Basic Commands\nScreen is started by using the following screen command:\n```\nscreen\n```\n### Screen Flags\nHere is a list of some of the more common flags and how we can use them.\n\n|   |   |   |\n|---|---|---|\n| **Flag** | **D****escription** | **E****xample** |\n| \\-ls | Lists the current screen sessions | screen -ls |\n| \\-aS | Create and names a screen session which include all capabilities | screen -aS screenname |\n| \\-r | Resume a detached screen session | screen -r (name\\|pid) |\n| \\-x | Attach to an attached screen session | screen -x (name\\|pid) |\n| \\-d | Detach an attached screen session | screen -d (name\\|pid) |\n| \\-d  \\-m | Start an new screen session in detached mode and run \\$command | screen -d -m \\$command |\n| \\-DR | Force disconnect of current user and reconnect with your user | screen -DR |\n| \\-wipe | Removes all dead screen sessions. (Sessions that are unreachable) | screen -wipe |\n### Default Session Key Bindings\nWhile inside the screen session, *ctrl+a* activates the key bindings. The following table shows some of the default key bindings:\n\n|   |   |\n|---|---|\n| **key** | **binding** |\n| ? | Show key bindings. |\n| A | Set a title for the current window. |\n| c | Create a new window. |\n| n | Switch to the next window. |\n| p | Switch to the previous window. |\n| 0-9 | Switch to window number n. |\n| w | Show a list of windows. |\n| “ | Present a list of windows for selection. |\n| F | Resize the window to the current region size. |\n| \\[ or esc | Enter copy\/scrollback mode. |\n| k | Destroy current window. |\n## Screen Examples\nTo get a full list of available screens, use this command:\n```\nscreen -ls\n```\nwe will then see output similar to this:\n```\n\n```\nThis output typically shows us the currently running screens. As you can see by the “*(Attached)*” output, the 26092 session is currently attached to a terminal. Since this screen is currently attached, we can detach it remotely using this command.\n```\nscreen -d 26092\n```\nIf another user is logged onto this screen session and actively working, this modification will kill their session. So, beware of detaching screen sessions this way. To reattach to that same screen, run this command.\n```\nscreen -r 26092\n```\nWe can detach and reattach to the screen concurrently using this command.\n```\nscreen -d -r 26092\n```\nIn order to create a new screen session called LW, we can enter this command.\n```\nscreen -S LW\n```\n## Modifying Screens Behavior\n### **Scrollback**\nTo enable scrollback in xterm, we can add the following information to our *~\/.screenrc* file on our workstation.\n```\n\n```\n### Logging\nIf we use the *\\-L* option with screen, it tells screen to turn on the automatic logging output for the window. This will create a file within the current directory, with the name *screenlog.\\#* where *\\#* is the ID number for that screen beginning from 0.\n```\nscreen -L -S LW\n```\n### **Multiuser Screen Sessions**\nMultiuser is an excellent option to use if we need to share our session with others. It is not turned on by default for security reasons but can be enabled easily. In order to allow multiple users to connect to the same screen session, the **multiuser** option must be enabled. Here are the steps needed to complete this task.\n\n1. Begin by logging in to the server and starting the screen session via the command line.\n2. Next, type *Ctrl-a* to enter the command mode.\n3. Now, type in “:” (colon) to enter the screen’s built-in command line.\n4. We can now activate the multiuser mode by entering *multiuser on* in the screen’s command line, which appears in a reverse color at the bottom of the console window.\n5. To confirm this change, hit Enter or Return.\n\nMultiuser mode can be very useful if we are attempting to demonstrate to someone what we are doing on a server. With this mode on, the other user will be able to follow our keystrokes within that screen session.\n\n## Further Exploration\nIf more in depth information is required, we can always consult the man page for screen using:\n```\nman screen\n```\n## Screen Tricks\nTo initiate a screen session named **LW** and run the top command in it without attaching to it, nothing will appear to happen but you will see the screen with *screen -ls*:\n```\nscreen -S LW -d -m top\n```\nTo end or kill the LW screen session, use this command:\n```\nscreen -S LW -p 0 -X kill\n```\nTo start a bash session in screen, we can use this command:\n```\nscreen -S LW -d -m \/bin\/bash\n```\nTo run the ls command inside the screen session use this command:\n```\nscreen -S LW -p 0 -X exec ls \/home\n```\nTo end or kill the LW screen session, run this command:\n```\nscreen -S LW -p 0 -X kill\n```\nTo scroll up within a screen window, use this command:\n```\nCTRL+a then ESC, #Press CTRL KEY and 'A' KEY together and then hit the ESC KEY #to scroll using the arrow keys hit ESC again to exit.\n```\n## Most Useful Screen Commands\nHere is a quick overview of the most useful screen commands that we might need to use.\n\nWe should enter these key commands in lower case, but they are shown here in uppercase to make the command more readable.\n\n- Ctrl+A, C – This key command creates a new screen\n- Ctrl+A, N (where N is equal to the number of the screen) – This key command switch us to a specific screen\n- Ctrl+A, A – This key command switches us to the next screen\n- Ctrl+A, W – This key command lets us view a list of screens\n- Ctrl+A, ” (double quote) – This key command allows us to view the screen picker\n- Ctrl+A, Ctrl+D – This key command detaches us from the current session\n- screen -R – This key command attaches us to a running screen session\n- Ctrl+A, ? – This key command shows us the shortcut key options\n\nThere are numerous other commands that we can use to control our screen session, many of which can be viewed by typing “*Ctrl+A ?*” at the prompt. This will bring up a help window that shows us all the available key bindings. For example:\n\n- The ‘*C-a p*‘ and ‘*C-a n*‘ key sequence can be used to switch to the next or previous window.\n- Using the ‘*C-a N*‘ key sequence – (where N is a number from 0 to 9, that can will connect to the corresponding screen window.\n- The ‘*C-a w*‘ key sequence displays a list of all screen windows. The unique ID of each window, along with its name, and running process is displayed, for each individual window. The current window will be marked with an asterisk (\\*).\n- The ‘*C-a k*‘key sequence will kill the current window session. We can also type ‘exit’ to kill the current window. If no other screen sessions are open, screen will simply exits. The ‘*C-a \\\\*‘ key sequence also accomplishes the same task.\n- The ‘*C-a d*‘ key sequence detaches the from the current screen session.\n\nWe can also detach from the screen by closing the terminal that is running our screen utility. Although this may appear to close our terminal session, in reality this simply closes the terminal and unbinds our session from the current terminal. All the commands that were started under our screen will continue to run.\n\nWe can also log out from the server and login again, then restart a terminal session and type ‘*screen -r*‘ to connect again from where we left off. In case, there are more than one running screen sessions on the server, screen will prompt us for a *host.tty.pid*. For example, say I have two screen sessions. So, when we type the ‘*screen -r*‘ command, it gives the following message:\n```\n\n```\n## Bottom Line\nScreen is an invaluable tool when we must work with the terminal daily. It allows us to utilize a limited amount of screen space while maintaining the full functionality of a terminal window. Additionally, screen has the ability to be used as a teaching tool allowing multiple users to connect to an existing screen and, if we have enabled logging, share that file with the user for later reference.\n\nAre you trying to use the screen command and experiencing some difficulty with the control commands, flags or other options with the program?\n\nOur knowledgeable system administrators and experienced linux technicians are standing by to assist you with the help you need. 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It allows us to access multiple terminal sessions within a single terminal or a remote terminal session. It is most useful when addressing multiple Linux shell commands on the command line, as well as separating commands from the shell that started the commands.\n\nScreen also allows a user to initiate a command from one terminal, disconnect from that terminal, and then reconnect from a different location to that same terminal, while using a different terminal without having to restart the command. This simply lets a user better control multiple and separate command windows.\n\nScreen also lets multiple remote computers connect to the same screen session at once. This allows multiple users to connect to the same screen session allowing a second user to follow along with another administrator working on a server.\n\n## Basic Commands\nScreen is started by using the following screen command:\n```\nscreen\n```\n### Screen Flags\nHere is a list of some of the more common flags and how we can use them.\n\n|   |   |   |\n|---|---|---|\n| **Flag** | **D****escription** | **E****xample** |\n| \\-ls | Lists the current screen sessions | screen -ls |\n| \\-aS | Create and names a screen session which include all capabilities | screen -aS screenname |\n| \\-r | Resume a detached screen session | screen -r (name\\|pid) |\n| \\-x | Attach to an attached screen session | screen -x (name\\|pid) |\n| \\-d | Detach an attached screen session | screen -d (name\\|pid) |\n| \\-d  \\-m | Start an new screen session in detached mode and run \\$command | screen -d -m \\$command |\n| \\-DR | Force disconnect of current user and reconnect with your user | screen -DR |\n| \\-wipe | Removes all dead screen sessions. (Sessions that are unreachable) | screen -wipe |\n### Default Session Key Bindings\nWhile inside the screen session, *ctrl+a* activates the key bindings. The following table shows some of the default key bindings:\n\n|   |   |\n|---|---|\n| **key** | **binding** |\n| ? | Show key bindings. |\n| A | Set a title for the current window. |\n| c | Create a new window. |\n| n | Switch to the next window. |\n| p | Switch to the previous window. |\n| 0-9 | Switch to window number n. |\n| w | Show a list of windows. |\n| “ | Present a list of windows for selection. |\n| F | Resize the window to the current region size. |\n| \\[ or esc | Enter copy\/scrollback mode. |\n| k | Destroy current window. |\n## Screen Examples\nTo get a full list of available screens, use this command:\n```\nscreen -ls\n```\nwe will then see output similar to this:\n```\nThere is a screen on:  \n  26092.ttyp0.host\n  (Attached) 1 Socket in \/tmp\/screens\/S-root.\n```\nThis output typically shows us the currently running screens. As you can see by the “*(Attached)*” output, the 26092 session is currently attached to a terminal. Since this screen is currently attached, we can detach it remotely using this command.\n```\nscreen -d 26092\n```\nIf another user is logged onto this screen session and actively working, this modification will kill their session. So, beware of detaching screen sessions this way. To reattach to that same screen, run this command.\n```\nscreen -r 26092\n```\nWe can detach and reattach to the screen concurrently using this command.\n```\nscreen -d -r 26092\n```\nIn order to create a new screen session called LW, we can enter this command.\n```\nscreen -S LW\n```\n## Modifying Screens Behavior\n### **Scrollback**\nTo enable scrollback in xterm, we can add the following information to our *~\/.screenrc* file on our workstation.\n```\n# Enable mouse scrolling and scroll bar history scrolling\ntermcapinfo xterm* ti@:te@\n```\n### Logging\nIf we use the *\\-L* option with screen, it tells screen to turn on the automatic logging output for the window. This will create a file within the current directory, with the name *screenlog.\\#* where *\\#* is the ID number for that screen beginning from 0.\n```\nscreen -L -S LW\n```\n### **Multiuser Screen Sessions**\nMultiuser is an excellent option to use if we need to share our session with others. It is not turned on by default for security reasons but can be enabled easily. In order to allow multiple users to connect to the same screen session, the **multiuser** option must be enabled. Here are the steps needed to complete this task.\n\n1. Begin by logging in to the server and starting the screen session via the command line.\n2. Next, type *Ctrl-a* to enter the command mode.\n3. Now, type in “:” (colon) to enter the screen’s built-in command line.\n4. We can now activate the multiuser mode by entering *multiuser on* in the screen’s command line, which appears in a reverse color at the bottom of the console window.\n5. To confirm this change, hit Enter or Return.\n\nMultiuser mode can be very useful if we are attempting to demonstrate to someone what we are doing on a server. With this mode on, the other user will be able to follow our keystrokes within that screen session.\n\n## Further Exploration\nIf more in depth information is required, we can always consult the man page for screen using:\n```\nman screen\n```\n## Screen Tricks\nTo initiate a screen session named **LW** and run the top command in it without attaching to it, nothing will appear to happen but you will see the screen with *screen -ls*:\n```\nscreen -S LW -d -m top\n```\nTo end or kill the LW screen session, use this command:\n```\nscreen -S LW -p 0 -X kill\n```\nTo start a bash session in screen, we can use this command:\n```\nscreen -S LW -d -m \/bin\/bash\n```\nTo run the ls command inside the screen session use this command:\n```\nscreen -S LW -p 0 -X exec ls \/home\n```\nTo end or kill the LW screen session, run this command:\n```\nscreen -S LW -p 0 -X kill\n```\nTo scroll up within a screen window, use this command:\n```\nCTRL+a then ESC, #Press CTRL KEY and 'A' KEY together and then hit the ESC KEY #to scroll using the arrow keys hit ESC again to exit.\n```\n## Most Useful Screen Commands\nHere is a quick overview of the most useful screen commands that we might need to use.\n\nWe should enter these key commands in lower case, but they are shown here in uppercase to make the command more readable.\n\n- Ctrl+A, C – This key command creates a new screen\n- Ctrl+A, N (where N is equal to the number of the screen) – This key command switch us to a specific screen\n- Ctrl+A, A – This key command switches us to the next screen\n- Ctrl+A, W – This key command lets us view a list of screens\n- Ctrl+A, ” (double quote) – This key command allows us to view the screen picker\n- Ctrl+A, Ctrl+D – This key command detaches us from the current session\n- screen -R – This key command attaches us to a running screen session\n- Ctrl+A, ? – This key command shows us the shortcut key options\n\nThere are numerous other commands that we can use to control our screen session, many of which can be viewed by typing “*Ctrl+A ?*” at the prompt. This will bring up a help window that shows us all the available key bindings. For example:\n\n- The ‘*C-a p*‘ and ‘*C-a n*‘ key sequence can be used to switch to the next or previous window.\n- Using the ‘*C-a N*‘ key sequence – (where N is a number from 0 to 9, that can will connect to the corresponding screen window.\n- The ‘*C-a w*‘ key sequence displays a list of all screen windows. The unique ID of each window, along with its name, and running process is displayed, for each individual window. The current window will be marked with an asterisk (\\*).\n- The ‘*C-a k*‘key sequence will kill the current window session. We can also type ‘exit’ to kill the current window. If no other screen sessions are open, screen will simply exits. The ‘*C-a \\\\*‘ key sequence also accomplishes the same task.\n- The ‘*C-a d*‘ key sequence detaches the from the current screen session.\n\nWe can also detach from the screen by closing the terminal that is running our screen utility. Although this may appear to close our terminal session, in reality this simply closes the terminal and unbinds our session from the current terminal. All the commands that were started under our screen will continue to run.\n\nWe can also log out from the server and login again, then restart a terminal session and type ‘*screen -r*‘ to connect again from where we left off. In case, there are more than one running screen sessions on the server, screen will prompt us for a *host.tty.pid*. For example, say I have two screen sessions. So, when we type the ‘*screen -r*‘ command, it gives the following message:\n```\n$ screen -r There are several suitable screens on:\n2999.pts-6.localhost (Detached)\n 1920.PTS-6.localhost (Detached)\n To connect to one of the above detached screens\n run, screen -d -r 2999.pts-6.localhost\n to resume that screen.\n```\n## Bottom Line\nScreen is an invaluable tool when we must work with the terminal daily. It allows us to utilize a limited amount of screen space while maintaining the full functionality of a terminal window. Additionally, screen has the ability to be used as a teaching tool allowing multiple users to connect to an existing screen and, if we have enabled logging, share that file with the user for later reference.\n\nAre you trying to use the screen command and experiencing some difficulty with the control commands, flags or other options with the program?\n\nOur knowledgeable system administrators and experienced linux technicians are standing by to assist you with the help you need. Open a [chat](https:\/\/www.liquidweb.com\/blog\/how-to-use-the-screen-command-in-linux\/) or [ticket](mailto:support@liquidweb.com) with us to speak with us right away\\!","meta_canonical":null}

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Meta Title	How to Use the Linux Screen Command \| Liquid Web
Meta Description	Get the most out of the Linux screen command. Manage multiple terminal sessions with ease, including remote access. Learn key bindings and more.
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Boilerpipe Text	What is Screen? Screen is a terminal program in Linux which allows us to use a virtual (VT100 terminal) as full-screen window manager which multiplexes an open physical terminal between multiple processes, which are typically, interactive shells. It allows us to access multiple terminal sessions within a single terminal or a remote terminal session. It is most useful when addressing multiple Linux shell commands on the command line, as well as separating commands from the shell that started the commands. Screen also allows a user to initiate a command from one terminal, disconnect from that terminal, and then reconnect from a different location to that same terminal, while using a different terminal without having to restart the command. This simply lets a user better control multiple and separate command windows. Screen also lets multiple remote computers connect to the same screen session at once. This allows multiple users to connect to the same screen session allowing a second user to follow along with another administrator working on a server. Basic Commands Screen is started by using the following screen command: screen Screen Flags Here is a list of some of the more common flags and how we can use them. Flag D escription E xample -ls Lists the current screen sessions screen -ls -aS Create and names a screen session which include all capabilities screen -aS screenname -r Resume a detached screen session screen -r (name\|pid) -x Attach to an attached screen session screen -x (name\|pid) -d Detach an attached screen session screen -d (name\|pid) -d -m Start an new screen session in detached mode and run $command screen -d -m $command -DR Force disconnect of current user and reconnect with your user screen -DR -wipe Removes all dead screen sessions. (Sessions that are unreachable) screen -wipe Default Session Key Bindings While inside the screen session, ctrl+a activates the key bindings. The following table shows some of the default key bindings: key binding ? Show key bindings. A Set a title for the current window. c Create a new window. n Switch to the next window. p Switch to the previous window. 0-9 Switch to window number n. w Show a list of windows. “ Present a list of windows for selection. F Resize the window to the current region size. [ or esc Enter copy/scrollback mode. k Destroy current window. Screen Examples To get a full list of available screens, use this command: screen -ls we will then see output similar to this: There is a screen on: 26092.ttyp0.host (Attached) 1 Socket in /tmp/screens/S-root. This output typically shows us the currently running screens. As you can see by the “ (Attached) ” output, the 26092 session is currently attached to a terminal. Since this screen is currently attached, we can detach it remotely using this command. screen -d 26092 If another user is logged onto this screen session and actively working, this modification will kill their session. So, beware of detaching screen sessions this way. To reattach to that same screen, run this command. screen -r 26092 We can detach and reattach to the screen concurrently using this command. screen -d -r 26092 In order to create a new screen session called LW, we can enter this command. screen -S LW Modifying Screens Behavior Scrollback To enable scrollback in xterm, we can add the following information to our ~/.screenrc file on our workstation. # Enable mouse scrolling and scroll bar history scrolling termcapinfo xterm* ti@:te@ Logging If we use the -L option with screen, it tells screen to turn on the automatic logging output for the window. This will create a file within the current directory, with the name screenlog.# where # is the ID number for that screen beginning from 0. screen -L -S LW Multiuser Screen Sessions Multiuser is an excellent option to use if we need to share our session with others. It is not turned on by default for security reasons but can be enabled easily. In order to allow multiple users to connect to the same screen session, the multiuser option must be enabled. Here are the steps needed to complete this task. Begin by logging in to the server and starting the screen session via the command line. Next, type Ctrl-a to enter the command mode. Now, type in “:” (colon) to enter the screen’s built-in command line. We can now activate the multiuser mode by entering multiuser on in the screen’s command line, which appears in a reverse color at the bottom of the console window. To confirm this change, hit Enter or Return. Multiuser mode can be very useful if we are attempting to demonstrate to someone what we are doing on a server. With this mode on, the other user will be able to follow our keystrokes within that screen session. Further Exploration If more in depth information is required, we can always consult the man page for screen using: man screen Screen Tricks To initiate a screen session named LW and run the top command in it without attaching to it, nothing will appear to happen but you will see the screen with screen -ls : screen -S LW -d -m top To end or kill the LW screen session, use this command: screen -S LW -p 0 -X kill To start a bash session in screen, we can use this command: screen -S LW -d -m /bin/bash To run the ls command inside the screen session use this command: screen -S LW -p 0 -X exec ls /home To end or kill the LW screen session, run this command: screen -S LW -p 0 -X kill To scroll up within a screen window, use this command: CTRL+a then ESC, #Press CTRL KEY and 'A' KEY together and then hit the ESC KEY #to scroll using the arrow keys hit ESC again to exit. Most Useful Screen Commands Here is a quick overview of the most useful screen commands that we might need to use. We should enter these key commands in lower case, but they are shown here in uppercase to make the command more readable. Ctrl+A, C – This key command creates a new screen Ctrl+A, N (where N is equal to the number of the screen) – This key command switch us to a specific screen Ctrl+A, A – This key command switches us to the next screen Ctrl+A, W – This key command lets us view a list of screens Ctrl+A, ” (double quote) – This key command allows us to view the screen picker Ctrl+A, Ctrl+D – This key command detaches us from the current session screen -R – This key command attaches us to a running screen session Ctrl+A, ? – This key command shows us the shortcut key options There are numerous other commands that we can use to control our screen session, many of which can be viewed by typing “ Ctrl+A ? ” at the prompt. This will bring up a help window that shows us all the available key bindings. For example: The ‘ C-a p ‘ and ‘ C-a n ‘ key sequence can be used to switch to the next or previous window. Using the ‘ C-a N ‘ key sequence – (where N is a number from 0 to 9, that can will connect to the corresponding screen window. The ‘ C-a w ‘ key sequence displays a list of all screen windows. The unique ID of each window, along with its name, and running process is displayed, for each individual window. The current window will be marked with an asterisk (*). The ‘ C-a k ‘key sequence will kill the current window session. We can also type ‘exit’ to kill the current window. If no other screen sessions are open, screen will simply exits. The ‘ C-a \ ‘ key sequence also accomplishes the same task. The ‘ C-a d ‘ key sequence detaches the from the current screen session. We can also detach from the screen by closing the terminal that is running our screen utility. Although this may appear to close our terminal session, in reality this simply closes the terminal and unbinds our session from the current terminal. All the commands that were started under our screen will continue to run. We can also log out from the server and login again, then restart a terminal session and type ‘ screen -r ‘ to connect again from where we left off. In case, there are more than one running screen sessions on the server, screen will prompt us for a host.tty.pid . For example, say I have two screen sessions. So, when we type the ‘ screen -r ‘ command, it gives the following message: $ screen -r There are several suitable screens on: 2999.pts-6.localhost (Detached) 1920.PTS-6.localhost (Detached) To connect to one of the above detached screens run, screen -d -r 2999.pts-6.localhost to resume that screen. Bottom Line Screen is an invaluable tool when we must work with the terminal daily. It allows us to utilize a limited amount of screen space while maintaining the full functionality of a terminal window. Additionally, screen has the ability to be used as a teaching tool allowing multiple users to connect to an existing screen and, if we have enabled logging, share that file with the user for later reference. Are you trying to use the screen command and experiencing some difficulty with the control commands, flags or other options with the program? Our knowledgeable system administrators and experienced linux technicians are standing by to assist you with the help you need. Open a chat or ticket with us to speak with us right away!
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Screen is a terminal program in Linux which allows us to use a virtual (VT100 terminal) as full-screen window manager which multiplexes an open physical terminal between multiple processes, which are typically, interactive shells. It allows us to access multiple terminal sessions within a single terminal or a remote terminal session. It is most useful when addressing multiple Linux shell commands on the command line, as well as separating commands from the shell that started the commands. [Explore Linux VPS servers](https://www.liquidweb.com/linux-vps-hosting/) [Build now](https://www.liquidweb.com/configuration/cloud-vps/) Screen also allows a user to initiate a command from one terminal, disconnect from that terminal, and then reconnect from a different location to that same terminal, while using a different terminal without having to restart the command. This simply lets a user better control multiple and separate command windows. Screen also lets multiple remote computers connect to the same screen session at once. This allows multiple users to connect to the same screen session allowing a second user to follow along with another administrator working on a server. ## Basic Commands Screen is started by using the following screen command: ``` screen ``` ### Screen Flags Here is a list of some of the more common flags and how we can use them. \| \| \| \| \|---\|---\|---\| \| Flag \| Description \| Example \| \| \-ls \| Lists the current screen sessions \| screen -ls \| \| \-aS \| Create and names a screen session which include all capabilities \| screen -aS screenname \| \| \-r \| Resume a detached screen session \| screen -r (name\\|pid) \| \| \-x \| Attach to an attached screen session \| screen -x (name\\|pid) \| \| \-d \| Detach an attached screen session \| screen -d (name\\|pid) \| \| \-d \-m \| Start an new screen session in detached mode and run \$command \| screen -d -m \$command \| \| \-DR \| Force disconnect of current user and reconnect with your user \| screen -DR \| \| \-wipe \| Removes all dead screen sessions. (Sessions that are unreachable) \| screen -wipe \| ### Default Session Key Bindings While inside the screen session, ctrl+a activates the key bindings. The following table shows some of the default key bindings: \| \| \| \|---\|---\| \| key \| binding \| \| ? \| Show key bindings. \| \| A \| Set a title for the current window. \| \| c \| Create a new window. \| \| n \| Switch to the next window. \| \| p \| Switch to the previous window. \| \| 0-9 \| Switch to window number n. \| \| w \| Show a list of windows. \| \| “ \| Present a list of windows for selection. \| \| F \| Resize the window to the current region size. \| \| \[ or esc \| Enter copy/scrollback mode. \| \| k \| Destroy current window. \| ## Screen Examples To get a full list of available screens, use this command: ``` screen -ls ``` we will then see output similar to this: ``` ``` This output typically shows us the currently running screens. As you can see by the “(Attached)” output, the 26092 session is currently attached to a terminal. Since this screen is currently attached, we can detach it remotely using this command. ``` screen -d 26092 ``` If another user is logged onto this screen session and actively working, this modification will kill their session. So, beware of detaching screen sessions this way. To reattach to that same screen, run this command. ``` screen -r 26092 ``` We can detach and reattach to the screen concurrently using this command. ``` screen -d -r 26092 ``` In order to create a new screen session called LW, we can enter this command. ``` screen -S LW ``` ## Modifying Screens Behavior ### Scrollback To enable scrollback in xterm, we can add the following information to our ~/.screenrc file on our workstation. ``` ``` ### Logging If we use the \-L option with screen, it tells screen to turn on the automatic logging output for the window. This will create a file within the current directory, with the name screenlog.\# where \# is the ID number for that screen beginning from 0. ``` screen -L -S LW ``` ### Multiuser Screen Sessions Multiuser is an excellent option to use if we need to share our session with others. It is not turned on by default for security reasons but can be enabled easily. In order to allow multiple users to connect to the same screen session, the multiuser option must be enabled. Here are the steps needed to complete this task. 1. Begin by logging in to the server and starting the screen session via the command line. 2. Next, type Ctrl-a to enter the command mode. 3. Now, type in “:” (colon) to enter the screen’s built-in command line. 4. We can now activate the multiuser mode by entering multiuser on in the screen’s command line, which appears in a reverse color at the bottom of the console window. 5. To confirm this change, hit Enter or Return. Multiuser mode can be very useful if we are attempting to demonstrate to someone what we are doing on a server. With this mode on, the other user will be able to follow our keystrokes within that screen session. ## Further Exploration If more in depth information is required, we can always consult the man page for screen using: ``` man screen ``` ## Screen Tricks To initiate a screen session named LW and run the top command in it without attaching to it, nothing will appear to happen but you will see the screen with screen -ls: ``` screen -S LW -d -m top ``` To end or kill the LW screen session, use this command: ``` screen -S LW -p 0 -X kill ``` To start a bash session in screen, we can use this command: ``` screen -S LW -d -m /bin/bash ``` To run the ls command inside the screen session use this command: ``` screen -S LW -p 0 -X exec ls /home ``` To end or kill the LW screen session, run this command: ``` screen -S LW -p 0 -X kill ``` To scroll up within a screen window, use this command: ``` CTRL+a then ESC, #Press CTRL KEY and 'A' KEY together and then hit the ESC KEY #to scroll using the arrow keys hit ESC again to exit. ``` ## Most Useful Screen Commands Here is a quick overview of the most useful screen commands that we might need to use. We should enter these key commands in lower case, but they are shown here in uppercase to make the command more readable. - Ctrl+A, C – This key command creates a new screen - Ctrl+A, N (where N is equal to the number of the screen) – This key command switch us to a specific screen - Ctrl+A, A – This key command switches us to the next screen - Ctrl+A, W – This key command lets us view a list of screens - Ctrl+A, ” (double quote) – This key command allows us to view the screen picker - Ctrl+A, Ctrl+D – This key command detaches us from the current session - screen -R – This key command attaches us to a running screen session - Ctrl+A, ? – This key command shows us the shortcut key options There are numerous other commands that we can use to control our screen session, many of which can be viewed by typing “Ctrl+A ?” at the prompt. This will bring up a help window that shows us all the available key bindings. For example: - The ‘C-a p‘ and ‘C-a n‘ key sequence can be used to switch to the next or previous window. - Using the ‘C-a N‘ key sequence – (where N is a number from 0 to 9, that can will connect to the corresponding screen window. - The ‘C-a w‘ key sequence displays a list of all screen windows. The unique ID of each window, along with its name, and running process is displayed, for each individual window. The current window will be marked with an asterisk (\). - The ‘C-a k‘key sequence will kill the current window session. We can also type ‘exit’ to kill the current window. If no other screen sessions are open, screen will simply exits. The ‘C-a \\‘ key sequence also accomplishes the same task. - The ‘C-a d‘ key sequence detaches the from the current screen session. We can also detach from the screen by closing the terminal that is running our screen utility. Although this may appear to close our terminal session, in reality this simply closes the terminal and unbinds our session from the current terminal. All the commands that were started under our screen will continue to run. We can also log out from the server and login again, then restart a terminal session and type ‘screen -r‘ to connect again from where we left off. In case, there are more than one running screen sessions on the server, screen will prompt us for a host.tty.pid. For example, say I have two screen sessions. So, when we type the ‘screen -r‘ command, it gives the following message: ``` ``` ## Bottom Line Screen is an invaluable tool when we must work with the terminal daily. It allows us to utilize a limited amount of screen space while maintaining the full functionality of a terminal window. Additionally, screen has the ability to be used as a teaching tool allowing multiple users to connect to an existing screen and, if we have enabled logging, share that file with the user for later reference. Are you trying to use the screen command and experiencing some difficulty with the control commands, flags or other options with the program? Our knowledgeable system administrators and experienced linux technicians are standing by to assist you with the help you need. Open a [chat](https://www.liquidweb.com/blog/how-to-use-the-screen-command-in-linux/) or [ticket](mailto:support@liquidweb.com) with us to speak with us right away\! 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Table of Contents - [What is Screen?](https://www.liquidweb.com/blog/how-to-use-the-screen-command-in-linux/#h-what-is-screen) - [Basic Commands](https://www.liquidweb.com/blog/how-to-use-the-screen-command-in-linux/#h-basic-commands) - [Screen Examples](https://www.liquidweb.com/blog/how-to-use-the-screen-command-in-linux/#h-screen-examples) - [Modifying Screens Behavior](https://www.liquidweb.com/blog/how-to-use-the-screen-command-in-linux/#h-modifying-screens-behavior) - [Further Exploration](https://www.liquidweb.com/blog/how-to-use-the-screen-command-in-linux/#h-further-exploration) - [Screen Tricks](https://www.liquidweb.com/blog/how-to-use-the-screen-command-in-linux/#screen-tricks) - [Most Useful Screen Commands](https://www.liquidweb.com/blog/how-to-use-the-screen-command-in-linux/#most-useful-screen-commands) - [Bottom Line](https://www.liquidweb.com/blog/how-to-use-the-screen-command-in-linux/#bottom-line) Essential hosting resources to help your business stay ahead ![](https://www.liquidweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/book-covers-rescaled.webp) [Get the guides](https://resources.liquidweb.com/download/hosting-buying-guide-checklist) ## Related articles [Tutorials](https://www.liquidweb.com/blog/category/tutorials/) 10 min read [How to Install ESXi 5.x or 6.x in VMware](https://www.liquidweb.com/blog/how-to-install-esxi-in-vmware/) [Neil Golden](https://www.liquidweb.com/blog/author/ngolden/) [Tutorials](https://www.liquidweb.com/blog/category/tutorials/) 7 min read [Guide to Using VMware ESXi](https://www.liquidweb.com/blog/what-is-vmware-esxi/) [Michael Flores Feliz](https://www.liquidweb.com/blog/author/mflores/) [Tutorials](https://www.liquidweb.com/blog/category/tutorials/) 8 min read [How to Install Minikube On CentOS, Mac and Windows](https://www.liquidweb.com/blog/how-to-install-minikube/) [Beau Kent](https://www.liquidweb.com/blog/author/bkent/) [Tutorials](https://www.liquidweb.com/blog/category/tutorials/) 2 min read [Change PostgreSQL Authentication Method from Ident to MD5](https://www.liquidweb.com/blog/change-postgresql-authentication-method-from-ident-to-md5/) [J. 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Readable Markdown	## What is Screen? Screen is a terminal program in Linux which allows us to use a virtual (VT100 terminal) as full-screen window manager which multiplexes an open physical terminal between multiple processes, which are typically, interactive shells. It allows us to access multiple terminal sessions within a single terminal or a remote terminal session. It is most useful when addressing multiple Linux shell commands on the command line, as well as separating commands from the shell that started the commands. Screen also allows a user to initiate a command from one terminal, disconnect from that terminal, and then reconnect from a different location to that same terminal, while using a different terminal without having to restart the command. This simply lets a user better control multiple and separate command windows. Screen also lets multiple remote computers connect to the same screen session at once. This allows multiple users to connect to the same screen session allowing a second user to follow along with another administrator working on a server. ## Basic Commands Screen is started by using the following screen command: ``` screen ``` ### Screen Flags Here is a list of some of the more common flags and how we can use them. \| \| \| \| \|---\|---\|---\| \| Flag \| Description \| Example \| \| \-ls \| Lists the current screen sessions \| screen -ls \| \| \-aS \| Create and names a screen session which include all capabilities \| screen -aS screenname \| \| \-r \| Resume a detached screen session \| screen -r (name\\|pid) \| \| \-x \| Attach to an attached screen session \| screen -x (name\\|pid) \| \| \-d \| Detach an attached screen session \| screen -d (name\\|pid) \| \| \-d \-m \| Start an new screen session in detached mode and run \$command \| screen -d -m \$command \| \| \-DR \| Force disconnect of current user and reconnect with your user \| screen -DR \| \| \-wipe \| Removes all dead screen sessions. (Sessions that are unreachable) \| screen -wipe \| ### Default Session Key Bindings While inside the screen session, ctrl+a activates the key bindings. The following table shows some of the default key bindings: \| \| \| \|---\|---\| \| key \| binding \| \| ? \| Show key bindings. \| \| A \| Set a title for the current window. \| \| c \| Create a new window. \| \| n \| Switch to the next window. \| \| p \| Switch to the previous window. \| \| 0-9 \| Switch to window number n. \| \| w \| Show a list of windows. \| \| “ \| Present a list of windows for selection. \| \| F \| Resize the window to the current region size. \| \| \[ or esc \| Enter copy/scrollback mode. \| \| k \| Destroy current window. \| ## Screen Examples To get a full list of available screens, use this command: ``` screen -ls ``` we will then see output similar to this: ``` There is a screen on: 26092.ttyp0.host (Attached) 1 Socket in /tmp/screens/S-root. ``` This output typically shows us the currently running screens. As you can see by the “(Attached)” output, the 26092 session is currently attached to a terminal. Since this screen is currently attached, we can detach it remotely using this command. ``` screen -d 26092 ``` If another user is logged onto this screen session and actively working, this modification will kill their session. So, beware of detaching screen sessions this way. To reattach to that same screen, run this command. ``` screen -r 26092 ``` We can detach and reattach to the screen concurrently using this command. ``` screen -d -r 26092 ``` In order to create a new screen session called LW, we can enter this command. ``` screen -S LW ``` ## Modifying Screens Behavior ### Scrollback To enable scrollback in xterm, we can add the following information to our ~/.screenrc file on our workstation. ``` # Enable mouse scrolling and scroll bar history scrolling termcapinfo xterm* ti@:te@ ``` ### Logging If we use the \-L option with screen, it tells screen to turn on the automatic logging output for the window. This will create a file within the current directory, with the name screenlog.\# where \# is the ID number for that screen beginning from 0. ``` screen -L -S LW ``` ### Multiuser Screen Sessions Multiuser is an excellent option to use if we need to share our session with others. It is not turned on by default for security reasons but can be enabled easily. In order to allow multiple users to connect to the same screen session, the multiuser option must be enabled. Here are the steps needed to complete this task. 1. Begin by logging in to the server and starting the screen session via the command line. 2. Next, type Ctrl-a to enter the command mode. 3. Now, type in “:” (colon) to enter the screen’s built-in command line. 4. We can now activate the multiuser mode by entering multiuser on in the screen’s command line, which appears in a reverse color at the bottom of the console window. 5. To confirm this change, hit Enter or Return. Multiuser mode can be very useful if we are attempting to demonstrate to someone what we are doing on a server. With this mode on, the other user will be able to follow our keystrokes within that screen session. ## Further Exploration If more in depth information is required, we can always consult the man page for screen using: ``` man screen ``` ## Screen Tricks To initiate a screen session named LW and run the top command in it without attaching to it, nothing will appear to happen but you will see the screen with screen -ls: ``` screen -S LW -d -m top ``` To end or kill the LW screen session, use this command: ``` screen -S LW -p 0 -X kill ``` To start a bash session in screen, we can use this command: ``` screen -S LW -d -m /bin/bash ``` To run the ls command inside the screen session use this command: ``` screen -S LW -p 0 -X exec ls /home ``` To end or kill the LW screen session, run this command: ``` screen -S LW -p 0 -X kill ``` To scroll up within a screen window, use this command: ``` CTRL+a then ESC, #Press CTRL KEY and 'A' KEY together and then hit the ESC KEY #to scroll using the arrow keys hit ESC again to exit. ``` ## Most Useful Screen Commands Here is a quick overview of the most useful screen commands that we might need to use. We should enter these key commands in lower case, but they are shown here in uppercase to make the command more readable. - Ctrl+A, C – This key command creates a new screen - Ctrl+A, N (where N is equal to the number of the screen) – This key command switch us to a specific screen - Ctrl+A, A – This key command switches us to the next screen - Ctrl+A, W – This key command lets us view a list of screens - Ctrl+A, ” (double quote) – This key command allows us to view the screen picker - Ctrl+A, Ctrl+D – This key command detaches us from the current session - screen -R – This key command attaches us to a running screen session - Ctrl+A, ? – This key command shows us the shortcut key options There are numerous other commands that we can use to control our screen session, many of which can be viewed by typing “Ctrl+A ?” at the prompt. This will bring up a help window that shows us all the available key bindings. For example: - The ‘C-a p‘ and ‘C-a n‘ key sequence can be used to switch to the next or previous window. - Using the ‘C-a N‘ key sequence – (where N is a number from 0 to 9, that can will connect to the corresponding screen window. - The ‘C-a w‘ key sequence displays a list of all screen windows. The unique ID of each window, along with its name, and running process is displayed, for each individual window. The current window will be marked with an asterisk (\). - The ‘C-a k‘key sequence will kill the current window session. We can also type ‘exit’ to kill the current window. If no other screen sessions are open, screen will simply exits. The ‘C-a \\‘ key sequence also accomplishes the same task. - The ‘C-a d‘ key sequence detaches the from the current screen session. We can also detach from the screen by closing the terminal that is running our screen utility. Although this may appear to close our terminal session, in reality this simply closes the terminal and unbinds our session from the current terminal. All the commands that were started under our screen will continue to run. We can also log out from the server and login again, then restart a terminal session and type ‘screen -r‘ to connect again from where we left off. In case, there are more than one running screen sessions on the server, screen will prompt us for a host.tty.pid. For example, say I have two screen sessions. So, when we type the ‘screen -r*‘ command, it gives the following message: ``` $ screen -r There are several suitable screens on: 2999.pts-6.localhost (Detached) 1920.PTS-6.localhost (Detached) To connect to one of the above detached screens run, screen -d -r 2999.pts-6.localhost to resume that screen. ``` ## Bottom Line Screen is an invaluable tool when we must work with the terminal daily. It allows us to utilize a limited amount of screen space while maintaining the full functionality of a terminal window. Additionally, screen has the ability to be used as a teaching tool allowing multiple users to connect to an existing screen and, if we have enabled logging, share that file with the user for later reference. Are you trying to use the screen command and experiencing some difficulty with the control commands, flags or other options with the program? Our knowledgeable system administrators and experienced linux technicians are standing by to assist you with the help you need. Open a [chat](https://www.liquidweb.com/blog/how-to-use-the-screen-command-in-linux/) or [ticket](mailto:support@liquidweb.com) with us to speak with us right away\!
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