screen mastery with only 3 keyboard shortcuts
1st March 2010
screen is a must-use for anyone familiar with SSH sessions; it saves your time by keeping your console apps running even after (an unexpected) disconnect from the remote session.
The easiest way to start with screen is screenie – an interface to screen. To use it, you only need to memorize a single keyboard shortcut: C-a d (Ctrl+a, d). This shortcut detaches (hides) your current screen session, allowing to resume later – either with the help of screenie, or by issuing screen -r command.
After a while, with increased screen (and screenie) usage, you will find it inconvenient detaching every time you need a new screen session. Here comes the second keyboard shortcut: C-a c (Ctrl+a, c), which creates a new window within a current screen session, and switches to it.
Finally, you will find it tiresome detaching to then re-attach to a different screen. C-a “ (Ctrl+a, Shift+’) will display a list of screen windows for you to select and switch to.
Screenie, an excellent beginner’s interface to screen, is no longer needed after you memorize these 3 keyboard shortcuts.
Many will say that this is a bare minimum, and also there is much more to screen than what you present here, and that will be true. However, these 3 shortcuts are sufficient for simple but convenient everyday screen sessions management.
May 27th, 2010 at 15:59
You forgot C-a n and C-a p which are also invaluable for a beginner
May 27th, 2010 at 20:38
With C-a “ those two are redundant
Personally (as a beginner) I found it easier to memorize single command than 2 commands.