GNU Screen Quick Reference

I use GNU Screen mainly to prevent processes from dying when I disconnect from an SSH session, but GNU Screen can do a whole lot more than that – the man page is about 3700 lines long. Clearly if I’m using it only to keep a session alive, I’m not using the bulk of what it can do.

I made this cheat sheet and taped it to my monitor for a while so I can have these few options right in front of me every time I use Screen. This way, I more quickly memorize what I find useful, and develop a base to build on.

When learning a new thing, my handwritten notes are far more helpful than anything typed. Sometimes I don’t even look at the notes. Just the mental act of organizing the information, and the physical act of writing it – helps me remember.

I thought I’d share the idea and this small example in the hopes that it helps someone else learn something new, whether it’s screen or something else.

In wading through the sea of options, I found two resources that were a huge help:

• http://aperiodic.net/screen/quick_reference
• https://tomlee.co/2011/10/gnu-screen-splitting/