---
title: Screen
category: CLI
layout: 2017/sheet
updated: 2020-12-05
keywords:
  - Screen
  - Linux
  - Unix
  - CLI
  - Command
  - Line
intro: |
  Screen or GNU Screen is a terminal multiplexer. In other words, it means that you can start a screen session and then open any number of windows (virtual terminals).
  This does not contain **all** of screen's commands and options, read [GNU's manual](https://www.gnu.org/software/screen/manual/screen.html#Commands) to see everything
---

## Basics
{: .-three-column}

### CLI Options

| Options           | Description                               |
| ----------------- | ----------------------------------------- |
| `-S`              | Starts a named session                    |
| `-r [name]`       | Reattach to a screen (optionally by name) |
| `-ls` or `--list` | Returns a list of session ids             |

### Screens

| Keybind         | Description                                                                              |
| --------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `ctrl+a c`      | Create a new screen tab inside a screen                                                  |
| `ctrl+a [0-9]`  | Switch to a screen tab by number 0 through 9                                             |
| `ctrl+a n`      | Go to the next screen tab                                                                |
| `ctrl+a p`      | Go to the previous screen tab                                                            |
| `ctrl+a k`      | Kill current screen tab                                                                  |
| `ctrl+a ctrl+d` | Detach the current screen and go back to the terminal (screen windows will stay running) |

### Visual pleasure

| Keybind                         | Description                  |
| ------------------------------- | ---------------------------- |
| `ctrl+a S`                      | Split a screen horizontally  |
| `ctrl+a |`                      | Split a screen vertically    |
| `ctrl+a ctrl+I` or `ctrl+a tab` | Change screen split          |
| `ctrl+a Q`                      | Remove all screen splits     |
| `ctrl+a C`                      | Clear the current screen tab |

### Accessibility

| Keybind         | Description                                         |
| --------------- | --------------------------------------------------- |
| `ctrl+a A`      | Rename current screen tab                           |
| `ctrl+a k`      | Kill current screen tab                             |
| `ctrl+a ctrl+a` | Switch to last used screen tab                      |
| `ctrl+a a`      | Send `ctrl+a` to current screen tab                 |
| `ctrl+a ctrl+w` | See a list of all screen tabs in the current screen |