The screen command

This command might be the most underrated linux commands of all time.

Purpose

The screen command’s primary and most widespread purpose is to keep an SSH session alive.

SSH

When you get logged out from a server, following a disconnection by timeout or any other disconnections.

Then, your SSH session would get automatically lost ,along with anything you could have launched on the server during your session.

screen

Now, if you were in an SSH session and ran screen, you would still be able to reconnect to your session, should you be disconnected.

Installation

The package can be installed under Ubuntu/Debian using the following command:

sudo apt-get install screen

Create session

1. SSH to a server, or just open a terminal.

2. Create your screen session

    screen -S top
    #in this case, i am creating a screen with session name 'top'
   

Run a command, any command

The command should be preferably interactive

top

Now close the terminal window, simulating an SSH disconnect

Resume session

Open a new terminal window and resume the session

screen -r top

Yes the SSH session resumes where you left off and your command(s) appear like you never disconnected!

Listing screen sessions

codax@gaming:~$ screen -ls
There is a screen on:
	5503.top	(19/01/21 21:49:13)	(Detached)
1 Socket in /run/screen/S-codax.

There you are ! Your top session appears in the list.

\Codarren/