Baslinux mailing list

[Sindi Keesan <keesan AT iamjlamb.com>]

On Tue, 1 Jun 2004, Matrix Mole wrote:

> I've heard people talk about a program called screen, and did a search for 
> it through google and fond a little about it (found its man page to be 
> exact).
> 
> My question, why is it needed? On a remote machine, you can usually open 
> as many telnet windows as you need. Physically logged into linux machine, 
I dial (not telnet) to my bbs and cannot open additional consoles.

> you have the virtual consoles. I've never used more than a few console 
> windows at the same time, so why would someone need the power that 

Screen lets you copy between screens (on the same or different consoles) 
using keyboard commands.  I can use lynx on one console or screen, and 
pico on another, and copy bits and pieces between them.  No mouse needed, 
no X.

screen 

> allows?  I will admit, it looks really useful, but I just can't see the 
> need for it with the options that already exist. Anyone care to offer me 
> their own viewpoints on this program?
> 
> 

There is also a smaller, simpler, program called something like splitvt, 
which comes with one of the SW7.1 packages and dates back to around 1995.  
The documentation is very poor.  I finally figured out how to block by 
learning screen first.  You need to mark with the space bar and move 
around with hjkl keys (sideways and up and down cursor movement), then use 
a control+key combination to cut or paste or switch between two or more 
split screens on one console.  

Screen from SW80 requires ncurses from the same.  I could not find screen 
for SW71. Let me know if you cannot get it to work and want help.  I found 
a later version than what comes with SW80, which works.  There might be an 
additional dependency.  

Sindi