Question

I am connecting to a Linux system via PuTTY. I am using GNU screen.

Once I input a command on the screen, I am unable to create a new one or do anything else until this command gets completed. I have a feeling I am going about this all wrong.

When it says Ctrl + A, C, what does this mean? How do I get those keys listed on How To Use Linux Screen?

I am currently having to create multiple sessions of PuTTY.

Answer 1

Once you have executed the command screen you’re now in a screen session. You can create new windows (think of them like tabs) and switch between them. To create a window, you use the command Ctrl–a c. This means:

• Hold down Ctrl and a simultaneously (this tells screen you’d like to issue it the following command…)
• Release the keys
• Press c (create new window button)

This should create a new window in the screen session (you now have two).

To switch between windows you, again, use the Ctrl–a command followed by the number of the window you’d like to switch to. E.g., Ctrl–a 0 will take you home.

Ctrl–a " will list the windows you have active.

Ctrl–a k closes the current active window.

Ctrl–a d “Detaches” the screen session, you are moved back to the terminal where you invoked screen. Your screen session is still running in a background process, to return to it use Ctrl–a x.