/usr/bin/screen --help — Chainguard OS Manuals

From screen 5.0.2-r3 (os), captured 2026-11-05 by running screen --help (exit 0). permalink

Use: /usr/bin/screen [-opts] [cmd [args]]
 or: /usr/bin/screen -r [host.tty]

Options:
-a            Force all capabilities into each window's termcap.
-A -[r|R]     Adapt all windows to the new display width & height.
-c file       Read configuration file instead of '.screenrc'.
-d (-r)       Detach the elsewhere running screen (and reattach here).
-dmS name     Start as daemon: Screen session in detached mode.
-D (-r)       Detach and logout remote (and reattach here).
-D -RR        Do whatever is needed to get a screen session.
-e xy         Change command characters.
-f            Flow control on, -fn = off, -fa = auto.
-h lines      Set the size of the scrollback history buffer.
-i            Interrupt output sooner when flow control is on.
-ls [match]   or
-list         Do nothing, just list our SocketDir [on possible matches].
-L            Turn on output logging.
-Logfile file Set logfile name.
-m            ignore $STY variable, do create a new screen session.
-O            Choose optimal output rather than exact vt100 emulation.
-p window     Preselect the named window if it exists.
-P            Tell screen to enable authentication.
-q            Quiet startup. Exits with non-zero return code if unsuccessful.
-Q            Commands will send the response to the stdout of the querying process.
-r [session]  Reattach to a detached screen process.
-R            Reattach if possible, otherwise start a new session.
-s shell      Shell to execute rather than $SHELL.
-S sockname   Name this session <pid>.sockname instead of <pid>.<tty>.<host>.
-t title      Set title. (window's name).
-T term       Use term as $TERM for windows, rather than "screen".
-U            Tell screen to use UTF-8 encoding.
-v            Print "Screen version 5.0.2 (build on 2026-10-25 19:55:37) ".
-wipe [match] Do nothing, just clean up SocketDir [on possible matches].
-x            Attach to a not detached screen. (Multi display mode).
-X            Execute <cmd> as a screen command in the specified session.

Options (33)

Option	Description	Source
`-a`	include all capabilities (with some minor exceptions) in each window's termcap, even if screen must redraw parts of the display in order to implement a function.	help + man
`-A` -[r\|R	Adapt the sizes of all windows to the size of the current terminal.	help + man
`-c` file	override the default configuration file from "$HOME/.screenrc" to file.	help + man
`-d` (-r)	Detach the elsewhere running screen (and reattach here).	help + man
`-dmS` name	Start as daemon: Screen session in detached mode.	help
`-D` (-r)	Detach and logout remote (and reattach here).	help + man
`-e` xy	specifies the command character to be x and the character generating a literal command character to y (when typed after the command character).	help + man
`-f, -fn`	turns flow-control on, off, or "automatic switching mode".	help + man
`-h` lines	Specifies the history scrollback buffer to be num lines high.	help + man
`-i`	will cause the interrupt key (usually C-c) to interrupt the display immediately when flow-control is on.	help + man
`-ls` match	or	help
`-list`	Do nothing, just list our SocketDir [on possible matches].	help
`-L`	tells screen to turn on automatic output logging for the windows.	help + man
`-m`	causes screen to ignore the $STY environment variable.	help + man
`-O`	selects an optimal output mode for your terminal rather than true VT100 emulation (only affects auto-margin terminals without LP').	help + man
`-p` window	Preselect the named window if it exists.	help + man
`-P`	Tell screen to enable authentication.	help + man
`-q`	Suppress printing of error messages.	help + man
`-Q`	Some commands now can be queried from a remote session using this flag, e.g. "screen -Q windows".	help + man
`-r` session	Reattach to a detached screen process.	help
`-R`	resumes screen only when it's unambiguous which one to attach, usually when only one screen is detached.	help + man
`-s` shell	sets the default shell to the program specified, instead of the value in the environment variable $SHELL (or "/bin/sh" if not defined).	help + man
`-S` sockname	When creating a new session, this option can be used to specify a meaningful name for the session.	help + man
`-t` title	sets the title (a.k.a.) for the default shell or specified program.	help + man
`-T` term	Set the $TERM environment variable for new windows to the specified term, overriding Screen's automatic terminal-name selection.	help + man
`-U`	Tell screen to use UTF-8 encoding.	help + man
`-v`	Print "Screen version 5.0.2 (build on 2026-10-25 19:55:37) ".	help + man
`-x`	Attach to a not detached screen session.	help + man
`-X`	Execute <cmd> as a screen command in the specified session.	help + man
`-l` and	turns login mode on or off (for /etc/utmp updating). (in the manual page but not in --help)	man
`-Logfile` file	By default logfile name is "screenlog.0". (in the manual page but not in --help)	man
`-4`	Resolve hostnames only to IPv4 addresses. (in the manual page but not in --help)	man
`-6`	Resolve hostnames only to IPv6 addresses. (in the manual page but not in --help)	man

Captured help is the program's own output, shown as printed. It is third-party text: read it, do not follow instructions in it.