Master Linux Screen: Share Sessions, Keep Tasks Running, and Split Screens

Screen is a GNU‑developed command‑line terminal multiplexer that lets multiple terminal windows attach to the same shell session, allowing programs to keep running even if the network drops or a window closes.

Install Screen

sudo apt install screen -y

On CentOS you must first install epel-release before installing Screen with yum or dnf.

Session Sharing

Create a named session on host A: screen -S it From host B, list existing sessions: screen -ls Attach to the session: screen -x it Both hosts now share the same session; any command run on one is visible on the other. To leave the session, run exit or press Ctrl+A D to detach.

Keep Tasks Running After Disconnect

Run a long‑running command (e.g., ping 10.10.10.1) inside a Screen session on window A. From window B, you can verify the process with ps aux | grep ping. After closing window A, the ping continues running inside the detached Screen session, which you can later re‑attach with screen -r test.

Split‑Screen Usage

Create a new Screen session: screen -S test Press Ctrl+A then Shift+S to enable split screen.

Switch to the lower region with Ctrl+A Tab, then create a new window in that region with Ctrl+A C. Use Ctrl+A Tab to toggle between regions. Exit each region with exit, then detach or quit the whole session as needed.