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Invoking Screen

Screen has the following command-line options:

`-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.

`-A'
Adapt the sizes of all windows to the size of the display. By default, screen may try to restore its old window sizes when attaching to resizeable terminals (those with `WS' in their descriptions, e.g. suncmd or some varieties of xterm).

`-c file'
Use file as the user's configuration file instead of the default of `$HOME/.screenrc'.

`-d [pid.sessionname]'
`-D [pid.sessionname]'
Do not start `screen', but instead detach a screen session running elsewhere (see section Detach). `-d' has the same effect as typing C-a d from the controlling terminal for the session. `-D' is the equivalent to the power detach key. If no session can be detached, this option is ignored. The combination screen -D -r can be used to log out from a remote terminal and transport the session running there to your current terminal. Note: It is a good idea to check the status of your sessions with screen -list before using this option.

`-e xy'
Set the command character to x, and the character generating a literal command character (when typed after the command character) to y. The defaults are C-a and a, which can be specified as `-e^Aa'. This option is equivalent to the escape command (see section Command Character).

`-f'
`-fn'
`-fa'
Set flow-control to on, off, or automatic switching mode, respectively. This option is equivalent to the defflow command (see section Flow Control).

`-h num'
Set the history scrollback buffer to be num lines high. Equivalent to the defscrollback command (see section Copying).

`-i'
Cause the interrupt key (usually C-c) to interrupt the display immediately when flow control is on. This option is equivalent to the interrupt argument to the defflow command (see section Flow Control). Its use is discouraged.

`-l'
`-ln'
Turn login mode on or off (for `/etc/utmp' updating). This option is equivalent to the deflogin command (see section Login).

`-ls'
`-list'
Do not start screen, but instead print a list of session identification strings (usually of the form pid.tty.host; see section Session Name). Sessions marked `detached' can be resumed with screen -r. Those marked `attached' are running and have a controlling terminal. Sessions marked as `dead' should be thoroughly checked and removed. Ask your system administrator if you are not sure why they died. Remove sessions with the `-wipe' option.

`-L'
Tell screen that your auto-margin terminal allows programs to write to the last column of the last row of the screen without scrolling. This can also be set in your `.screenrc' by specifying `xn' in a termcap command (see section Termcap).

`-m'
Tell screen to ignore the $STY environment variable. When this option is used, a new session will always be created, regardless of whether screen is being called from within another screen session or not.

`-O'
Select an output mode for your terminal which is more optimal than true vt100 emulation (only affects auto-margin terminals without `xn'). This can also be set in your `.screenrc' by specifying `OP' in a termcap command (see section Termcap).

`-r [pid.sessionname]'
Resume a detached screen session. No other options (except `-d' or `-D') may be specified, though the session name (see section Session Name) may be needed to distinguish between multiple detached screen sessions.

`-R'
Resume the first appropriate detached screen session. If successful, all other command-line options are ignored. If no detached session exists, start a new session using the specified options, just as if `-R' had not been specified. This option is set by default if screen is run as a login-shell.

`-s program'
Set the default shell to be program. By default, screen uses the value of the environment variable $SHELL, or `/bin/sh' if it is not defined. This option is equivalent to the shell command (see section Shell).

`-S sessionname'
Set the name of the new session to sessionname. This option can be used to specify a meaningful name for the session in place of the default tty.host suffix. This name identifies the session for the screen -list and screen -r commands. This option is equivalent to the sessionname command (see section Session Name).

`-t name'
Set the title (name) for the default shell or specified program. This option is equivalent to the shelltitle command (see section Shell).

`-v'
Print the version number.

`-wipe'
List available screens like screen -ls, but remove destroyed sessions instead of marking them as `dead'.

`-x'
Attach to a session which is already attached elsewhere (multi-display mode).

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