Shared screen sessions#

The multiuser session feature of GNU screen comes handy if a user needs remote assistance. Multiuser sessions allow other users to join in a running screen session. They see the same terminal output as the inviting user and are able to type in commands.

Walk-through#

We illustrate how to use it with an example. Imaging user alice has a screen session running and wants to invite user bob.

We assume that alice is already running a screen session.

  1. User alice needs to activate multiuser mode by typing Control-a :multiuser on<Return>.

  2. User alice needs to allow bob to join by typing Control-a :acladd bob<Return>.

  3. User bob joins the screen session by invoking screen -r alice/ at the shell.

  4. To detach from the shared session, bob types Control-a d.

Both alice and bob should share the same terminal now. For further details, please refer to the screen(1) manual page.

Limitations#

screen cannot be run inside sudo sessions. So start screen first and then sudo inside the screen session.