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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++.
  2. User alice needs to allow bob to join by typing {kbd}Control-a :acladd bob<Return>.
  3. User bob joins the screen session by invoking {command}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.