Install and configure GNU’s screen on AIX

Sometimes we have only one terminal to an AIX system and we need to open multiples logins to make parallel tasks. This is where GNU screen (http://www.gnu.org/software/screen/) comes to play.  I use ‘GNU screen’ also tu run a long tasks inside AIX without the fear to lost my SSH/Telnet connection and stop the update process.

So, let’s install GNU’s screen on AIX. First we need to download AIX’s rpm  package from AIX Open Source Packages (Perzl.org)
URL:
http://www.perzl.org/aix/index.php?n=Main.Screen

last vgersion of screen is 4.0.3.1, see below:
http://www.oss4aix.org/download/RPMS/screen/screen-4.0.3-1.aix5.1.ppc.rpm

But, there are some dependencies like ‘GNU Info’ and ‘GNU Gettext’.
http://www.perzl.org/aix/index.php?n=Main.Info
http://www.perzl.org/aix/index.php?n=Main.Gettext

There is another dependency, GNU BASH, but we’re not going to install it because we use KSH shell.

Once all rpm’s  files are on AIX box:

1
2
3
4
5
6
# ls -ltr
total 7600
-rw-r--r--    1 root     system       824861 Oct 30 12:57 gettext-devel-0.17-1.aix5.1.ppc.rpm
-rw-r--r--    1 root     system      2223925 Oct 30 12:57 gettext-0.17-1.aix5.1.ppc.rpm
-rw-r--r--    1 root     system       560723 Oct 30 12:57 screen-4.0.3-1.aix5.1.ppc.rpm
-rw-r--r--    1 root     system       276171 Oct 30 12:59 info-5.2-1.aix5.1.ppc.rpm

let’s install all rpm’s files:

1
2
3
4
5
rpm -ivh *.rpm
gettext                     ##################################################
gettext-devel               ##################################################
info                        ##################################################
screen                      ##################################################

To verify the instllation:

1
2
3
4
# /tmp/rpms -> rpm -qa|grep screen
screen-4.0.3-1
# /tmp/rpms -> which screen
/usr/bin/screen

Now it’s time to play with GNU screen.

Type ‘screen’ with no options on the shell:

1
# screen

then Ctrl+A+? and you will all screen parameters:

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
                                              Screen key bindings, page 1 of 1.
 
                                              Command key:  ^A   Literal ^A:  a
 
 break       ^B b        hardcopy    h           monitor     M           remove      X           version     v
 clear       C           help        ?           next        ^@ ^N sp n  removebuf   =           width       W
 colon       :           history     { }         number      N           reset       Z           windows     ^W w
 copy        ^[ [        info        i           only        Q           screen      ^C c        wrap        ^R r
 detach      ^D d        kill        K k         other       ^A          select      '           writebuf    >
 digraph     ^V          lastmsg     ^M m        pow_break   B           silence     _           xoff        ^S s
 displays    *           license     ,           pow_detach  D           split       S           xon         ^Q q
 dumptermcap .           lockscreen  ^X x        prev        ^H ^P p ^?  suspend     ^Z z
 fit         F           log         H           quit        \           time        ^T t
 flow        ^F f        login       L           readbuf     <           title       A
 focus       ^I          meta        a           redisplay   ^L l        vbell       ^G
 
^]  paste .
"   windowlist -b
-   select -
0   select 0
1   select 1
2   select 2
3   select 3
4   select 4
5   select 5
6   select 6
7   select 7
8   select 8
9   select 9
I   login on
O   login off
]   paste .

Let’s see common examples with GNU screen:

  • Open a new screen and execute ‘topas’ command:
1
2
# screen
# topas

Press Ctrol+A+d to detach the screen session and getback the shell prompt.

1
[detached]
  • Reattach the above screen:
1
# screen -r

And you will see topas running. Ctrol+A+d again to detach:

1
[detached]
  •  List screens available
1
2
3
4
5
# screen -ls
There are screens on:
        10158258.pts-0.aix    (Detached)
        7798960.pts-0.aix     (Detached)
2 Sockets in /tmp/screens/S-root.
  •  Reopen a screen session. For exampe, 7798960
1
# screen -r 7798960
  •  Switching between scrren sessions. Yes, you can!!.
    Just press Ctrol+A+n
  • Lock a screen session. Just run Ctrol+A+x inside the session:
1
2
3
# screen -r 7798960
Screen used by  <root>.
Password:
  •  Leaving screen session.
    Just type:
1
2
# exit
[screen is terminating]

Finnaly you can find tons of information on internet regarding GNU’s screen.

0 (0)
Article Rating (No Votes)
Rate this article
Attachments
There are no attachments for this article.
Comments
There are no comments for this article. Be the first to post a comment.
Full Name
Email Address
Security Code Security Code
Related Articles RSS Feed
Trouble Shooting AIX Networking
Viewed 2838 times since Tue, May 22, 2018
Using splitvg in AIX to make a copy of a volume group
Viewed 9150 times since Mon, Jun 3, 2019
AIX - How to extend JFS filesystem
Viewed 19958 times since Fri, Jun 8, 2018
Problems with NFS on an AIX Reboot? Then Go Single
Viewed 7726 times since Wed, May 30, 2018
AIX Different Commands For Paging Space Administration swap file create
Viewed 7791 times since Thu, Aug 1, 2019
AIX perf how to
Viewed 19437 times since Tue, Aug 14, 2018
Removing Failed or Missing Paths
Viewed 3190 times since Wed, May 30, 2018
0516-404 allocpThis system cannot fulfill the allocation
Viewed 10332 times since Thu, Sep 20, 2018
The new VIOS performance advisor tool part util
Viewed 3621 times since Tue, Jun 4, 2019
HOWTO: Copy a filesystem on AIX
Viewed 2743 times since Mon, May 28, 2018