{"slug": "gnu-screen", "name": "GNU Screen", "category": "terminal", "category_name": "Terminal and shell", "description": "", "recommenders": 4, "commenters": 4, "warners": 0, "score": 3.146, "rising": 2.67, "first": "2026-07-29", "latest": "2026-10-23", "why": "You can also just use the system console with tmux or GNU screen", "why_is_quote": true, "has_verdict": false, "sentiment": {"recommend": 4, "neutral": 1, "compare": 0, "warn": 0}, "spark": [0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 3, 0, 0], "listed": true, "loved": [], "caveat": "", "short_quote": "You can also just use the system console with tmux or GNU screen", "icon": true, "domain": null, "github_repo": null, "official_url": "https://www.gnu.org/software/screen/", "pricing": "", "aliases": ["GNU Screen", "GNU screen"], "verdict": null, "praise": [{"label": "", "summary": "", "quotes": [{"id": 791642752, "item_id": 49477672, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49477672", "by": "walrus01", "date": "2026-08-28", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I use screen extensively", "excerpt": "I use screen extensively, the GUI is for leaving things like QGIS running full screen (which is sure not going to work in a TUI). Both CLI environment and GUI get used.", "context": "", "use_case": "terminal sessions", "switched_from": "", "story": "AI Agent Has Root"}, {"id": 790164338, "item_id": 49385271, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49385271", "by": "closetheloopdev", "date": "2026-08-21", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "You can also just use the system console with tmux or GNU screen", "excerpt": "If you want to live only in the terminal, you can also use one of the text-based browsers [1] instead of Chrome, Firefox, etc. browsh [2] can also play YouTube videos if you'd like. You can also just use the system console with tmux or GNU screen if you absolutely don't want any graphics at all. The TUI programs usually do not consume a lot of resources. They are also very fast and optimized for keyboard-only navigat", "context": "", "use_case": "terminal-only workflow", "switched_from": "", "story": "Stop Making TUIs"}, {"id": 787689232, "item_id": 49230577, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49230577", "by": "twism", "date": "2026-08-09", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "install GNU Screen.", "excerpt": "put an old computer in your closet. ssh through your phone (need a proper ssh client tho; I use a custom ssh client and keyboard, both not in the playstore but It's best for what I do). install GNU Screen. install Claude Code CLI. tell claude about your environment and what you are trying to do. enjoy.", "context": "", "use_case": "persistent terminal sessions", "switched_from": "", "story": "My server is a phone now"}, {"id": 785699232, "item_id": 49106202, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49106202", "by": "cobbzilla", "date": "2026-07-29", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I use and prefer screen", "excerpt": "I use and prefer screen I use tmux on windows and elsewhere when I must They both have pluses and minuses, neither is perfect and both (yes even tmux) seem \u201cold\u201d in today\u2019s world There is definitely room for a next gen terminal multiplexer with all the built-in goodies we all want I signed up", "context": "", "use_case": "terminal multiplexer", "switched_from": "", "story": "Mitchellh starts a new company: Superlogical"}]}], "caveats": [], "who": [{"by": "walrus01", "context": "Runs a headless VM reached via VNC/SSH", "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50214315", "date": "2026-10-23"}], "tags": [], "use_cases": ["terminal sessions", "terminal-only workflow", "persistent terminal sessions", "terminal multiplexer"], "compared": [{"slug": "tmux", "name": "tmux", "co": 5, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 1}], "makers": [], "threads": [{"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50198675", "title": "OpenShell \u2013 A safe, private runtime for fleets of autonomous AI agents", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49477311", "title": "AI Agent Has Root", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49384210", "title": "Stop Making TUIs", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49226636", "title": "My server is a phone now", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49098965", "title": "Mitchellh starts a new company: Superlogical", "mentions": 1}], "sentiment_by_month": {"2025-11": {}, "2025-12": {}, "2026-01": {}, "2026-02": {}, "2026-03": {}, "2026-04": {}, "2026-05": {}, "2026-06": {}, "2026-07": {"recommend": 1}, "2026-08": {"recommend": 3}, "2026-09": {}, "2026-10": {"neutral": 1}}, "quotes": [{"id": 803429045, "item_id": 50214315, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50214315", "by": "walrus01", "date": "2026-10-23", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "regular SSH session, and screen or tmux", "excerpt": "In my case it's a fairly boring proxmox server. The KVM VM started as a bare bones debian install and then I added xorg and xfce4 and the tiger vnc server. I have a GUI on it for when I want to use it that way (in screen dimensions that are a 1:1 mapping of the native resolution of my laptop for full screen VNC session), or of course I also talk to it by regular SSH session, and screen or tmux. The VNC server listens", "context": "Runs a headless VM reached via VNC/SSH", "use_case": "terminal sessions", "switched_from": "", "story": "OpenShell \u2013 A safe, private runtime for fleets of autonomous AI agents"}, {"id": 791642752, "item_id": 49477672, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49477672", "by": "walrus01", "date": "2026-08-28", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I use screen extensively", "excerpt": "I use screen extensively, the GUI is for leaving things like QGIS running full screen (which is sure not going to work in a TUI). Both CLI environment and GUI get used.", "context": "", "use_case": "terminal sessions", "switched_from": "", "story": "AI Agent Has Root"}, {"id": 790164338, "item_id": 49385271, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49385271", "by": "closetheloopdev", "date": "2026-08-21", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "You can also just use the system console with tmux or GNU screen", "excerpt": "If you want to live only in the terminal, you can also use one of the text-based browsers [1] instead of Chrome, Firefox, etc. browsh [2] can also play YouTube videos if you'd like. You can also just use the system console with tmux or GNU screen if you absolutely don't want any graphics at all. The TUI programs usually do not consume a lot of resources. They are also very fast and optimized for keyboard-only navigat", "context": "", "use_case": "terminal-only workflow", "switched_from": "", "story": "Stop Making TUIs"}, {"id": 787689232, "item_id": 49230577, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49230577", "by": "twism", "date": "2026-08-09", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "install GNU Screen.", "excerpt": "put an old computer in your closet. ssh through your phone (need a proper ssh client tho; I use a custom ssh client and keyboard, both not in the playstore but It's best for what I do). install GNU Screen. install Claude Code CLI. tell claude about your environment and what you are trying to do. enjoy.", "context": "", "use_case": "persistent terminal sessions", "switched_from": "", "story": "My server is a phone now"}, {"id": 785699232, "item_id": 49106202, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49106202", "by": "cobbzilla", "date": "2026-07-29", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I use and prefer screen", "excerpt": "I use and prefer screen I use tmux on windows and elsewhere when I must They both have pluses and minuses, neither is perfect and both (yes even tmux) seem \u201cold\u201d in today\u2019s world There is definitely room for a next gen terminal multiplexer with all the built-in goodies we all want I signed up", "context": "", "use_case": "terminal multiplexer", "switched_from": "", "story": "Mitchellh starts a new company: Superlogical"}]}