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linuxgnu-screen

how can i force screen to detach *instead of* exit/logout?

I use screen all the time and am constantly attaching/detaching from different sessions. Occasionally I'll accidentally logout/exit instead of detach, losing the buffer of my work on that project. I'd rather not have the detach (ctl-a ctl-d) and exit (ctl-d) commands be so close.

Is there a way to force screen to only ever detach instead of exit?

Solution

  • The main problem isn't screen, it's the shell inside of it. You can make it ignore Ctrl+D or handle it differently. For BASH, try

    export IGNOREEOF=4

    which means you'll have to press Ctrl+D 4 times to exit the shell.

    See this question for more solutions: https://unix.stackexchange.com/questions/27588/how-can-i-keep-controld-from-disconnecting-my-session