this is obsolete doc -- see http://doc.nethence.com/ instead

GNU screen configuration 

Installation 

Either install it through your distribution's package system, or from source if the package isn't available (like for FreeBSD), 

wget ftp://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/screen/screen-4.0.3.tar.gz

tar xzf screen-*.tar.gz

cd screen-*/

./configure --prefix=/usr/local

make

make install

Note. forcing --prefix otherwise it goes to /usr 

On BSD systems, add the screen termcap entry, 

cd screen-*/

cat terminfo/screencap >> /etc/termcap

Eventually make that handy symlink (or use configure to force the configdir), 

cd /etc/

ln -s ../usr/local/etc/screenrc

GNU screen Configuration 

Update: 

cd /etc/

ls -l screenrc*

mv -i screenrc screenrc.dist

wget pbraun.nethence.com/configs/misc/screenrc

cd ~/

mv -i .screenrc .screenrc.dist

wget pbraun.nethence.com/configs/misc/.screenrc

Configure screen, 

cd /etc/

mv screenrc screenrc.dist

vi screenrc

copy/paste, 

startup_message off

caption always "%-Lw%{= BW}%50>%n%f* %t%{-}%+Lw%< %{=b BW} %H %{-} %l %c %d/%m/%Y"

bindkey ^[, prev

bindkey ^[; next

shelltitle ""

autodetach on

defscrollback 65000

#screen -t "log" 0 tail -F /var/log/messages

#screen -t "errors" 1 sh -c "tail -F /var/log/httpd/*error*.log"

Ref. http://pbraun.nethence.com/code/misc/screenrc.html 

Note. to find out the right keys do bind, just do "cat" in your terminal and type the keys, then "^C". 

Note. a similar caption example can be found into screen's manual, 

man screen > search for "FLOW-CONTROL" Section.  A few lines above you will find the "caption always" examples.  Copy/paste the before-last one to /etc/screenrc (with e.g. gpm or putty).

Then root or some admin user, 

cd ~/

vi .screenrc

like, 

screen -t "log" 0 tail -F /var/log/messages

#screen -t "errors" 1 sh -c "tail -F /var/log/httpd/*error*.log"

If screen windows don't load .profile nor .kshrc, add 

shell -/bin/ksh

Note. the '-' prefix is for login shell, like '-l' 

Usage 

Attach the first detached session it finds, 

screen -R

remotely detach and attach locally, 

screen -rd

For UTF-8 terminals, 

screen -U

To create a new window, 

^A c

To switch back to the last used window, 

  ^A a  revenir à la dernière fenetre 

To switch to another window, 

^A <window number>

Note you can use keybindings see the bindkey stuff above. 

To move a window, 

^A :number 2

To reload screenrc, 

^A :source /etc/screenrc

To split the screen, 

^A S

To switch to the other part, 

^A TAB

To delete all regions but the current one, 

^A Q

screen inside screen ? 

:escape ^Tt

Alternative 

Alternatively, use splitvt (http://www.devolution.com/~slouken/projects/splitvt/), 

cd ~/

vi .splitvtrc

like, 

#set command_char        ^O

#set quote_char          ^V

#set switch_char         ^W

#set upper_lines         12

run -upper              /usr/bin/tail -F /var/log/thttpd.log

run -lower              /usr/bin/tail -F /var/log/messages

#set login               on

# This next line would override the 'run' statements above

#run /bin/ksh

Additional notes 

Irssi configuration : http://pbraun.nethence.com/doc/chat/irssi.html 

Cygwin GUN screen : http://web.gccaz.edu/~medgar/screen.html