How to Copy Terminal Session into a File

admin    Linux     cat, command, copy, file, how-to, Linux, mkfifo, output, PinoyTux, redhat, script, session, software, terminal, text, tip, Tips, ubuntu, unix

Have you ever wondered how to copy the output of your terminal into a text file? Or maybe you teach Linux and you want to see what your students typed in and as well as the output? You think that running history is not enough? Then you need the script command.

Running script command

Open the man page of script command and you will see this:

Script makes a typescript of everything printed on your terminal. It is useful for students who need a hardcopy record of an interactive session as proof of an assignment, as the typescript file can be printed out later with lpr(1).

In a nutshell, it is history and tee all rolled into one. It will record everything you see on your screen, even the color. So if you typed in an invalid command, you will see the error in the log or if you run it correctly, you will have the output. But commands like top that refreshes the screen at an interval will most likely ruin the session or the log, so try to avoid similar commands.

To use it, just type the command script and it will begin recording the session. Once you are done, just type exit.

This is script in action:

rai@host1:~> script -a /tmp/script_test.log

Script started, file is /tmp/script_test.log
rai@host1:~> ls /home
R20 r200 R21 rai xx19
rai@host:~> thisnotacommandbutirunitanyway
bash: thisnotacommandbutirunitanyway: command not found
rai@host1:~> exit
Script done, file is /tmp/script_test.log
rai@host1:~> cat /tmp/script_test.log
Script started on Mon 17 Jan 2011 06:24:12 PM PHT
rai@lhost1:~> ls /home
R20 r200 R21 rai xx19
rai@host1:~> thisnotacommandbutirunitanyway
bash: thisnotacommandbutirunitanyway: command not found
rai@host1:~> exit

Script done on Mon 17 Jan 2011 06:24:54 PM PHT

The example above shows that script was started with -a option meaning it will append the output the specified file.

A better way to do this is to use it together with mkfifo command:

On Terminal 1 (Student’s terminal):

rai@host1:~> mkfifo /tmp/script_test.fifo
rai@host1:~> script -f /tmp/script_test.fifo

On Terminal 2 (Teacher’s terminal, same machine):

rai@host1:/tmp> cat /tmp/script_test.fifo

The above scenario will perform the following:
1) On the Student’s terminal, it will create an named pipe /tmp/script_test.fifo (man mkfifo) then run the script command with the -f option that ‘flushes’ out the output after each run. The Student’s terminal will look like it is not responding at this point, but don’t worry, it is perfectly normal.
2) On the Teacher’s terminal, the command cat will read the output file. Once you run the cat command, the session will be started.

Try the above steps and see how each screen behaves. Check also if doing the script command will create a populated output file.

Tip: Resume Session with screen

Rai    Linux     command, Linux, screen, session, terminal, tip

Network infrastructure is the backbone of your computer’s connectivity and therefor should be stable, reliable and very little, if no downtime. If it isn’t the case, can you imagine getting disconnected from the server while you are remotely running your scripts via ssh? Not only that the script has to be re-run, but might damage other important files as well.

If you are in a situation where you need something to remain connected to the server, you can use screen. screen is a full-screen window manager that multiplexes a physical terminal between several processes typically interactive shells). When screen is called, it creates a single window with a shell in it (or the specified command) and then gets out of your way so that you can use the program as you normally would. Then, at any time, you can create new (full-screen) windows with other programs in them (including more shells), kill existing windows, view a list of windows, turn output logging on and off, copy-and-paste text between windows, view he scrollback history, switch between windows in whatever manner you wish, etc. All windows run their programs completely independent of each other. Programs continue to run when their window is currently not visible and even when the whole screen session is detached from the user’s terminal. read more