1. Use it in a full screen terminal. I use Fluxbox and Putty and both enable full screen capabilities.
2. Spend some extensive time customizing your .screenrc file. I have mine configured to open 3 split regions and define a caption and a hardstatus line. It also adjusts the size of the regions for me and then puts the focus on my preferred region.
3. Use a hardstatus line that makes sense for your preferred method. In Putty’s full screen mode, it still shows the windows toolbar, so my hardstatus line shows there.
4. Decide on a split screen interface that makes works with your flow. This might be my best productivity trick, and I’m hoping others can share something that can further refine my technique. I usually work in a split screen interface with 3 regions and connect to three machines. The top region is I usually reserve as a command line for the same workstation that hosts my screen application. This allows me to always be able to easily add new windows to my screen session. My bottom region is usually reserved for an open notes text file. The region between is my “application” area. The top region I use to create “one-off” windows for programs and commands that i don’t care about once they are completed but would like to be able to monitor while it is running, such as the verbose output from an extensive rsync operation.
5. Learn to use screen’s copy and paste function. When using screen in split screen mode, your terminal program doesnt handle the scrolling for you, so you’ll find it necessary to scroll back in one of those regions and copy and paste some information. Figure it out at your first opportunity and you’ll be satisfied. To get started it’s easy. The copy and paste default keys are logically paired on the keyboard and sensibly located. C-a [ for copy and C-a ] for paste. The first time you press C-a [ you will be able to use the up/down arrows to move the cursor. Move it to the beginning of the region you desire to highlight and then press enter. Then move the cursor using the arrow keys to the end of the region. Again, press enter to copy. Now switch to where you'd like to use the copied text as input, and press C-a ] to paste.
6. Begin to use multiple sessions. Here’s where you take all of the incredible power of screen, and then multiply everything it does, and it requires no extra learning.
7. Determine the important parameters for screen and quickly ignore the ones that you don’t find necessary. Some of the command line options look the same as others, especially amongst -d, -D, -R, -r, -RR and the manpage really makes a mockery of anyone trying to understand what the author intended as the differences. I usually rely on -D and -R.
8. Begin to use multiple configuration files. By using multiple configuration files, you’re able to simply some automation. For example you can have one .screenrc file that manages all of your backup processes and another that handles your general login and system management operations. I also have a configuration file for screen that opens up an entire software development platform for me.
9. Promptly add bind s on a blank line in the .screenrc file. This will prevent the errant suspension of the output of windows.
10. Read the gentoo user’s wiki guide to using screen. It has a lot of excellent nuggets of information that are very helpful.

I hope you share some of your favorite tips here.


fish://user@remotesystem


This really cuts down on the time of using the command line to work with large groups of files. You can also use the same format within Qt applications’ dialog boxes, making it easy to work with files directly from inside of applications.

It’s a lot more intuitive and much less of a pain than using unique key combinations for everything via a program like xbindkeys.

 KDE, Kubuntu, and Konqueror make this process easy. Simply right click on the downloaded file and then select Package Manager -> Install Package.

sudo apt-get install konqueror

If you find a need for a tabbed file manager, Konqueror steps up to the plate.

It also scores a double with the integrated web browser. While the browser’s not always perfect, it’s there as a convenience to me and usually renders quite nicely. Web pages appear on their own tabs.

Another score for Konqueror is the bookmark toolbar.

Konqueror can take it into overtime with the “View Most Visited” feature, found under the View menu.

Additionally, a feature I enjoy is the customized wallpaper for the browser windows. We are able to select any image file.

It also allows us to execute a shell command in the current folder, by using the Control-E key.

It also allows us to miraculously split the view, both vertically and horizontally. TRY IT!

I suggest installing Konqueror if Nautilus leaves you feeling disappointed.

I discovered this keyboard when I found myself needing a touch pad constructed into the keyboard. Adesso is the only manufacturer I found providing a wave-shape ergonomic split multimedia keyboard with built in touchpad. I purchased this black keyboard with the matching ps/2 to USB adaptor and had it delivered to my home for under $75 USD. They have a white model that would be better matched to the Mac users for a similar price.

To me, its number one feature is the built-in touchpad. This is what I was looking for in the keyboard when I originally purchased it. This allows the user to not be tied to a mousing surface, while giving us a full-sized ergonomic keyboard. This extends the “portability” of my laptop tenfold. The touchpad has a unique feature lacking from the laptop’s built-in : on-pad right click area. Touching the upper right corner of the touch pad is the same as right clicking. Yes, the keyboard still offers a dedicated right click button as well. I didn’t have to load any drivers to get it to work properly in Ubuntu on my desktop or XP on my laptop. However, I was able to download driver’s from Adesso’s home page and achieve some more configuration options.

The keyboard features an excellent ergonomic design, which is a must for any person suffering carpal tunel syndrome like myself. The space bar is split, and requires some adjustment if you’re more accustomed to the Microsoft layout with a solid, one piece bar. It’s more of a wave-shape than most ergonomics, which makes the numeric keypad more friendly. It also sports the inverted T arrow design that Microsoft abandoned on some ergonomic designs. I also appreciate the 3×2 word processing key (insert,home,page up,delete end, page down) arrangement.

The Tru-Form™ Pro also makes generous use of its size and offers the usual array of multimedia keys.

It’s not too heavy, so it’s a great addition for use in your lap while you’re surfing from the couch. The cord is of an appropriate length for this. It only comes with ps/2 connections, and demands two of them (mouse and keyboard). Adesso takes care of those of us lacking PS/2 connections by offering a perfectly matching PS/2 to USB adapter.(not included) Fortunately, it only requires one USB port and extends the cable’s reach some more inches.

It does have some room for improvement, so I look forward to an updated model. This is probably a tall order, but I’d like to see scalability on the touchpad allowing for proportional 16:10 or 16:9 touch-to-screen movement, so that I don’t have to pickup my finger to drag something across the entire screen. I’d also like to see better use of the vacant real estate between the left and right sides of the keyboard. For example, I miss the Zoom and Back/Forward features of my Microsoft Natural 4000. Also, having a high demand on portability, I would appreciate some attention to halving the heft. The touchpad is below the space bar. This works for both right and left handed people, but for either person, it’s more practical on the user’s respective dominant side. I’d much rather have mine on the right and would be willing to pay a higher price for such a tailored model.

Considering the stack of features, the price tag was comfortable. Keep in mind that you’re getting a mouse and a full-featured ergonomic multimedia keyboard together. Having owned mine for a couple of months already, I can tell you the keyboard shell and keys are sturdy enough that it’s sure to last for a long time. Even my wife likes it so much she agrees we need another.

Let’s say I have mpeg2enc encoding a video, and after 10 minutes, I realize I forgot the nice command. It’s going to take another hour or two, but I don’t want to waste the 10 minutes I’ve already spent working on the video. No fear!

The command below will save me:

sudo snice -5 mpeg2enc

You’ll notice that I prefixed the line with the sudo command. snice requires sudo privilege for a nice level of anything below zero.

The first construct is the double ampersand, &&. When combined with commands on both sides of the double ampersand, the second command will only be executed if the first command was successful. For example, I’ll often execute something like this:

nice unrar e mymoviebackup.rar && rm mymoviebackup.rar

This will delete the original archive, but only if the extraction was successful. On the converse, I may want a command to execute, but only if the first previous command failed. Using the double pipe to separate two commands allows me to do just that.For example,

cp mysysbackup.tar /media/usbdisk1/mytapebackup.tar || touch ~/Desktop/BackupFailed

The above commands works like this : If the copying of mysysbackup.tar to my external drive fails, create or update a file on my desktop that advises me of the failure.

For example, when I’m backing up my email and favorites, I can use the command like this:

nice tar -cf mybackup.tar outlookdata.dat myfavorites.dat

You can tailor nice’s effectiveness to suit your needs, using the -n argument. For example, maybe I want my backup to be priority so that I can get back to what I’d rather be doing. In that case, I’d use:

nice -n=-20 tar -cf mybackup.tar outlookdata.dat myfavorites.dat

Possible values range from -20 (least “favorable”) to 19 (most “favorable”).