Select a text area in the terminal using the keyboard

tirengarfio · 03-29-2009, 01:49 PM

Hi,

any way to select a text area in the terminal using the keyboard??

Ciao

i92guboj · 03-29-2009, 04:42 PM

Screen can do that, it's called the "copy mode", by default it's enabled with C-a ESC.

tirengarfio · 03-30-2009, 06:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by i92guboj

C-a ESC.

Whats that?

pixellany · 03-30-2009, 07:00 AM

I think he means "ctrl-alt-escape"

But I would assume this depends on what terminal you are using.....

i92guboj · 03-30-2009, 07:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pixellany

I think he means "ctrl-alt-escape"

But I would assume this depends on what terminal you are using.....

It's Control-<letter a> Escape.

It's not related to any given terminal, it's related to GNU Screen (sorry if I wasn't clear enough before), a terminal multiplexer that can do lots of things, amongst them, it allows you to copy/paste without using a mouse.

A random web I just googled with some basic info about how to use Screen:

http://www.kuro5hin.org/story/2004/3/9/16838/14935

Of course, first you need to install it, then you can use it on any terminal emulator, or even plain command line. It might be a bit painful at first, but it's once of these things that once you learn you can't live without it.