script.1 (2010 09)

s
script(1) script(1)
NAME
script - make typescript of terminal session
SYNOPSIS
script [-a][file]
DESCRIPTION
script makes a typescript of everything printed on your terminal. It starts a shell named by the
SHELL environment variable, or by default /usr/bin/sh, and silently records a copy of output to your
terminal from that shell or its descendents, using a pseudo-terminal device (see pty (7)).
All output is written to file, or appended to file if the
-a option is given. If no file name is given, the out-
put is saved in a file named
typescript. The recording can be sent to a line printer later with lp (1), or
reviewed safely with the
-v option of cat (1).
The recording ends when the forked shell exits (or the user ends the session by typing "exit") or the shell
and all its descendents close the pseudo-terminal device.
This program is useful when operating a CRT display and a hard-copy record of the dialog is desired. It
can also be used for a simple form of session auditing.
script respects the convention for login shells as described in su(1), sh(1), and ksh(1). Thus, if it is
invoked with a command name beginning with a hyphen (
-) (that is, -script), script
passes a
basename to the shell that is also preceded by a hyphen.
The input flow control can be enabled by setting environmental variable
SCRIPT_USE_IXOFF, before
running
script. Please see WARNINGS section for details on using this environment variable.
EXAMPLES
Save everything printed on the user’s screen into file
scott:
script scott
Append a copy of everything printed to the user’s screen to file
temp:
script -a temp
WARNINGS
A command such as cat scott, which displays the contents of the destination file, should not be issued
while executing script because it would cause script to log the output of the cat command to
itself until all available disk space is filled. Other commands, such as more(1), can cause the same prob-
lem but to a lesser degree.
script records all received output in the file, including typing errors, backspaces, and cursor motions.
Note that it does not record typed characters; only echoed characters. Thus passwords are not recorded
in the file . Responses other than simple echoes (such as output from screen-oriented editors and
ksh
command editing) are recorded as they appeared in the original session.
When there is no input flow control (
SCRIPT_USE_IXOFF is not set), there can be some data loss while
using script. However, script (1) can behave unexpectedly, if SCRIPT_USE_IXOFF
is set and IXANY
is not set.
AUTHOR
script was developed by the University of California, Berkeley and HP.
HP-UX 11i Version 3: September 2010 − 1 − Hewlett-Packard Company 1