256 Color Issue when using GNU Screen inside GNU Screen

gnu-screenvim

When I have a SSH session in GNU Screen to another machine on which I'm also using GNU Screen, 256 colors don't seem to work. The $TERM is still set correctly. However, if I run Vim, the theme does not look correct as it would with only one screen session.

Local machine: 256 colors in VIM okay
    Screen session: 256 colors in VIM okay
        SSH to remote machine: 256 colors in VIM okay
            Screen session on remote machine: 256 colors in VIM _not_ okay

Best Answer

This is probably a bug in screen. It has some known funkiness with recursive sessions. Unfortunately the project is pretty stagnant (last version released 3 years ago) and bug fixes and features aren't getting added.

Try tmux instead. It does basically the same thing but has a lot of the problematic bits from screen smoothed out and is actively maintained and developed.

Related Solutions

SSH – Launch a Screen Session with a Command Over SSH on a Remote Server

Try using the -t option to ssh

ssh -t root@my.machine screen "tail -f /var/log/messages"

From man ssh

-t      Force pseudo-tty allocation.  This can be used to execute arbi-
        trary screen-based programs on a remote machine, which can be
        very useful, e.g., when implementing menu services.  Multiple -t
        options force tty allocation, even if ssh has no local tty.

GNU screen configuration for optimal keycode recognition

You can change the default keystrokes in screen, but you will encounter the same kind of problems, just with other keystrokes. Byobu makes it easier to setup the basic keystrokes for screen. In byobu, the cycling back in session log with the mouse wheel is activated, too, so you could either use it or see how it's set in /usr/share/byobu/profiles/common.

Best Answer

Related Solutions

SSH – Launch a Screen Session with a Command Over SSH on a Remote Server

GNU screen configuration for optimal keycode recognition

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