26. Installation

Since screen uses pseudo-ttys, the select system call, and UNIX-domain sockets/named pipes, it will not run under a system that does not include these features of 4.2 and 4.3 BSD UNIX.

26.1 Socket Directory

The socket directory defaults either to `$HOME/.screen' or simply to `/tmp/screens' or preferably to `/var/run/screen' chosen at compile-time. If screen is installed setuid root, then the administrator should compile screen with an adequate (not NFS mounted) SOCKDIR. If screen is not running setuid-root, the user can specify any mode 700 directory in the environment variable $SCREENDIR.

26.2 Compiling Screen

To compile and install screen:

The screen package comes with a GNU Autoconf configuration script. Before you compile the package run

This will create a `config.h' and `Makefile' for your machine. If configure fails for some reason, then look at the examples and comments found in the `Makefile.in' and `config.h.in' templates. Rename `config.status' to `config.status.machine' when you want to keep configuration data for multiple architectures. Running sh ./config.status.machine recreates your configuration significantly faster than rerunning configure.
Read through the "User Configuration" section of `config.h', and verify that it suits your needs. A comment near the top of this section explains why it's best to install screen setuid to root. Check for the place for the global `screenrc'-file and for the socket directory.
Check the compiler used in `Makefile', the prefix path where to install screen. Then run

If make fails to produce one of the files `term.h', `comm.h' or `tty.c', then use filename.x.dist instead. For additional information about installation of screen refer to the file `INSTALLATION', coming with this package.