script

Record a new session to a file named "typescript"

$ script

$ script [path/to/session.out]

$ script -a [logfile.log]

$ script -t 2> [path/to/timing_file]

$ script -f [path/to/file]

$ script -q [logfile.log]

$ exit

script [options] [file]

script records all terminal output to a typescript file. It creates a forked shell and captures everything displayed on the terminal, including input and output, until the session ends with exit or Ctrl-D.
The recorded session can be replayed using scriptreplay when timing information is captured. This is useful for creating tutorials, documenting procedures, or auditing terminal sessions.

-a, --append

Append output to an existing file

Flush output after each write

Be quiet (suppress start and done messages)

Output timing data for scriptreplay

Run command rather than interactive shell

Return exit code of the child process

Log stdout to file (structured)

The typescript file contains control characters and escape sequences. Use cat -v or less -R to view. Large sessions can produce very large files. Part of the util-linux package.

The script command first appeared in 3.0BSD. It has been a standard Unix utility for recording terminal sessions since the early 1980s.

scriptreplay(1), scriptlive(1), tee(1), ttyrec(1)