8

Below is what happens when trying to use gnu screen. Essentially, it all works fine until I su as another user. then I get a Cannot open your terminal '/dev/pts/7' - please check. error

l413:~$ ssh sbird@example.com
sbird@example.com password: 
sbird@example:~$ screen
[screen is terminating]
sbird@example:~$ su - gradplan
Password: 
gradplan@example:~$ screen 
Cannot open your terminal '/dev/pts/7' - please check.
gradplan@example:~$

How can I login as sbird, su to gradplan, and still use screen?

Alexander Bird
  • 1,887

3 Answers3

11

Type script /dev/null before starting screen.

$ su - gradplan
$ screen
Cannot open your terminal '/dev/pts/15' - please check.
$ script /dev/null
Script started, file is /dev/null
$ screen
# do whatever inside the screen
[detached]
$

ref: ServerFault: Why does redirecting 'script' to /dev/null/ allow 'screen' to work while su'ed as another user?

Community
  • 1
ento
  • 256
4

To directly answer your question:

ssh sbird@example.com su grandplan -c “script /dev/null -qc \"screen\""

Don't change the permissions on your /dev/pts/X - it just introduces an unnecessary security hole.

Joseph Riopelle
  • 56
1

If you:

ls -l /dev/pts/7

You will see it is owned by sbird, when you switch to gradplan, he doesn't have perms to touch that device.

You can try doing

chmod a+rw /dev/pts/X

(X being which pts # you are currently connected to, because it will change) before you screen.

Or you can screen as sbird, then in each screen window su there.

superfro
  • 111