In this guide we are going to look at how to use a script and scriptreplay commands in Linux that can help you to record commands and their output printed on your terminal during a given session.

script is an open source tool that makes a typescript of everything displayed on your terminal. It is useful for students who need a hardcopy record of an interactive session as proof of an assignment, as the typescript file can be printed out later with lpr.

Everything between the script and the exit command is logged to the file. This includes the confirmation messages from script itself (unless the -q flag is used). Everything between the script and the exit command is logged to the file. This includes the confirmation messages from script itself.

Recorded shell sessions can be shared using online services. The advantage of sessions recorded in this format from the usual screencasts is that shell instructions can be easily copy/pasted from the player screen.

Useful command:

script --timing=time.txt script.log

and to replay

scriptreplay --timing=time.txt script.log

See also the nice -d (divisor, speeds up playback) and -m (max delay in playback) options for replay.