---
name: "screendump"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "kbd"
version: "2.10.0-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/screendump"
---

# screendump(1)

dump the contents of a virtual console to stdout

## NAME

screendump - dump the contents of a virtual console to stdout

## SYNOPSIS

**screendump** \[*options*\] \[*N*\]

## DESCRIPTION

The **screendump** command dumps the contents of virtual console  **N** , (or the current console if N is omitted) to standard out.

Just saying

cat /dev/vcsN

has a similar effect.

## OPTIONS

- **-V**, **--version**

  print version number.

- **-h**, **--help**

  print this usage message.

## NOTES

For security reasons, **screendump** uses linux devices "virtual console screen" and  "virtual console screen with attributes" to give access for screendump.

Ensure these files exist, using

cd /dev for i in 0 1 2 3 ...; do\
\
 	mknod vcs$i c 7 $i\
\
 	mknod vcsa$i c 7 \`expr 128 + $i\`\
 done

(filling in the ellipses) and give the device files appropriate permissions, or run  **screendump** as root.

## AUTHORS

Andries Brouwer \<aeb@cwi.nl\> Manpage by Alastair McKinstry \<mckinstry@computer.org\>

## SEE ALSO

[**setterm**(1)](/setterm/1.md)