The Linux keyboard and console HOWTO: Screen dumps

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## 20. Screen dumps

`setterm -dump` N will dump the contents of the screen of `/dev/tty` N to a file `screen.dump` in the current directory. See setterm(1).

The current contents of the screen of `/dev/tty` N can be accessed using the device `/dev/vcs` N (where `vcs' stands for `virtual console screen'). For example, you could have a clock program that displays the current time in the upper right hand corner of the console screen (see the program `vcstime` in `kbd-0.96.tar.gz`). Just dumping the contents goes with `cat /dev/vcs` N. These device files `/dev/vcs` N do not contain newlines, and do not contain attributes, like colors. From a program it is usually better to use `/dev/vcsa` N (`virtual console screen with attributes') instead - it starts with a header giving the number of rows and columns and the location of the cursor. See vcs(4).

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