Hello GNU Screen maintainers,
I'd like to propose increasing the default scrollback buffer from 100
lines to 100,000 lines.
The current default of 100 lines is restrictive for modern terminal
workflows, particularly when reviewing build logs, command output, and
debugging sessions.
This patch changes DEFAULTHISTHEIGHT in src/screen.h from 100 to 100000.
The existing defscrollback configuration directive remains available for
users who prefer a different value.
I recognize that the increased default may result in higher memory
consumption for sessions with extensive output, and I'd welcome feedback
on the appropriate default.
The patch is attached for review.
Best regards,
shodan
From 60ae367b9b569843f03c3bfa327033389205b309 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: shodan <[email protected]>
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 2026 00:27:16 -0500
Subject: [PATCH] Increase default scrollback to 100000 lines
---
src/screen.h | 2 +-
1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-)
diff --git a/src/screen.h b/src/screen.h
index 308c365..03ce6b9 100644
--- a/src/screen.h
+++ b/src/screen.h
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@
* windows, he will allocate 8 MegaBytes of memory, which is quite enough.
*/
#define MAXHISTHEIGHT 3000
-#define DEFAULTHISTHEIGHT 100
+#define DEFAULTHISTHEIGHT 100000
#define DEFAULT_BUFFERFILE "/tmp/screen-exchange"
struct mode {
--
2.52.0.windows.1
