Linux Desktop Hacks

Take a Screenshot from the Command Line #12

Chapter 2, Console

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HACK

command uses the import utility that is part of the ImageMagick suite of

tools (use your package manager to install ImageMagick if it isn’t already on

your system) to take a screenshot of the root window (the root window is the

entire screen) and name the image screen.png. If you want to grab a particu-

lar part of the screen, you also can use the –

crop option to grab that specific

area (such as

import –crop 500x400). And if you run import without –window

your cursor will change to a crosshair, which you can drag over the area you

want to capture. For many print and digital media houses, PNG is a recom-

mended screenshot format, but ImageMagick supports a range of different

formats, so you can use what you need. Read the

import manpage for more

information.

Take a Screenshot from a Command-Line Terminal

If you need to take a screenshot from a command-line console while X is

running elsewhere on the system, adjust the command line and add a few

additional features to it. This method is commonly used when you need a

screenshot of an installation routine or a program running on an embedded

device. To do this, first access the shell that runs behind the installer by

pressing Ctrl-Alt-F2; this provides you with a simple shell in which you can

run the commands to grab the shot. If you are planning on using this hack

while installing a