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A scrollback buffer is the history of terminal output kept after text moves off the visible screen. It lets you scroll back to review earlier commands and their results. How much it retains depends on the terminal or multiplexer you are using, and often on its settings.
What a scrollback buffer does
A terminal window can show only a limited number of lines at once. As new output appears, older lines move beyond the visible area. The scrollback buffer retains some of those lines so you can inspect them without rerunning a command.
It is history of terminal output, not necessarily a permanent log. Closing an application, clearing its history, or reaching its configured limit can make older lines unavailable.
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Terminal emulator
A terminal emulator such as GNOME Terminal can maintain scrollback according to the active profile’s settings. GNOME Terminal’s help explains that its scrollback data is kept in compressed and encrypted temporary files, with the space freed when the terminal closes. That is specific to GNOME Terminal and should not be assumed of other terminal applications. GNOME Terminal scrolling help
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tmux
A multiplexer can maintain a separate history buffer. The tmux manual describes a configurable buffer for each window and states that the default keeps up to 2,000 lines; the history-limit option changes that limit. This is a tmux default, not a universal terminal setting. tmux manual
If scrolling stops at different points in different contexts, the active application and its configuration may differ. A terminal emulator’s history and tmux’s per-window history are distinct; one setting does not automatically describe the other.
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How much output does it retain?
There is no single standard limit. The documentation for different applications illustrates the variation:
| Application | Documented retention | What controls it |
|---|---|---|
| GNOME Terminal | Unlimited scrollback is an available option. | Profile scrolling preferences |
| tmux | Up to 2,000 lines by default, according to its manual. | history-limit option |
| rxvt | Its manual documents a default of 64 saved lines and a limit of 65,535 on most machines. | saveLines resource |
These are documented application-specific values, not current defaults across terminal software. The rxvt manual’s version is not established in the cited reference, so check the documentation for the version you have installed. GNOME Terminal help, tmux manual, and rxvt manual
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How to increase GNOME Terminal scrollback
- Open Preferences in GNOME Terminal.
- Select the profile you are using.
- Open Scrolling.
- Adjust Limit scrollback to and enter the number of lines you want to retain. To remove the line limit, disable that setting; GNOME Terminal’s help describes unlimited scrollback as an option.
GNOME Terminal cautions that a giant buffer can make window resizing slower. Its help gives around one million lines as a rule of thumb for when resizing may become noticeably slow; this is application guidance, not a universal performance threshold. The same profile area includes a Scroll on keystroke preference. GNOME Terminal scrolling help
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Clearing or saving scrollback
History actions are application-specific. The clear utility documents terminal control sequences for clearing saved scrollback as well as clearing the visible screen; whether the saved history is cleared depends on terminal support for the relevant extension. clear manual
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Eterm documents a feature for saving scrollback to a file. This is an example of an application-specific export feature, not a facility guaranteed in every terminal. Eterm manual
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When to change the limit
- Increase it if you regularly need to inspect long command output that has moved off-screen.
- Use an unlimited setting only if it suits your workflow and the application handles the resulting history acceptably.
- Reduce it if you do not need extensive history or if resizing becomes sluggish; GNOME Terminal specifically warns about slowdown with very large buffers.
- For history inside tmux, configure tmux’s per-window limit rather than assuming the terminal emulator’s profile controls it.
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