launch_screens.sh

#!/bin/bash

# launch_screens.sh - https://gist.github.com/ericblue/5bad210e113c56ade8766506fc99e611
# Launch script using screens to automatically create named sessions and launch executed commands while detaching immediately
# Useful as a startup helper script to create multiple screen sessions you can later reattach to (e.g. screen -r screen1)

# Key name = the screen session name
# Key value = command to execute 
declare -A screens=( 
 ["screen1"]="/usr/bin/top" 
 ["screen2"]="/bin/ls"
)

#  For Ubuntu on startup
chmod 777 /var/run/screen

for s in "${!screens[@]}"; do 
    echo "killing existing screen $s"
    screen -S $s -X quit

    echo "Launching screen $s with command ${screens[$s]}"
    # bash -c and the follow-up 'exec bash' is used to keep the screen session persistent upon detach
    screen -dmS $s bash -c "${screens[$s]}; exec bash"
 
   echo
done

echo "Current screens..."
sleep 1 && screen -ls