scrot (SCReenshOT) is a command-line screenshot utility for X11. It uses Imlib2 to capture the desktop and save images, making it useful for keyboard shortcuts, shell scripts and automated screenshot workflows.
The application can capture the whole desktop, a particular window or a rectangular selection. It also supports multi-monitor environments and can produce a screenshot without asking the user to interact with the selection interface.
scrot offers considerable control over how screenshots are produced and saved. Its configurable selection behaviour is useful when capturing particular applications, while its naming and output options make it straightforward to incorporate into scripts.
This is free and open source software.
Key Features
- Captures entire desktops, active windows, windows specified by ID and interactive or predefined rectangular regions.
- Selects individual monitors using Xrandr monitor numbering, and supports captures across multiple displays.
- Saves screenshots in PNG, JPEG, GIF and other image formats supported by Imlib2.
- Offers adjustable image quality and compression settings, with separate controls for applicable output formats.
- Creates scaled thumbnail images alongside full-size screenshots using a percentage or explicit dimensions.
- Supports configurable capture delays, an optional countdown and a frozen screen during region selection.
- Provides selection-border appearance options, including line styles and DPI-aware default border width.
- Can include the mouse pointer and window-manager borders in captures.
- Supports overlapping-window captures and configurable horizontal or vertical stacking when a suitable compositor is running.
- Sends image data to standard output for pipelines, runs a specified command on the saved screenshot and supports formatted filenames.
- Offers Bash and Zsh shell completions for command-line use.
Website: github.com/resurrecting-open-source-projects/scrot
Support:
Developer: Tom Gilbert, Daniel T. Borelli, Guilherme Janczak, Joao Eriberto Mota Filho
License: MIT-feh License
scrot is written in C. Learn C with our recommended free books and free tutorials.
Related Software
| CLI Screen Capture Tools | |
|---|---|
| maim | Make Image aims to improve on scrot |
| scrot | SCReenshOT is a simple command line screen capture utility |
| slop | Queries for a selection from the user and prints the region to stdout |
| wayshot | Screenshot tool for wayland compositors |
| termframe | Terminal output SVG screenshot tool |
| grim | Utility to take screenshots of Wayland desktops |
| shotman | Uncompromising screenshot tool for Wayland compositors |
| shotgun | Minimal screenshot utility |
| ImageMagick | Create, edit, and compose bitmap images |
| HyprCap | Capture screenshots and screen recordings on Hyprland |
| grimblast | Capture windows, selected areas, and screens on Hyprland |
| lqth | Simple but fast screenshot utility inspired by xscreenshot |
| grimshot | Capture windows, selected areas, and screens under Sway |
Read our verdict in the software roundup.
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