Install old version of screen using Mac Ports

The latest version of Screen (version 4.0.3 port revision 3) that comes with MacPorts has a number of issues.

Most annoying for me were that 'mate' and 'gitx' stopped working from the command line (with the errors 'mate: failed to establish connection with TextMate' and 'gitx: failed to establish connection with GitX' respectively).

The screen port @4.0.3_1 (version 4.0.3 revision 1) is free of these problems and, with a little bit of work, you can install this version via MacPorts. The instructions below are based on Joe Horns' post, install old versions of ports using MacPorts.

Instructions

1. Set up a local port repository. In the file /opt/local/etc/macports/sources.conf, add this line before the rsync line:

   file:///Users/Shared/dports

   and create that directory.

2. Install the old revision of the port into your local repository, revision 45522 specifies screen port @4.0.3_1.

   cd /Users/Shared/dports && svn co --revision 45522 \
   http://svn.macports.org/repository/macports/trunk/dports/sysutils/screen/ \ sysutils/screen/

3. Run portindex so that ports now finds your new (old) version of Screen.

   portindex /Users/Shared/dports

4. Now you should be able to see two versions of the screen port by running

   port list screen

   However, rather unhelpfully, they will both be listed as version @4.0.3.

5. Install Screen

   sudo port install screen @4.0.3_1

   and you should be up and running.