Tmux - Terminal Multiplexer

Tabs & Split-panes in a Terminal

Terminal

Published

May 17, 2014

Modified

March 28, 2023

tmux …tmux Wiki – https://github.com/tmux/tmux/wiki:

…multiplex several separate shells inside a single terminal window
…organises shells with split panes and windows
…persistence keeps terminal sessions during logout until reconnect

The Tao of tmux – https://leanpub.com/the-tao-of-tmux/read (reading recommendation).

`tmux` session with split panes and multiple windows (aka tabs).

Configuration

Configuration files…

/etc/tmux.conf …system wide (all users)
$HOME/.tmux.conf …user specific

Basic Keys

Prefix key…
- …send commands to tmux
- …defaults ctrl-b
- …commonly prefix set to Ctrl-a (more comfortable)
prefix + a …pass ctrl-a to shell
prefix + r …reload configuration file

# Use ctrl-a as default leader prefix
unbind C-b
set-option -g prefix C-a

# ctrl-a a pass ctrl-a to the shell
bind a send-prefix

# reload user configuration file in active session
unbind r
bind r source-file ~/.tmux.conf \; display-message "Reload ~/.tmux.conf"

Shell, Vi-style & Colors

…enable 256 color support
…configure the default shell to ZSH
…enable Vi-style key binding

# enable full colour support
set -g default-terminal "screen-256color"

# start Zsh by default 
set-option -g default-shell /bin/zsh

# enable Vi style key binding
set-window-option -g mode-keys vi

Status Bar

Minimalistic monochrome status bar listing windows and the number of sessions …prefix + x toggles status bar

# hide status bar on start
#set -g status off
# hide the status bar (toggle)
bind x set -g status

set -g status-position top
set -g status-fg colour248 
set -g status-bg colour255
set -g status-right '#{prefix_highlight}'
set -g status-left '#[fg=colour254,bg=colour234,bold] #S #[fg=colour234,bg=colour254,nobold] >> '
set -g pane-border-style fg=colour253
set -g pane-active-border-style fg=colour233
set -g message-style fg=colour254,bg=default
set -g window-status-separator '  '
set -g window-status-format " #I:#W "
set -g window-status-current-format " #I:#W "
set -g window-status-style fg=colour245,bg=colour254
set -g window-status-current-style fg=colour254,bg=colour232,bold
set -g window-status-activity-style fg=colour243,bg=colour245

Usage

Command line tmux

…start terminal multiplexer…
…exit last terminal closes tmux
prefix + ? …show key binding

Panes

…split a window in multiple panes…

Configuration in tmux.conf…

# split the window horizontally
bind | split-window -h
unbind %

# split the window vertically
bind - split-window -v 
unbind '"'

Keys….

prefix + {hjkl} …select pane left|below|above|right
prefix + {HJKL} …resize pane left|down|up|right
prefix + | …split current pane horizontally
prefix + - …split current pane vertically
prefix + \ …split current pane full width horizontally
prefix + _ …split current pane full width vertically
prefix + p …close current pane
prefix + ! …convert current pain to window

Windows

Configuration in tmux.conf…

# start counting panes with 1 (instead of 0)
set -g base-index 1

# don't rename windows automatically
set-option -g allow-rename off

# ctrl-a ctrl-a switches to previous window
bind-key C-a last-window

Keys…

prefix + c …create a new window
prefix + , …rename window
prefix + n …next window
prefix + prefix …previous window
prefix + 1-9 …switch to window

Sessions

Command-line…

# show all sessions
tmux list-sessions

# create new session
tmux new -s <NAME>

# close sessions
tmux kill-session -t <NAME>

# attach to running session
tmux attach -t <NAME>

Keys…

prefix + s …show all sessions
:new -s <NAME> …create new session
prefix + $ …rename session
prefix + d …detach …active in background
prefix + (/prefix + ) …previous/next session

Copy Mode

Scroll, search, copy…

prefix + [ …enter copy mode
q or Esc …exit copy mode
…in copy mode
- …Vi-style keybinding for navigation
- prefix + / …start search
- n …next result
- N …previous result
- v or Space …start selection
- y or Enter …copy selection
- prefix + ] …paste selection

`tpm` Plugins

tpm & tmux-plugins hosted on GitHub – https://github.com/tmux-plugins …installed to $HOME/.tmux/plugins

# ...install the `tpm` if missing ...add to ~/.zshrc or ~/.bashrc
test -d ~/.tmux/plugins/tpm \
      || git clone -q https://github.com/tmux-plugins/tpm ~/.tmux/plugins/tpm

Configuration…

# ...configuration for indiviudal plugins

# plugins to install...
set -g @plugin 'tmux-plugins/tpm'
set -g @plugin 'tmux-plugins/tmux-yank'
set -g @plugin 'tmux-plugins/tmux-pain-control'
set -g @plugin 'tmux-plugins/tmux-prefix-highlight'
set -g @plugin 'tmux-plugins/tmux-copycat'
set -g @plugin 'tmux-plugins/tmux-open'

# initialize tmux plugin manager (keep this line at the very bottom of tmux.conf)
run -b '~/.tmux/plugins/tpm/tpm'

Usage …

prefix + I install plugins … in ~/.tmux/plugins/
prefix + U …update all plugins

Copycat, Yank and Open plugin…

prefix + / …regex search (strings work too)
prefix + Ctrl-u …url search (http, ftp and git urls)
prefix + Ctrl-f …file search
…during search…
- n …jumps to the next match
- N …jumps to the previous match
- o …open a highlighted selection
- Ctrl-o …open a highlighted selection with the $EDITOR
- S …search the highlighted selection with search engine
prefix + y …copy text from CLI to clipboard
prefix + Y …copy working directory to the clipboard

Prefix highlight…

…highlights when you press tmux prefix key
…add #{prefix_highlight} to status bar

--- title: Tmux - Terminal Multiplexer subtitle: Tabs & Split-panes in a Terminal categories: - Terminal date: 2014/05/17 date-modified: 2023/03/28 toc-expand: 2 --- `tmux` ...tmux Wiki -- <https://github.com/tmux/tmux/wiki>: - ...multiplex several separate shells inside a single terminal window - ...organises shells with **split panes and windows** - ...persistence keeps terminal sessions during logout until reconnect The Tao of tmux -- <https://leanpub.com/the-tao-of-tmux/read> (reading recommendation). ![`tmux` session with split panes and multiple windows (aka tabs).](tmux.png){width=95% } ## Configuration Configuration files... * `/etc/tmux.conf` ...system wide (all users) * `$HOME/.tmux.conf` ...user specific ### Basic Keys * Prefix key... * ...send commands to `tmux` * ...defaults `ctrl-b` * ...commonly **prefix set to `Ctrl-a`** (more comfortable) * `prefix + a` ...pass `ctrl-a` to shell * `prefix + r` ...reload configuration file ```sh # Use ctrl-a as default leader prefix unbind C-b set-option -g prefix C-a # ctrl-a a pass ctrl-a to the shell bind a send-prefix # reload user configuration file in active session unbind r bind r source-file ~/.tmux.conf \; display-message "Reload ~/.tmux.conf" ``` ### Shell, Vi-style & Colors * ...enable 256 color support * ...configure the **default shell to ZSH** * ...enable Vi-style key binding ```sh # enable full colour support set -g default-terminal "screen-256color" # start Zsh by default set-option -g default-shell /bin/zsh # enable Vi style key binding set-window-option -g mode-keys vi ``` ### Status Bar Minimalistic monochrome status bar listing windows and the number of sessions ...**`prefix + x` toggles status bar** ```sh # hide status bar on start #set -g status off # hide the status bar (toggle) bind x set -g status set -g status-position top set -g status-fg colour248 set -g status-bg colour255 set -g status-right '#{prefix_highlight}' set -g status-left '#[fg=colour254,bg=colour234,bold] #S #[fg=colour234,bg=colour254,nobold] >> ' set -g pane-border-style fg=colour253 set -g pane-active-border-style fg=colour233 set -g message-style fg=colour254,bg=default set -g window-status-separator ' ' set -g window-status-format " #I:#W " set -g window-status-current-format " #I:#W " set -g window-status-style fg=colour245,bg=colour254 set -g window-status-current-style fg=colour254,bg=colour232,bold set -g window-status-activity-style fg=colour243,bg=colour245 ``` ## Usage Command line `tmux` * ...start terminal multiplexer... * ...`exit` last terminal closes tmux * `prefix + ?` ...show key binding ### Panes ...split a window in multiple panes... Configuration in `tmux.conf`... ```sh # split the window horizontally bind | split-window -h unbind % # split the window vertically bind - split-window -v unbind '"' ``` Keys.... * `prefix + {hjkl}` ...select pane left|below|above|right * `prefix + {HJKL}` ...resize pane left|down|up|right * `prefix + |` ...split current pane horizontally * `prefix + -` ...split current pane vertically * `prefix + \` ...split current pane full width horizontally * `prefix + _` ...split current pane full width vertically * `prefix + p` ...close current pane * `prefix + !` ...convert current pain to window ### Windows Configuration in `tmux.conf`... ```sh # start counting panes with 1 (instead of 0) set -g base-index 1 # don't rename windows automatically set-option -g allow-rename off # ctrl-a ctrl-a switches to previous window bind-key C-a last-window ``` Keys... * `prefix + c` ...create a new window * `prefix + ,` ...rename window * `prefix + n` ...next window * `prefix + prefix` ...previous window * `prefix + 1-9` ...switch to window ### Sessions Command-line... ```sh # show all sessions tmux list-sessions # create new session tmux new -s <NAME> # close sessions tmux kill-session -t <NAME> # attach to running session tmux attach -t <NAME> ``` Keys... * `prefix + s` ...show all sessions * `:new -s <NAME>` ...create new session * `prefix + $` ...rename session * `prefix + d` ...**detach** ...active in background * `prefix + (`/`prefix + )` ...previous/next session ### Copy Mode Scroll, search, copy... * `prefix + [` ...enter copy mode * `q` or Esc ...exit copy mode * ...in copy mode * ...Vi-style keybinding for navigation * `prefix + /` ...start search * `n` ...next result * `N` ...previous result * `v` or Space ...start selection * `y` or Enter ...copy selection * `prefix + ]` ...paste selection ## `tpm` Plugins tpm & tmux-plugins hosted on GitHub -- <https://github.com/tmux-plugins> ...installed to `$HOME/.tmux/plugins` \ ```sh # ...install the `tpm` if missing ...add to ~/.zshrc or ~/.bashrc test -d ~/.tmux/plugins/tpm \ || git clone -q https://github.com/tmux-plugins/tpm ~/.tmux/plugins/tpm ``` Configuration... ```sh # ...configuration for indiviudal plugins # plugins to install... set -g @plugin 'tmux-plugins/tpm' set -g @plugin 'tmux-plugins/tmux-yank' set -g @plugin 'tmux-plugins/tmux-pain-control' set -g @plugin 'tmux-plugins/tmux-prefix-highlight' set -g @plugin 'tmux-plugins/tmux-copycat' set -g @plugin 'tmux-plugins/tmux-open' # initialize tmux plugin manager (keep this line at the very bottom of tmux.conf) run -b '~/.tmux/plugins/tpm/tpm' ``` Usage ... * **`prefix + I` install plugins** ... in `~/.tmux/plugins/` * `prefix + U` ...update all plugins Copycat, Yank and Open plugin... * `prefix + /` ...regex search (strings work too) * `prefix + Ctrl-u` ...url search (http, ftp and git urls) * `prefix + Ctrl-f` ...file search * ...during search... * `n` ...jumps to the next match * `N` ...jumps to the previous match * `o` ...open a highlighted selection * `Ctrl-o` ...open a highlighted selection with the `$EDITOR` * `S` ...search the highlighted selection with search engine * `prefix + y` ...copy text from CLI to clipboard * `prefix + Y` ...copy working directory to the clipboard Prefix highlight... * ...highlights when you press tmux prefix key * ...add `#{prefix_highlight}` to status bar