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2023-05-01
Tmux is a terminal multiplexer that is allows to split a terminal window into multiple panes and add multiple virtual windows within a single tmux session.
On top of that tmux allows you to detach from a session and reconnect later. Sessions are preserved until the system reboots. Multiple sessions can be managed and switched between.
Panes live inside a single window. Windows live inside a single session.
The session preservation feature makes tmux extremely useful when connecting to remote computers: Combinations of windows and panes — for example for different users on that computer — can be created and arranged once, then detached and attached to as needed. All over one single SSH connection.
Long-running processes are safe from disconnects since tmux keeps them running even if your SSH connection drops.
The panes feature isn't very useful for me since I'm using a tiling window manager to begin with. Having multiple virtual windows per session saves on screenspace though. But the killer feature for me comes with the plugins ‘continuum’ and ‘resurrect’: If configured just right, they will …well… resurrect all applications that were running in the windows and panes, even across system reboots.
On my desktop I use this to preserve pane tilings and launch apps that I'll inevitably use anyway, like my mail client, gemini space reader, matrix client, ncmpcpp music client… it is _so_ convenient.
On my selfhosted server I use it to have ready-made login shells for common users.
In the command list below, those command marked with a * are customized.
tmux Getting Started wiki page
awesome tmux - list of howtos, plugins, themes
| command | description | | ---------------------------------- | -------------------------------------| | tmux | start a new unnamed session | | tmux new -s docker | start a new session named docker | | tmux ls | lists available sessions | | tmux attach -t [name] | re-attach to existing session [name] | | tmux rename-session -t [old] [new] | renames a session | | tmux kill-session -t [name] | kills a session and everything in it |
| keybind | description | | -------------------- | -------------------------------------------------- | | <prefix> ? | show keybinds | | <prefix> : | open the command prompt |
| keybind | description | | ---------------------- | ------------------------------------------------ | | <prefix> b * | create a new pane to the right of current | | <prefix> v * | create a new pane below the current | | <prefix> hljk * | navigate between panes | | <prefix> Ctrl-[CURSOR] | resize pane | | <prefix> x | close current pane | | <prefix> z | zoom / unzoom current pane | | exit | exit current pane / window when last pane |
| keybind | description | | -------------------- | -------------------------------------------------- | | <prefix> c | create a new window | | <prefix> [n] | switch to window [n] inside current session | | <prefix> , | rename current window | | <prefix> & | close current window | | <prefix> w | list windows | | <prefix> p | move to previous window | | <prefix> n | move to next window | | <prefix> a * | toggle to last active window | | <prefix> . | move a window (use numeric indexes or cursor keys) |
| keybind | description | | -------------------- | -------------------------------------------------- | | <prefix> s | switch to a different session from a list | | <prefix> d | detach from current session | | <prefix> $ | rename session | | <prefix> ( | move to previous session | | <prefix> ) | move to next session |
Tmux has strong plugin support. It all starts with the tmux plugin manager:
To add new plugins, add them to your tmux.conf file and press Ctrl-b I to load new plugins.
Tmux reads config options from ~/.tmux.conf or my personal preference ~/.config/tmux/tmux.conf but _only_ when the server is started, not when a new session is created or attached to. My config file looks like this:
#---- remap prefix key to Ctrl-a --------------------------
unbind C-b
set-option -g prefix C-a
bind-key C-a send-prefix
#---- enable mouse control --------------------------------
set -g mouse on
#---- start window numbering from 1, not 0 ----------------
set -g base-index 1
#---- set 256 color space ---------------------------------
set-option -g default-terminal "xterm-256color"
set-option -ga terminal-overrides ',xterm-256color:Tc'
#---- keybinds --------------------------------------------
# pane creation same as SwayWM
bind-key -T prefix v split-window
bind-key -T prefix b split-window -h
# pane navigation same as vim
bind-key -T prefix h select-pane -L
bind-key -T prefix l select-pane -R
bind-key -T prefix j select-pane -D
bind-key -T prefix k select-pane -U
# left-/right-shift windows in a session by one
bind-key -r "<" swap-window -d -t -1
bind-key -r ">" swap-window -d -t +1
#---- resurrection ----------------------------------------
set -g @continuum-restore on
set -g @resurrect-capture-pane-contents "on"
# declare additional applications as safe for resurrection
set -g @resurrect-processes "amfora ncmpcpp w3m"
#---- theme and styling -----------------------------------
# using nova theme customization to make it look like tokyo night
# since the tokyo night theme isn't working for me
set -g @plugin "o0th/tmux-nova"
set -g @nova-nerdfonts true
set -g @nova-nerdfonts-left
set -g @nova-nerdfonts-right
set -g @nova-pane-active-border-style "#7da6ff"
set -g @nova-pane-border-style "#444b6a"
set -g @nova-status-style-bg "#32344a"
set -g @nova-status-style-fg "#787c99"
set -g @nova-status-style-active-bg "#449dab"
set -g @nova-status-style-active-fg "#32344a"
set -g @nova-status-style-double-bg "#acb0d0"
set -g @nova-pane "#I#{?pane_in_mode, #{pane_mode},} #W"
set -g @nova-segment-mode "#S #{?client_prefix,Ω,ω}"
set -g @nova-segment-mode-colors "#ad8ee6 #32344a"
set -g @nova-segment-whoami "#(whoami)@#h"
set -g @nova-segment-whoami-colors "#ad8ee6 #32344a"
set -g @nova-rows 0
set -g @nova-segments-0-left "mode"
set -g @nova-segments-0-right "whoami"
# list of plugins
set -g @plugin "tmux-plugins/tpm"
set -g @plugin "tmux-plugins/tmux-sensible"
set -g @plugin "tmux-plugins/tmux-resurrect"
set -g @plugin "tmux-plugins/tmux-continuum"
#---- initialize TMUX plugin manager ----------------------
# (keep this line at the very bottom of tmux.conf)
run "~/.config/tmux/plugins/tpm/tpm"
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