TMUX

Created: 2025-11-30
Updated: 2025-11-30

Comprehensive TMUX notes including essential commands and configuration. Check out my dotfiles for complete development environment configs.

Useful Command

TPM

  • Install Plugins: <prefix> I
  • Update Plugins: <prefix> U
  • Remove Plugins: <prefix> opt u
  • Remove Plugins: ~/.tmux/plugins/tpm/bin/clean_plugins

Sessions

  • Create New Session: tmux / tmux new -s {newSessionName} / <prefix> :new -s {newSessionName}
  • Rename: <prefix> $
  • List Session: tmux ls / <prefix> s
  • List Session and Windows: <preifx> w
  • Switch Session:
    • <prefix> ): next session
    • <prefix> (: previous session
  • Attach: tmux a / tmux a -t {SessionName}
  • Detach: <prefix> d
  • Kill: tmux kill-session -t {SessionName} / <prefix> :kill-session

Windows

  • Create New Window: <prefix> c
  • Rename: <prefix> ,
  • Toggle Last Active Window: <prefix> l
  • Switch Windows:
    • <prefix> {number}
    • <prefix> n: next window
    • <prefix> p: previous window
  • Swap Windows: <prefix> :swap-window -s {number} -t {number}
  • Close Window: <prefix> &

Panes

  • Split Pane Horizontally: <prefix> %
  • Split Pane Vertically: <prefix> "
  • Toggle Last Active Pane: <prefix> ;
  • Switch Pane:
    • <prefix> {arrowKeys ← → ↑ ↓ }
    • <prefix> q + {number}
  • Swap Panes: <prefix> { and <prefix> }
  • FullScreen a Pane: <prefix> z
  • Resize Pane: <prefix> <C-{hjkl}> as vim
  • Turn Pane to Window: <prefix> !
  • Close Pane: <prefix> x
  • Merge W1 as Panes in W0: <prefix> :join-pane -s 1 -t 0
  • Move Pane from W0P1 to W1P2: <prefix> :join-pane -s 0.0 -t 1.2

Install

Bash
brew install tmux

TPM := TMUX Plugin Manager

Installation

Bash
git clone https://github.com/tmux-plugins/tpm ~/.tmux/plugins/tpm
mkdir ~/.config/tmux
touch ~/.config/tmux/tmux.conf
vim ~/.config/tmux/tmux.conf
  • edit ~/.config/tmux/tmux.conf
    Bash
    # List of plugins
set -g @plugin 'tmux-plugins/tpm'
set -g @plugin 'tmux-plugins/tmux-sensible'

# Other examples:
# set -g @plugin 'github_username/plugin_name'
# set -g @plugin 'github_username/plugin_name#branch'
# set -g @plugin 'git@github.com:user/plugin'
# set -g @plugin 'git@bitbucket.com:user/plugin'

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

My TMUX config

Bash
# NOTE: Use <leader><S-I> to install plugins

set -g @plugin 'tmux-plugins/tpm'
set -g @plugin 'tmux-plugins/tmux-sensible'
set -g @plugin 'christoomey/vim-tmux-navigator'

set -g @plugin 'tmux-plugins/tmux-resurrect' # persist tmux sessions after computer restart
set -g @plugin 'tmux-plugins/tmux-continuum'
set -g @resurrect-capture-pane-contents 'on'
set -g @continuum-restore 'on'
# set -g @continuum-save-interval '15' # automatically saves sessions for you every 15 minutes
### use prefix + Ctrl-s to save manually
### use prefix + Ctrl-r to restore manually

set-option -g default-terminal "tmux-256color"
set-option -ga terminal-overrides ",*:RGB"
set-option -g default-shell "/bin/zsh"
set-option -g default-command "${SHELL} -li"

set-option -g status-position top
set-option -g mouse on
set-option -g set-clipboard on
set-option -g focus-events on
set-option -s escape-time 0

# Set prefix to Ctrl-Space
set-option -g prefix C-Space
unbind-key C-b
bind-key C-Space send-prefix

# Make index start from 1
set -g base-index 1
setw -g pane-base-index 1

# Refresh tmux setting
unbind-key r
bind-key r source-file ~/.tmux.conf

set-window-option -g mode-keys vi
bind-key -T copy-mode-vi 'v' send -X begin-selection    # start selecting text with "v"
bind-key -T copy-mode-vi 'y' send -X copy-selection     # copy text with "y"
unbind-key -T copy-mode-vi MouseDragEnd1Pane # don't exit copy mode when dragging with mouse

#
# Keymaps
#

# Create new panes and windows with current path, Split window
bind c new-window -c "#{pane_current_path}"
unbind-key %
bind-key | split-window -h -c "#{pane_current_path}"
unbind-key '"'
bind-key - split-window -c "#{pane_current_path}"

# window movement
bind-key < swap-window -t -1
bind-key > swap-window -t +1

# Adjust pane size
unbind-key j
unbind-key k
unbind-key h
unbind-key l

bind-key -r J resize-pane -D 1
bind-key -r K resize-pane -U 1
bind-key -r H resize-pane -L 2
bind-key -r L resize-pane -R 2
bind-key -r m resize-pane -Z

bind-key h previous-window
bind-key l next-window
bind-key j last-window

# use "<leader>u" to toggle pane below
bind-key u run-shell "pane_count=\$(tmux list-panes | wc -l | tr -d ' '); \
if [ \"\$pane_count\" -eq 1 ]; then \
    tmux split-window -c \"#{pane_current_path}\" -l 10; \
elif [ \"\$(tmux display-message -p '#{window_zoomed_flag}')\" = \"1\" ]; then \
    tmux resize-pane -Z; \
    tmux select-pane -D; \
else \
    tmux select-pane -U; \
    tmux resize-pane -Z; \
fi"


#
# Themes
#
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 "#78a2c1"
set -g @nova-pane-border-style "#4c566a"
set -g @nova-status-style-bg "#4c566a"
set -g @nova-status-style-fg "#d8dee9"
set -g @nova-status-style-active-bg "#89c0d0"
set -g @nova-status-style-active-fg "#2e3540"
set -g @nova-status-style-double-bg "#2d3540"

set -g @nova-pane "#I.#W"

set -g @nova-segment-mode " #S"
set -g @nova-segment-mode-colors "#{?client_prefix,#ffd182,#78a2c1} #2e3440"

if-shell "[ $(uname) = 'Darwin' ]" \
  "set -g @nova-segment-custom ' '" \
  "set -g @nova-segment-custom ' '"
set -g @nova-segment-custom-colors "#89c0d0 #2e3440"

if-shell "[ $(uname) = 'Darwin' ]" \
  "set -g @nova-segment-whoami '#{#{=/-32/…:#{s|/Users/$USER|~|:#{pane_current_path}}}}'" \
  "set -g @nova-segment-whoami '#{#{=/-32/…:#{s|/home/$USER|~|:#{pane_current_path}}}}'"
set -g @nova-segment-whoami-colors "#78a2c1 #2e3440"

set -g @nova-rows 0
set -g @nova-segments-0-left "mode"
set -g @nova-segments-0-right "custom whoami"


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