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Ch1

Chapter 1 : Learning the Basics🔗

Installation🔗

  • mac : brew install tmux
  • On linux : build from source.
sudo apt-get install build-essential libevent-dev libncurses-dev
tmux -zxvf tmux-2.6.tar.gz
cd tmux-2.6
./configure
make
sudo make install
  • On windows : don’t know and won’t try :) jk Use above steps in a WSL environment.

Starting/Exiting Tmux

  • To start tmux : tmux
  • To exit tmux : exit
  • Creating a named session : tmux new-session -s basic
  • or shorter version of above command tmux new -s basic

The Command Prefix🔗

CTRL-b is default command prefix for tmux which sends signal to tmux to act on keys pressed subsequently rather than the running program in session.

Although it is fine binding but I like to change it to CTRL-a. This is default binding on gnu's screen (father of tmux).

Try <C-b>t : this should display time.

Detaching/Attaching Sessions🔗

  • Create a new session : tmux new -s basic
  • Run an application : top or htop
  • To detach from the tmux session : PREFIX d
  • To list sessions running : tmux list-sessions or tmux ls
  • For attaching in case of only one session : tmux a or tmux attach
  • Create a new session : tmux new -s second_session -d (-d flag starts it in detached state)
  • Now to attach a specific session : tmux a -t basic
  • To kill a session : tmux kill-session -t basic

Working with Windows🔗

  • Naming a window shell : tmux new -s windows -n shell
  • Creating a new window : PREFIX c, and execute top
  • Renaming the window : PREFIX ,

Moving Between Windows

  • To go to next window : PREFIX n
  • To go to previous window : PREFIX p
  • To go to nth window : PREFIX n
  • To display visual menu of window : PREFIX w
  • To search window that contains some text : PREFIX f
  • To close a window : exit or PREFIX &

Working with Panes🔗

  • To horizontal split panes : PREFIX %
  • To vertical split panes : PREFIX "
  • To cycle thru panes : PREFIX o or PREFIX UP/DOWN/LEFT/RIGHT

Pane Layouts

Default Pane Layouts : To cycle : PREFIX SPACEBAR

  1. even-horizontal
  2. even-vertical
  3. main-horizontal
  4. main-vertical
  5. Tiled

Closing Panes

PREFIX x or exit

Working with Command Mode🔗

Invoking command mode : PREFIX :

Then execute following commands

  • new-window -n console
  • new-window -n processes "top" (Note : window will close when you exit top)
  • For help PREFIX ?