Window Commands

Commands for creating, managing, and manipulating tmux windows

Overview

Windows are the primary containers within a tmux session. Each session has one or more windows, and windows may be linked to multiple sessions. Windows are made up of one or more panes.

new-window

Alias: neww

new-window [-abdkPS] [-c start-directory] [-e environment] [-F format] 
           [-n window-name] [-t target-window] [shell-command [argument ...]]

Create a new window.

-a · flag

Insert the new window at the next index after the specified target-window, moving windows up if necessary.

-b · flag

Insert the new window at the next index before the specified target-window.

-d · flag

Do not make the new window the current window.

-k · flag

If the target window exists, destroy it before creating the new window.

-P · flag

Print information about the new window after it has been created. Default format is #{session_name}:#{window_index} but can be changed with -F.

-S · flag

Set synchronized-panes on for the new window.

-c · string

Specify the working directory for the new window.

-e · string

Set an environment variable for the new window in the form VARIABLE=value. May be specified multiple times.

-F · string

Format for output when -P is used.

-n · string

Name for the new window.

-t · string

The target window position. If it doesn’t exist, the new window is created at the next free index.

shell-command · string

Shell command to execute in the new window. If not specified, the default command is used.

kill-window

Alias: killw

kill-window [-a] [-t target-window]

Destroy the given window.

-a · flag

Kill all windows except the specified one.

-t · string

The target window to destroy.

select-window

Alias: selectw

select-window [-lnpT] [-t target-window]

Select a window. Makes the window the current window in the session.

-l · flag

Select the last (previously selected) window.

-n · flag

Select the next window.

-p · flag

Select the previous window.

-T · flag

If the window is already the current window, select the last window.

-t · string

The target window to select.

list-windows

Alias: lsw

list-windows [-a] [-r] [-F format] [-f filter] [-O sort-order] [-t target-session]

List windows. By default, lists windows in the current session.

-a · flag

List all windows across all sessions.

-r · flag

Reverse the sort order.

-F · string

Specify the format of each line.

-f · string

Only show windows for which the filter is true.

-O · string

Specify sort order: index, name, creation (time), or activity (time).

-t · string

List windows in the target session.

rename-window

Alias: renamew

rename-window [-t target-window] new-name

Rename the window to new-name.

-t · string

The target window to rename.

new-name · string · required

The new name for the window.

move-window

Alias: movew

move-window [-abdkr] [-s src-window] [-t dst-window]

Move or link a window to another location.

-a · flag

Move the window to the next index after dst-window.

-b · flag

Move the window to the next index before dst-window.

-d · flag

Do not make the moved window the current window.

-k · flag

If dst-window exists, destroy it before moving or linking.

-r · flag

Renumber windows in the session in sequential order.

-s · string

The source window to move.

-t · string

The destination window position.

link-window

Alias: linkw

link-window [-abdk] [-s src-window] [-t dst-window]

Link a window from one session into another. Links create a window that appears in multiple sessions.

-a · flag

Link the window at the next index after dst-window.

-b · flag

Link the window at the next index before dst-window.

-d · flag

Do not make the linked window the current window.

-k · flag

If dst-window exists, destroy it before linking.

-s · string

The source window to link.

-t · string

The destination window position.

unlink-window

Alias: unlinkw

unlink-window [-k] [-t target-window]

Unlink a window from the current session. If the window is only linked to one session, it is destroyed.

-k · flag

Kill the window if it is only present in one session.

-t · string

The target window to unlink.

swap-window

Alias: swapw

swap-window [-d] [-s src-window] [-t dst-window]

Swap two windows.

-d · flag

Do not make the swapped window the current window.

-s · string

The source window.

-t · string

The destination window.

rotate-window

Alias: rotatew

rotate-window [-DUZ] [-t target-window]

Rotate the panes in the window. All panes are moved around one position.

-D · flag

Rotate downward (the last pane becomes the first).

-U · flag

Rotate upward (the first pane becomes the last).

-Z · flag

Keep the window zoomed if it was zoomed.

-t · string

The target window.

respawn-window

Alias: respawnw

respawn-window [-c start-directory] [-e environment] [-k] [-t target-window] 
               [shell-command [argument ...]]

Reactivate a window where the command has exited.

-c · string

Specify the working directory for the command.

-e · string

Set an environment variable in the form VARIABLE=value. May be specified multiple times.

-k · flag

Kill the existing command if it is still running.

-t · string

The target window to respawn.

shell-command · string

Shell command to execute. If not specified, the command used when the window was created is reused.

find-window

Alias: findw

find-window [-iCNrTZ] [-t target-pane] match-string

Search for windows with names, titles, or visible content matching match-string.

-i · flag

Ignore case when matching.

-C · flag

Match only visible window contents.

-N · flag

Match only window names.

-r · flag

Match match-string as a regular expression.

-T · flag

Match only window titles.

-Z · flag

Zoom the pane.

-t · string

The target pane for displaying results.

match-string · string · required

The string or pattern to search for.

last-window

Alias: last

last-window [-t target-session]

Select the last (previously selected) window.

-t · string

The target session.

next-window

Alias: next

next-window [-a] [-t target-session]

Select the next window in the session.

-a · flag

Move to the next window with an alert (bell, activity, or silence).

-t · string

The target session.

previous-window

Alias: prev

previous-window [-a] [-t target-session]

Select the previous window in the session.

-a · flag

Move to the previous window with an alert.

-t · string

The target session.