> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/tmux/tmux/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Styles and Colors

> Configure colors, styles, and visual appearance in tmux

tmux provides extensive color and styling capabilities for customizing the visual appearance of the status line, panes, borders, and more.

## Color Support

From colour.c:45-88, tmux supports multiple color systems:

### Color Formats

| Format       | Example                       | Description             |
| ------------ | ----------------------------- | ----------------------- |
| **Named**    | `red`, `blue`, `green`        | Basic 16-color names    |
| **Bright**   | `brightred`, `brightblue`     | Bright variants (90-97) |
| **Indexed**  | `colour0` through `colour255` | 256-color palette       |
| **RGB**      | `#ff0000`, `#abc`             | True color RGB values   |
| **Default**  | `default`                     | Terminal default color  |
| **Terminal** | `terminal`                    | Current terminal color  |

### Basic Colors (0-15)

From colour.c:144-181, these are the standard color names:

```bash theme={null}
# Basic 8 colors (0-7)
black, red, green, yellow, blue, magenta, cyan, white

# Bright colors (90-97, or 8-15 in 256 mode)
brightblack, brightred, brightgreen, brightyellow
brightblue, brightmagenta, brightcyan, brightwhite

# Special colors
default      # Terminal default (8)
terminal     # Current terminal setting (9)
```

### 256 Color Palette

```bash theme={null}
# Use colour0 through colour255
set -g status-bg colour235
set -g status-fg colour254

# Or use color (American spelling)
set -g status-bg color235
```

The 256-color palette includes:

* Colors 0-15: Standard terminal colors
* Colors 16-231: 6×6×6 RGB cube
* Colors 232-255: Grayscale ramp

### RGB Colors

From colour.c:234-242, RGB colors support hex notation:

```bash theme={null}
# Full hex notation
set -g status-bg "#1a1a1a"
set -g pane-active-border-style "fg=#ff5500"

# RGB notation
set -g status-bg "rgb:ff/00/00"

# Decimal notation
set -g status-bg "255,0,0"
```

### X11 Color Names

From colour.c:399-1006, tmux supports X11 color names:

```bash theme={null}
set -g status-bg "DarkSlateGray"
set -g status-fg "LightSteelBlue"
set -g pane-active-border-style "fg=CornflowerBlue"
```

Examples: `AliceBlue`, `AntiqueWhite`, `DarkOliveGreen`, `MediumPurple`, `PaleVioletRed`

### Grayscale

From colour.c:989-1000, grayscale colors:

```bash theme={null}
# Named grays (grey0-grey100 or gray0-gray100)
set -g status-bg grey20
set -g status-fg grey80

# Equivalent to RGB with equal components
set -g status-bg "#333333"  # grey20
```

## Style Syntax

From style.c:59-252, styles are specified as comma-separated attributes:

### Basic Style Format

```bash theme={null}
# Format: attribute[,attribute,...]
set -g status-style "fg=colour,bg=colour,attribute"
```

### Foreground and Background

```bash theme={null}
# Foreground color
fg=red
fg=colour208
fg=#ff5500

# Background color  
bg=black
bg=colour235
bg=#1a1a1a

# Underscore/underline color (if supported)
us=blue
us=#0000ff
```

### Text Attributes

From style.c:217-241, available text attributes:

```bash theme={null}
# Single attributes
bright      # Bold/bright text
bold        # Bold text
dim         # Dim/faint text
underscore  # Underlined text
underline   # Underlined text (alias)
blink       # Blinking text
reverse     # Reverse video
hidden      # Hidden text
italics     # Italic text
strikethrough # Strikethrough text

# Special attributes
none        # No attributes
noattr      # Clear all attributes
default     # Use default style

# Negate attributes (remove specific attribute)
nobright, nobold, nodim, nounderscore, noblink
noitalics, nostrikethrough, noreverse, nohidden
```

### Combined Styles

```bash theme={null}
# Multiple attributes
set -g status-style "fg=white,bg=black,bold"
set -g window-status-current-style "fg=black,bg=green,bold,underscore"

# Complex styles
set -g pane-border-style "fg=colour240,bg=default,dim"
```

## Style Options

### Status Line Styles

```bash theme={null}
# Overall status line
set -g status-style "bg=green,fg=black"

# Status line sections
set -g status-left-style "bg=blue,fg=white,bold"
set -g status-right-style "bg=yellow,fg=black"
```

### Window Status Styles

```bash theme={null}
# Default window style
set -g window-status-style "fg=colour240"

# Current/active window
set -g window-status-current-style "bg=colour235,fg=colour15,bold"

# Last visited window
set -g window-status-last-style "fg=colour208"

# Window with activity
set -g window-status-activity-style "bg=colour235,fg=colour208"

# Window with bell
set -g window-status-bell-style "bg=colour235,fg=colour196,blink"
```

### Pane Styles

```bash theme={null}
# Pane borders
set -g pane-border-style "fg=colour240"
set -g pane-active-border-style "fg=colour208"

# From example_tmux.conf and options-table.c:1270-1276
set -g pane-active-border-style "#{?pane_in_mode,fg=yellow,#{?synchronize-panes,fg=red,fg=green}}"

# Pane content styles
set -g window-style "bg=colour235"
set -g window-active-style "bg=colour234"
```

### Message Styles

```bash theme={null}
# Command prompt and messages
set -g message-style "bg=yellow,fg=black"

# Command mode (vi mode)
set -g message-command-style "bg=black,fg=yellow"
```

### Mode Styles

```bash theme={null}
# Copy mode and other modes
set -g mode-style "bg=yellow,fg=black"

# Copy mode specific
set -g copy-mode-match-style "bg=cyan,fg=black"
set -g copy-mode-current-match-style "bg=magenta,fg=black"
set -g copy-mode-mark-style "bg=red,fg=black"
```

## Color Conversion

From colour.c:298-396, tmux can convert between color formats:

### RGB to 256 Color

The `colour_find_rgb()` function converts RGB to closest 256-color:

```c theme={null}
// Maps RGB to 6x6x6 color cube or 24-step grayscale
// Colors 0x00, 0x5f, 0x87, 0xaf, 0xd7, 0xff for cube
// Grayscale: 8, 18, 28... 238 for grays
```

### 256 to RGB

From colour.c:299-370, the color table converts 256 colors to RGB:

```bash theme={null}
# These are equivalent:
colour1    # Maps to 0x800000 (RGB)
red        # Standard red
```

### 256 to 16 Color

From colour.c:372-396, tmux can map 256 colors to basic 16:

```bash theme={null}
# For terminals that only support 16 colors
# colour1 through colour255 map to 0-15
```

## Advanced Style Features

From style.c:105-242, tmux supports advanced styling:

### Alignment

```bash theme={null}
# Text alignment in status line
align=left
align=centre
align=right
align=absolute-centre
```

### Range Coloring

```bash theme={null}
# Color specific ranges
range=left       # Status left section
range=right      # Status right section  
range=window|N   # Specific window index
range=pane|%N    # Specific pane ID
range=session|$N # Specific session ID
```

### Fill Color

```bash theme={null}
# Fill color for unused space
fill=colour235
```

### List Styling

```bash theme={null}
# For window/pane lists
list=on          # Enable list styling
list=focus       # Focus item styling
list=left-marker # Left marker
list=right-marker # Right marker
```

### Style Stack

```bash theme={null}
# Push/pop default styles
push-default     # Save current default
pop-default      # Restore saved default
set-default      # Set new default
```

## Color Schemes

### Dark Theme Example

```bash theme={null}
# From example configuration patterns
set -g status-style "bg=colour235,fg=colour15"
set -g pane-border-style "fg=colour240"
set -g pane-active-border-style "fg=colour208"
set -g window-status-style "fg=colour240"
set -g window-status-current-style "bg=colour238,fg=colour15,bold"
set -g message-style "bg=colour238,fg=colour15"
set -g mode-style "bg=colour238,fg=colour15"
```

### Light Theme Example

```bash theme={null}
set -g status-style "bg=colour254,fg=colour235"
set -g pane-border-style "fg=colour250"
set -g pane-active-border-style "fg=colour33"
set -g window-status-style "fg=colour240"
set -g window-status-current-style "bg=colour231,fg=colour33,bold"
set -g message-style "bg=colour231,fg=colour33"
set -g mode-style "bg=colour231,fg=colour33"
```

### Solarized Dark

```bash theme={null}
# Solarized dark colors
set -g status-style "bg=#002b36,fg=#93a1a1"
set -g pane-border-style "fg=#073642"
set -g pane-active-border-style "fg=#268bd2"
set -g window-status-style "fg=#586e75"
set -g window-status-current-style "bg=#073642,fg=#268bd2,bold"
set -g message-style "bg=#073642,fg=#268bd2"
```

### Nord Theme

```bash theme={null}
# Nord color scheme
set -g status-style "bg=#2e3440,fg=#d8dee9"
set -g pane-border-style "fg=#3b4252"
set -g pane-active-border-style "fg=#88c0d0"
set -g window-status-style "fg=#4c566a"
set -g window-status-current-style "bg=#3b4252,fg=#88c0d0,bold"
set -g message-style "bg=#3b4252,fg=#88c0d0"
```

## Terminal Compatibility

### Checking Color Support

```bash theme={null}
# Set terminal features for RGB color
set -sa terminal-features ",xterm-256color:RGB"

# Override terminal capabilities
set -sa terminal-overrides ",xterm-256color:Tc"

# Set default terminal
set -g default-terminal "tmux-256color"
```

### Terminal Feature Flags

From options-table.c:524-534:

```bash theme={null}
# Terminal features
terminal-features "xterm*:clipboard:ccolour:cstyle:focus:title"

# Features:
# RGB - True color support
# clipboard - Clipboard support
# ccolour - Cursor color
# cstyle - Cursor style  
# focus - Focus events
# title - Window title setting
```

## Cursor Styling

From options-table.c:62-65 and 326-339:

```bash theme={null}
# Cursor style (one of):
set -g cursor-style default
set -g cursor-style blinking-block
set -g cursor-style block  
set -g cursor-style blinking-underline
set -g cursor-style underline
set -g cursor-style blinking-bar
set -g cursor-style bar

# Cursor color
set -g cursor-colour red
set -g cursor-colour "#ff0000"

# Prompt cursor
set -g prompt-cursor-colour blue
set -g prompt-cursor-style blinking-block
```

## Palette Override

From colour.c:1125-1157, you can override the color palette:

```bash theme={null}
# Override specific palette colors
set -g pane-colours[1] "#ff0000"   # Override color 1
set -g pane-colours[2] "#00ff00"   # Override color 2
```

## Display Panes Colors

```bash theme={null}
# Colors for display-panes indicator
set -g display-panes-colour blue           # Inactive panes
set -g display-panes-active-colour red     # Active pane
set -g display-panes-time 1000             # Display time (ms)
```

## Style Testing

Test colors and styles:

```bash theme={null}
# Show current styles
show -g status-style
show -w window-status-current-style

# Test with temporary changes
set -g status-style "bg=red,fg=white" \; \
  display "Testing..." \; \
  run "sleep 2" \; \
  set -g status-style "bg=green,fg=black"
```

## Style Best Practices

<Steps>
  <Step title="Use consistent color palette">
    Choose 4-6 colors and use them consistently throughout your configuration
  </Step>

  <Step title="Ensure readability">
    Test foreground/background combinations for sufficient contrast
  </Step>

  <Step title="Consider terminal support">
    Not all terminals support all features (RGB, italics, etc.)
  </Step>

  <Step title="Use semantic colors">
    Use colors that convey meaning (red for errors, green for success)
  </Step>

  <Step title="Test in different lighting">
    Verify your color scheme works in both bright and dim environments
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  RGB color support requires a terminal that supports true color and proper `terminal-features` or `terminal-overrides` configuration.
</Note>

<Tip>
  Use format variables to create dynamic styles that change based on tmux state:

  ```bash theme={null}
  set -g pane-active-border-style "#{?pane_in_mode,fg=yellow,fg=green}"
  ```
</Tip>