Basic Usage

Day-to-day workflows and common patterns for using tmux

Starting tmux

The simplest way to start tmux is to run it without any arguments:

$ tmux

This creates a new session with a single window. When tmux is started, it:

• Creates a new session with a single window
• Displays a status line at the bottom showing session information
• Starts your default shell in the window

Creating Named Sessions

It’s useful to name your sessions for easier management:

$ tmux new-session -s myproject
$ tmux new -s myproject  # Short form

The Prefix Key

tmux is controlled using a key combination of a prefix key followed by a command key. The default prefix is C-b (Ctrl-b).

To send a command to tmux, press the prefix key first, release it, then press the command key.

Common Commands

After pressing the prefix key (C-b), you can use these commands:

Key	Action
?	List all key bindings
:	Enter the tmux command prompt
d	Detach from the current session
c	Create a new window
[	Enter copy mode
]	Paste the most recently copied text

Sessions

A session is a single collection of pseudo terminals under tmux management. Sessions persist even when you disconnect.

Windows

Each session has one or more windows. A window occupies the entire screen and may be split into panes.

Window Navigation

Keys	Action
C-b c	Create a new window
C-b n	Move to the next window
C-b p	Move to the previous window
C-b l	Move to the previously selected window
C-b 0-9	Select windows 0 to 9
C-b '	Prompt for window index to select
C-b w	Choose window interactively
C-b f	Prompt to search for text in open windows

Window Management

# Create a window with a name
tmux new-window -n editor

# Rename the current window
tmux rename-window -t 0 database

# Kill the current window
tmux kill-window -t 2

Or use key bindings:

• C-b , - Rename the current window
• C-b & - Kill the current window (with confirmation)

Basic Panes

Panes allow you to divide a window into multiple sections.

Creating Panes

Keys	Action
C-b "	Split the current pane horizontally (top and bottom)
C-b %	Split the current pane vertically (left and right)

Navigating Panes

Keys	Action
C-b o	Select the next pane
C-b ;	Move to the previously active pane
C-b Up/Down/Left/Right	Change to the pane in that direction
C-b q	Briefly display pane indexes

The Command Prompt

Press C-b : to enter the command prompt. This allows you to run any tmux command interactively.

Examples:

# Create a new window with a specific name
:new-window -n logs

# Set a session option
:set-option -g status-style bg=cyan

# Show all options
:show-options -g

Getting Help

Key Bindings

Press C-b ? to see a list of all key bindings.

Command List

$ tmux list-commands
$ tmux lscm  # Short form

Manual Page

$ man tmux

Configuration File

tmux loads configuration from:

1. /etc/tmux.conf (system-wide, if present)
2. ~/.tmux.conf or $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/tmux/tmux.conf (user-specific)

The configuration file contains tmux commands executed when the server starts.

Basic Configuration Example

# Change prefix from C-b to C-a
set-option -g prefix C-a
unbind-key C-b
bind-key C-a send-prefix

# Start window numbering at 1
set-option -g base-index 1

# Enable mouse support
set-option -g mouse on

# Increase history limit
set-option -g history-limit 5000

# Customize status bar
set-option -g status-style bg=blue,fg=white

Reloading Configuration

After editing your configuration file:

tmux source-file ~/.tmux.conf

Or bind it to a key in your config:

bind-key R source-file ~/.tmux.conf \; \
    display-message "Configuration reloaded"

Then press C-b R to reload.

Common Workflows

Development Session

Create a development environment with multiple windows:

# Create a new session
tmux new-session -s dev -n editor

# Create additional windows
tmux new-window -n console
tmux new-window -n server

# Split panes as needed
tmux select-window -t editor
tmux split-window -h

Remote Server Management

# SSH and start tmux
ssh server.example.com
tmux new -s maintenance

# Run long-running tasks
# Detach with C-b d

# Later, reconnect and reattach
ssh server.example.com
tmux attach -t maintenance

Sessions survive accidental disconnections, making tmux invaluable for SSH connections that might timeout.

Default Key Bindings Reference

Here’s a complete reference of the default key bindings (all require pressing C-b first):

Session Management

• d - Detach from session
• D - Choose a client to detach
• s - Select a new session interactively
• $ - Rename the current session
• ( - Switch to previous session
• ) - Switch to next session
• L - Switch to last session

Window Management

• c - Create a new window
• & - Kill the current window
• n - Move to next window
• p - Move to previous window
• l - Move to previously selected window
• 0-9 - Select windows 0 to 9
• ' - Prompt for window index
• , - Rename current window
• . - Prompt for window index to move
• w - Choose window interactively
• f - Search for text in windows

Pane Management

• " - Split pane horizontally
• % - Split pane vertically
• o - Select next pane
• ; - Move to previously active pane
• q - Show pane numbers
• x - Kill current pane
• z - Toggle pane zoom
• ! - Break pane into window
• { - Swap with previous pane
• } - Swap with next pane
• Up/Down/Left/Right - Move to pane in direction
• C-Up/C-Down/C-Left/C-Right - Resize pane by 1 cell
• M-Up/M-Down/M-Left/M-Right - Resize pane by 5 cells
• Space - Cycle through preset layouts
• M-1 to M-7 - Arrange in preset layouts

Copy Mode and Other

• [ - Enter copy mode
• ] - Paste buffer
• # - List paste buffers
• = - Choose buffer to paste interactively
• - - Delete most recent paste buffer
• : - Enter command prompt
• ? - List key bindings
• t - Show time
• i - Display window information
• ~ - Show previous messages
• r - Force redraw
• C-z - Suspend tmux client