Tmux

Terminal multiplexer for power users

Tmux lets you manage multiple terminal sessions from a single window. Split panes, detach/reattach sessions, and work seamlessly across local and remote environments.

Key Bindings

Prefix Key

The prefix key is Ctrl-b (default). All tmux commands start with pressing the prefix, then the command key.

Ctrl-b, then <key>

Window Management

Key	Action	Description
`prefix c`	New window	Create a new window
`prefix n`	Next window	Switch to next window
`prefix p`	Previous window	Switch to previous window
`prefix ,`	Rename window	Give the window a meaningful name
`prefix &`	Kill window	Close current window (confirms)
`prefix w`	List windows	Interactive window selector
`prefix 0-9`	Select window	Jump to window by number

Pane Management

Key	Action	Description
`prefix \|`	Split horizontal	Split pane left/right
`prefix -`	Split vertical	Split pane top/bottom
`Alt + Arrows`	Navigate panes (no prefix)	Move between panes without prefix
`prefix x`	Kill pane	Close current pane (confirms)
`prefix z`	Zoom pane	Toggle pane full screen
`prefix {`	Move pane left	Swap with previous pane
`prefix }`	Move pane right	Swap with next pane
`prefix Space`	Cycle layouts	Switch between pane arrangements

Session Management

Key	Action	Description
`prefix d`	Detach	Detach from session (keeps running)
`prefix s`	List sessions	Interactive session selector
`prefix $`	Rename session	Give the session a meaningful name
`prefix (`	Previous session	Switch to previous session
`prefix )`	Next session	Switch to next session

Configuration & Help

Key	Action	Description
`prefix r`	Reload config	Source `~/.tmux.conf`
`prefix ?`	List bindings	Show all key bindings
`prefix :`	Command prompt	Enter tmux commands directly

SilkCircuit Theme

The status bar uses the SilkCircuit color palette:

Background: #1a1a2e (deep space purple)
Active session: #c792ea (purple) bold
Current window: #ff79c6 (pink) bold
Inactive window: #7fdbca (cyan)
Pane borders: #c792ea (purple) active, #5a4a78 inactive
Time/Date: #ffcb6b (yellow), #7fdbca (cyan)

Common Workflows

Creating and Managing Sessions

bash

# Create a new named session
tmux new -s project

# Create session with specific directory
tmux new -s project -c ~/dev/project

# Attach to existing session
tmux attach -t project
# Short form
tmux a -t project

# List all sessions
tmux ls

# Kill a session
tmux kill-session -t project

# Kill all sessions except current
tmux kill-session -a

Working with Panes

bash

# Typical workflow:
1. Prefix | to split horizontally (side-by-side)
2. Prefix - to split vertically (top-bottom)
3. Alt + Arrows to navigate
4. Prefix z to zoom focused pane
5. Prefix z again to un-zoom

Example layout for development:

┌─────────────────────────────┬─────────────────┐
│                             │                 │
│   Editor                    │   Tests         │
│   (main pane)               │   (watch mode)  │
│                             │                 │
├─────────────────────────────┼─────────────────┤
│   Server                    │   Git           │
│   (dev server)              │   (status/logs) │
└─────────────────────────────┴─────────────────┘

Detaching and Reattaching

bash

# Start work
tmux new -s work
# ... do stuff ...
# Prefix d to detach (or just close terminal)

# Later, from anywhere:
tmux a -t work
# Everything is still running!

Perfect for:

Long-running processes
Remote SSH sessions
Switching between machines
Surviving network disconnects

Configuration

Located at /Users/bliss/dev/dotfiles/tmux.conf

Useful Settings

bash

# Mouse support (already enabled)
set -g mouse on

# Increase history
set -g history-limit 10000  # Default is 5000

# Start windows at 1 (already configured)
set -g base-index 1
set -g pane-base-index 1

# Renumber windows on close (already configured)
set -g renumber-windows on

# Faster command sequences
set -s escape-time 0

# Activity monitoring
setw -g monitor-activity on
set -g visual-activity off

Custom Key Bindings

Add to tmux.conf:

bash

# Easier split commands
bind h split-window -h -c "#{pane_current_path}"
bind v split-window -v -c "#{pane_current_path}"

# Quick pane resizing
bind -r H resize-pane -L 5
bind -r J resize-pane -D 5
bind -r K resize-pane -U 5
bind -r L resize-pane -R 5

# Vim-style pane navigation
bind h select-pane -L
bind j select-pane -D
bind k select-pane -U
bind l select-pane -R

# Synchronize panes (type in all at once)
bind C-s set-window-option synchronize-panes

Change Prefix Key

To use Ctrl-a instead of Ctrl-b:

bash

# Add to tmux.conf
unbind C-b
set-option -g prefix C-a
bind-key C-a send-prefix

Then reload: prefix r

Theme Customization

Modify the status bar:

bash

# Change status bar position (bottom is default)
set-option -g status-position top

# Customize left side
set -g status-left-length 50
set -g status-left '#[fg=#1a1a2e,bg=#c792ea,bold] #S #[fg=#c792ea,bg=#1a1a2e]'

# Customize right side
set -g status-right '#[fg=#ffcb6b]%H:%M #[fg=#7fdbca]%Y-%m-%d '

# Window status format
set -g window-status-format '#[fg=#7fdbca] #I:#W '
set -g window-status-current-format '#[fg=#1a1a2e,bg=#ff79c6,bold] #I:#W '

Plugin Management

Tmux uses TPM (Tmux Plugin Manager) included as a submodule.

Current Plugins

bash

set -g @plugin 'tmux-plugins/tpm'           # Plugin manager itself
set -g @plugin 'tmux-plugins/tmux-sensible' # Sensible defaults
set -g @plugin '2kabhishek/tmux2k'          # Theme framework

Managing Plugins

Key	Action	Description
`prefix I`	Install plugins	Install new plugins
`prefix U`	Update plugins	Update all plugins
`prefix alt+u`	Uninstall plugins	Remove deleted plugins

Adding Plugins

Add to tmux.conf:

bash

set -g @plugin 'author/plugin-name'

Press prefix I to install
Reload config with prefix r

Recommended Plugins

bash

# Save/restore sessions
set -g @plugin 'tmux-plugins/tmux-resurrect'

# Automatic session save/restore
set -g @plugin 'tmux-plugins/tmux-continuum'
set -g @continuum-restore 'on'

# Copy to system clipboard
set -g @plugin 'tmux-plugins/tmux-yank'

# Better mouse support
set -g @plugin 'nhdaly/tmux-better-mouse-mode'

Advanced Features

Copy Mode

Enter copy mode to scroll and copy text:

bash

# Enter copy mode
prefix [

# Navigate with vim keys
h, j, k, l  # Move cursor
Ctrl-b, Ctrl-f  # Page up/down
/  # Search forward
?  # Search backward

# Select and copy
Space  # Start selection
Enter  # Copy selection
prefix ]  # Paste

Vi Mode

Enable vi-style keys in copy mode:

bash

# Add to tmux.conf
setw -g mode-keys vi

# Vi-style copy bindings
bind-key -T copy-mode-vi v send-keys -X begin-selection
bind-key -T copy-mode-vi y send-keys -X copy-selection-and-cancel

Pane Synchronization

Type the same command in all panes simultaneously:

bash

# Toggle synchronize panes
prefix : setw synchronize-panes

# Useful for:
# - Running commands on multiple servers
# - Updating multiple containers
# - Testing in parallel

Layouts

Cycle through automatic layouts:

bash

prefix Space  # Cycle layouts

# Available layouts:
# - even-horizontal: Panes side-by-side
# - even-vertical: Panes stacked
# - main-horizontal: One large pane on top
# - main-vertical: One large pane on left
# - tiled: Grid layout

Troubleshooting

Colors Look Wrong

Issue: Colors don't match theme, look washed out

Solution:

bash

# Check TERM
echo $TERM
# Should be: screen-256color inside tmux

# If not, add to ~/.zshrc BEFORE tmux starts:
export TERM=xterm-256color

# Then in tmux.conf:
set -g default-terminal "screen-256color"
set -ga terminal-overrides ",xterm-256color:Tc"

Mouse Not Working

Issue: Can't click or scroll in tmux

Solution:

Mouse support is enabled by default. If not working:

bash

# Ensure mouse is enabled in tmux.conf
set -g mouse on

# Reload config
prefix r

# Some terminals need additional config:
# - iTerm2: Preferences → Profiles → Terminal → Enable mouse reporting
# - Terminal.app: Should work by default on modern macOS

Panes Not Splitting

Issue: Split commands don't work

Solution:

bash

# Check bindings
prefix ?

# Should see:
# bind-key | split-window -h
# bind-key - split-window -v

# If missing, add to tmux.conf:
bind | split-window -h
bind - split-window -v

# Reload
prefix r

Status Bar Not Showing

Issue: Status bar is missing or hidden

Solution:

bash

# Enable status bar
prefix : set-option -g status on

# Make it permanent in tmux.conf:
set -g status on
set -g status-position bottom

Tips & Tricks

Use named sessions — tmux new -s project-name makes it easy to remember
Zoom panes frequently — prefix z for focused work, prefix z again to see all
Learn Alt+Arrows — Navigate panes without prefix for speed
Detach liberally — Let long-running processes survive terminal closes
Use copy mode — prefix [ to scroll back through history
Rename windows — prefix , helps identify what each window is for

Cheat Sheet

bash

# Sessions
tmux new -s name             # Create named session
tmux ls                      # List sessions
tmux a -t name               # Attach to session
tmux kill-session -t name    # Kill session

# Inside tmux
prefix d                     # Detach
prefix c                     # New window
prefix n/p                   # Next/previous window
prefix |                     # Split horizontal
prefix -                     # Split vertical
Alt + arrows                 # Navigate panes
prefix z                     # Zoom/unzoom pane
prefix [                     # Copy mode
prefix r                     # Reload config
prefix ?                     # List all bindings

External Resources

Next Steps

Starship Prompt — Customize your prompt
FZF Integration — Fuzzy finder integration
Modern CLI Tools — Tool replacements

Tmux ​

Key Bindings ​

Prefix Key ​

Window Management ​

Pane Management ​

Session Management ​

Configuration & Help ​

SilkCircuit Theme ​

Common Workflows ​

Creating and Managing Sessions ​

Working with Panes ​

Detaching and Reattaching ​

Configuration ​

Useful Settings ​

Custom Key Bindings ​

Change Prefix Key ​

Theme Customization ​

Plugin Management ​

Current Plugins ​

Managing Plugins ​

Adding Plugins ​

Recommended Plugins ​

Advanced Features ​

Copy Mode ​

Vi Mode ​

Pane Synchronization ​

Layouts ​

Troubleshooting ​

Colors Look Wrong ​

Mouse Not Working ​

Panes Not Splitting ​

Status Bar Not Showing ​

Tips & Tricks ​

Cheat Sheet ​

External Resources ​

Next Steps ​

Tmux

Key Bindings

Prefix Key

Window Management

Pane Management

Session Management

Configuration & Help

SilkCircuit Theme

Common Workflows

Creating and Managing Sessions

Working with Panes

Detaching and Reattaching

Configuration

Useful Settings

Custom Key Bindings

Change Prefix Key

Theme Customization

Plugin Management

Current Plugins

Managing Plugins

Adding Plugins

Recommended Plugins

Advanced Features

Copy Mode

Vi Mode

Pane Synchronization

Layouts

Troubleshooting

Colors Look Wrong

Mouse Not Working

Panes Not Splitting

Status Bar Not Showing

Tips & Tricks

Cheat Sheet

External Resources

Next Steps