tmux

Terminal multiplexer for managing multiple sessions

Shell & Terminal Productivity linuxmacosbsd C ISC

Description

tmux is a terminal multiplexer that lets you switch between several programs in one terminal, detach them, and reattach them to a different terminal. It's invaluable for remote work, long-running processes, and organizing terminal workflows.

Install

homebrewbrew install tmux

aptsudo apt install tmux

pacmansudo pacman -S tmux

AI Summary

Terminal multiplexer. Run multiple terminal sessions in one window, detach and reattach sessions, split panes. Essential for remote work and persistent terminal sessions.

Capabilities

+ Multiple terminal sessions in a single window
+ Detach/reattach sessions (survives SSH disconnects)
+ Split panes horizontally and vertically
+ Session, window, and pane management
+ Scriptable and highly configurable
+ Copy mode with vi/emacs keybindings
+ Plugin ecosystem (tpm)

Use When

→ Working over SSH and need persistent sessions
→ Running long-running processes that shouldn't die with the terminal
→ Need multiple terminal panes in one view
→ Building a reproducible terminal layout for development

Avoid When

x Using a terminal emulator with built-in tiling (e.g., kitty, WezTerm)
x Quick one-off commands
x Need GPU-accelerated rendering in terminal

Usage Patterns

Start a new named session

tmux new-session -s work

Creates a new tmux session named 'work'

Detach and reattach

tmux attach -t work

Reattaches to a previously detached session

Split pane horizontally

Ctrl-b %

Splits the current pane into left and right

Input / Output

Exit codes:

0 Success

1 Error

Related Tools

fzf complementary

fzf can be used to switch between tmux sessions

View AGENTS.md for tmux