Zellij

A terminal workspace with batteries included

Productivity Shell & Terminal linuxmacos Rust MIT

Description

Zellij is a terminal multiplexer and workspace manager. It provides panes, tabs, sessions, and a plugin system with a user-friendly UI that displays keybindings contextually. It aims to be a more approachable alternative to tmux.

Install

homebrewbrew install zellij

cargocargo install zellij

AI Summary

A user-friendly terminal multiplexer with panes, tabs, and sessions. Features contextual keybinding hints, a plugin system, and layouts for reproducible workspaces.

Capabilities

+ Panes, tabs, and persistent sessions
+ Contextual keybinding hints in the UI
+ Layout system for reproducible workspaces
+ WebAssembly plugin system

Use When

→ Need a terminal multiplexer with a gentler learning curve than tmux
→ Want discoverable keybindings shown in the UI
→ Setting up reproducible terminal workspace layouts

Avoid When

x Already deeply invested in tmux configuration
x Need maximum compatibility with older systems

Usage Patterns

Start a new session

zellij

Opens a new Zellij session with the default layout

Attach to an existing session

zellij attach

Reattaches to a previously detached session

Related Tools

tmux alternative

tmux is the established terminal multiplexer; Zellij is more modern

View AGENTS.md for Zellij