Tmux Cheatsheet

Tmux (Terminal Multiplexer) allows you to run multiple terminal sessions inside a single window. It also keeps processes running in the background even if you disconnect from SSH.

Installation

# Debian/Ubuntu
sudo apt install tmux
 
# Arch Linux
sudo pacman -S tmux
 
# macOS
brew install tmux

Session Management

Run these commands in your regular terminal.

tmux                     # Start a new session
tmux new -s mysession    # Start a new session with name "mysession"
tmux ls                  # List active sessions
tmux a                   # Attach to the last active session
tmux a -t mysession      # Attach to "mysession"
tmux kill-session -t mysession  # Kill "mysession"
tmux kill-server         # Kill all tmux sessions

Prefix Key

Inside Tmux, all shortcuts start with a prefix key. By default, the prefix is Ctrl + b.

Window Management (Tabs)

After pressing Ctrl + b:

c : Create a new window
w : List all windows and choose one
n : Go to next window
p : Go to previous window
0 to 9 : Go to a specific window number
, : Rename current window
& : Kill current window

Pane Management (Splits)

After pressing Ctrl + b:

% : Split pane vertically (left/right)
" : Split pane horizontally (top/bottom)
Arrow Keys : Switch between panes
x : Kill current pane
z : Toggle pane zoom (fullscreen)
Space : Cycle through pane layouts
{ / } : Swap pane with the next/previous pane

Configuration (`~/.tmux.conf`)

You can customize the prefix and appearance in ~/.tmux.conf. After changing it, reload with tmux source-file ~/.tmux.conf.

# Change prefix to Ctrl + a (like GNU Screen)
unbind C-b
set-option -g prefix C-a
bind-key C-a send-prefix
 
# Enable mouse support
set -g mouse on

Cheatsheets