tmux Cheatsheet - Terminal Multiplexer Commands & Installation - cmd Cheatsheets

tmux Terminal Multiplexer Guide

This guide provides a comprehensive cheatsheet for the tmux terminal multiplexer, covering installation, window management, pane manipulation, and essential commands to enhance your command-line productivity.

Installation Guide

Ubuntu Installation

To install tmux on Ubuntu systems, use the following commands:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install tmux -y

tmux Plugin Manager (TPM) Installation

Install the tmux plugin manager for easier plugin management:

git clone https://github.com/tmux-plugins/tpm ~/.tmux/plugins/tpm

Tmux Configuration Setup

Create the tmux configuration directory and file:

mkdir -p ~/.config/tmux
touch ~/.config/tmux/tmux.conf

Add the following content to your ~/.config/tmux/tmux.conf file:

# Initialize TPM
set -g @plugin 'tmux-plugins/tpm'

# Sensible defaults for tmux
set -g @plugin 'tmux-plugins/tmux-sensible'

# Load TPM
run '~/.tmux/plugins/tpm/tpm'

After saving the configuration, you can source it within tmux using:

tmux source-file ~/.config/tmux/tmux.conf

Essential tmux Cheatsheets

The default prefix key combination is Ctrl+b. You'll press this before most tmux commands.

Window Management

Create New Window: Press Prefix + c
Switch Between Windows: Press Prefix + [number] (e.g., Prefix + 1 for window 1), or use Prefix + n for the next window and Prefix + p for the previous window.

Pane Splitting and Management

Split Window Horizontally: Press Prefix + %
Split Window Vertically: Press Prefix + "
Switch Between Panes: Use the arrow keys after pressing the prefix: Prefix + ←, Prefix + →, Prefix + ↑, Prefix + ↓.
Show Pane Numbers: Press Prefix + q to display numbers for each pane, then press the desired pane number to switch to it.
Zoom Pane: Press Prefix + z to toggle fullscreen for the current pane.
Close Pane: Press Prefix + x (you will be prompted to confirm).

Further Resources

For more in-depth information and advanced usage, consult these resources: