Digging into dotfiles:

tmux

Paul Esch-Laurent

(live) slide deck: uly.io/talk/tmux

my dotfiles: uly.io/dotfiles

me: p@uly.io

What?

terminal multiplexer

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tmux

allows multiple terminal sessions to be accessed simultaneously in a single window

here's a screenshot

Matrix effect: uly.io/aq

common commands

listing, creating, using, and killing sessions

```
tmux ls # list
```
```
tmux new -s <name> # create
```
```
tmux attach -t <name> # attach
```
```
tmux kill-session -t <name> # kill
```

tip: "attach" is aliased as "a", omit "-t" to attach to last session

Bindings: the basics

tmux is based on the <prefix>, which defaults to

ctrl + b

```
<prefix> c # create new window
```
```
<prefix> d # detach from session
```
```
<prefix> x # kill current pane
```
```
<prefix> & # kill current window
```

<prefix> [0..9] # switch to window [0..9]

windows (arranged in tabs) contain panes which are partitions within the current window

your tmux config

the config lives in ~/.tmux.conf

touch ~/.tmux.conf

let's change the <prefix> bind

... and allow for easy config reloading

# Rebind prefix to 'C-a'
unbind C-b
set-option -g prefix C-a
bind-key C-a send-prefix

# Easy config reload (<prefix> r)
bind r source-file ~/.tmux.conf \; display "Reloaded!"

N.B. ctrl + a is popular, I personally use ctrl + \ (swapped ctrl & caps-lock on keyboard)

splitting panes

you'll probably want to be able to split panes

```
<prefix> " # split vertically
```
```
<prefix> % # split horizontally
```

# Use | and - to split panes
unbind '"'
unbind %
bind | split-window -h
bind - split-window -v

that's unintuitive to use, let's change it

growing panes: moving & resizing

by default, you can move between panes with

```
<prefix> <U|D|L|R> # arrow keys
```

# Move between panes with M- h, j, k, l (no prefix)
bind -n M-h select-pane -L
bind -n M-j select-pane -D
bind -n M-k select-pane -U
bind -n M-l select-pane -R

# Resize panes with H, J, K, L (with prefix, repeatable)
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

I prefer to keep my fingers on the home-row, let's use the vim-style h, j, k, l bindings
(for resizing panes, too)

N.B. "M" is the <Meta> key, typically Alt/Option

hook, line, & sync'r

let's say you want to do something across all your panes in a window (in sync)...

# Toggle synchronize-panes (no prefix)
bind -n M-I setw synchronize-panes

`source` your shell profile in all panes
`export` an env variable in all panes
`cd` to the same directory in all panes

let's talk about windows

let's make windows a bit better

# Start window index at 1 (match keyboard order)
set -g base-index 1
# ... and the same for panes
set -g pane-base-index 1

# Re-number windows sequentially after closing them
set -g renumber-windows on

# Prevent shell from remaining windows after setting it once
set -g allow-rename off

start window index (windex 😉) at 1
re-order them if you kill one
prevent the shell from renaming

but i wanna use my mouse?!

scrolling, selecting, resizing, whatever; can do

# Increase scrollback
set -g history-limit 10000

# Enable mouse support
# < 2.1
if-shell -b '[ "$(echo "$(tmux -V | cut -c 6-) < 2.1" | bc)" = 1 ]' \
	" \
	set -g mode-mouse on; \
	set -g mouse-resize-pane on; \
	set -g mouse-select-pane on; \
	set -g mouse-select-window on; \
	"

# >= 2.1
if-shell -b '[ "$(echo "$(tmux -V | cut -c 6-) >= 2.1" | bc)" = 1 ]' \
	" \
	set -g mouse on; \
	bind -n WheelUpPane if-shell -F -t = \"#{mouse_any_flag}\" \"send-keys -M\" \"if -Ft= '#{pane_in_mode}' 'send-keys -M' 'select-pane -t=; copy-mode -e; send-keys -M'\"; \
	bind -n WheelDownPane select-pane -t= \\; send-keys -M; \
	"

N.B. with mouse mode, you need to hold Shift (Option on macOS) to select text

persisting sessions

save & restore sessions, even across reboots

# TPM Plugins
set -g @plugin 'tmux-plugins/tmux-resurrect'
set -g @plugin 'tmux-plugins/tmux-continuum'

# Init TPM (at the bottom of your config)
run '~/.tmux/plugins/tpm/tpm'

tmux plugin manager (TPM)
tmux-resurrect (save & load)
tmux-continuum (... automatically)

like vim, lots of plugins (& a plugin manager)

repeating history

it depends on your local environment

(what shell & how you handle history)

for example, my strategy using bash is

append to my history
(ignoring dupes is nice)
write to the history file after every command

new shells automagically get the latest history

`history -n` will also update on a per-shell basis

tidbits & misc.

itty bitty goodies

```
<prefix> z # zooms a pane
```
```
<prefix> t # shows a clock
```
```
<prefix> ? # list binds
```
```
<prefix> ! # pane -> window
```

# Prevent shell from remaining windows after setting it once
set -g allow-rename off

# Set the terminal title
set-option -g set-titles on
set-option -g set-titles-string "#S / #W"

basic, minimal config

an (opinionated) functional config

# Rebind prefix to 'C-a'
unbind C-b
set-option -g prefix C-a
bind-key C-a send-prefix

# Easy config reload (<prefix> r)
bind r source-file ~/.tmux.conf \; display "Reloaded!"

# Start window index at 1 (match keyboard order)
set -g base-index 1

# Use | and - to split panes
unbind '"'
unbind %
bind | split-window -h
bind - split-window -v

rebind the <prefix>
better splitting binds

EZPZ config reload
deal with windexing

questions?

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Digging into Dotfiles: tmux

Get up and running with a ~/.tmux.conf.

6 years ago
595

Paul Esch-Laurent

paulisaweso.me