tmux is a terminal multiplexer that lets you run multiple terminal sessions inside a single window. It keeps sessions alive even after you disconnect, which makes it essential for managing long-running processes on remote servers. The project is open source and actively maintained on GitHub.
This guide covers how to install and use tmux on Linux – including session management, window and pane operations, copy mode, and configuration. All commands were tested on Ubuntu 24.04 with tmux, but the workflow applies to any Linux distribution.
Prerequisites
- A Linux system (Ubuntu/Debian, Fedora/RHEL, Arch) or macOS
- sudo or root access to install packages
- A terminal emulator with UTF-8 support
Step 1: Install tmux on Linux
tmux is available in the default package repositories on all major distributions. Pick the command that matches your system.
On Ubuntu and Debian:
sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y tmuxOn Fedora:
sudo dnf install -y tmuxOn RHEL, Rocky Linux, and AlmaLinux (EPEL required on older releases):
sudo dnf install -y tmuxOn Arch Linux:
sudo pacman -S tmuxOn macOS using Homebrew:
brew install tmuxAfter installation, confirm tmux is available by checking the version:
tmux -VThe output shows the installed version number:
tmux 3.6aStep 2: Start tmux and Understand Basic Concepts
tmux organizes work into three layers: sessions, windows, and panes. A session is a collection of windows that persists until you explicitly destroy it. Each session has one or more windows, which act like tabs. Each window can be split into multiple panes – independent terminal areas within the same window.
Start a new tmux session by running:
tmuxYou are now inside a tmux session. Notice the green status bar at the bottom – it shows the session name, window list, and hostname. All tmux commands use a prefix key, which is Ctrl+b by default. You press Ctrl+b first, release it, then press the action key.
To detach from the session and return to your regular shell, press Ctrl+b then d. The session continues running in the background.
Step 3: tmux Session Management
Named sessions make it easy to organize different projects. Create a new detached session with a name:
tmux new-session -d -s myprojectThis creates a session called myproject in the background. The -d flag starts it detached so you stay in your current shell.
Create a couple more sessions for different tasks:
tmux new-session -d -s monitoring
tmux new-session -d -s databaseList all active sessions to see what is running:
tmux list-sessionsThe output shows each session name, number of windows, and creation time:
database: 1 windows (created Sun Mar 22 00:35:51 2026)
monitoring: 1 windows (created Sun Mar 22 00:35:51 2026)
myproject: 1 windows (created Sun Mar 22 00:35:51 2026)Attach to a specific session by name:
tmux attach -t myprojectWhile attached, switch to another session with Ctrl+b then s. This brings up an interactive session list where you can navigate with arrow keys and press Enter to select.
Rename the current session with Ctrl+b then $. Type the new name and press Enter.
Kill a session you no longer need from outside tmux:
tmux kill-session -t databaseKill all sessions except the one you are attached to:
tmux kill-serverUse kill-server with caution – it terminates every tmux session and all processes inside them.
Step 4: Window Management in tmux
Windows work like tabs within a session. Attach to a session first, then create windows for different tasks.
Attach to the myproject session and create named windows:
tmux attach -t myprojectInside the session, create new windows with Ctrl+b then c. Rename a window with Ctrl+b then , – type the name and press Enter. Create three windows named editor, logs, and monitor.
You can also create named windows from the command line:
tmux new-window -t myproject -n editor
tmux new-window -t myproject -n logs
tmux new-window -t myproject -n monitorList windows in the session to confirm they exist:
tmux list-windows -t myprojectThe output shows each window with its index, name, dimensions, and layout:
0: bash* (1 panes) [205x50] [layout b5bf,205x50,0,0,0] @0 (active)
1: editor (1 panes) [205x50] [layout b5c0,205x50,0,0,3] @3
2: logs (1 panes) [205x50] [layout b5c1,205x50,0,0,4] @4
3: monitor (1 panes) [205x50] [layout b5c2,205x50,0,0,5] @5Switch between windows with these shortcuts:
Ctrl+bthenn– next windowCtrl+bthenp– previous windowCtrl+bthen0-9– jump to window by numberCtrl+bthenw– interactive window list
Close a window by typing exit in the shell or pressing Ctrl+d. You can also kill a specific window from outside:
tmux kill-window -t myproject:3Step 5: Pane Management – Split, Navigate, and Resize
Panes split a single window into multiple terminal areas. This is one of the most useful tmux features – run a command in one pane while watching logs in another.
Split the current window horizontally (top and bottom):
Press Ctrl+b then "
Split the current pane vertically (left and right):
Press Ctrl+b then %
After splitting the window into three panes, list them to see the layout:
tmux list-panesThe output shows each pane with its index, dimensions, position, and active status:
0: [205x25] [history 0/50000 bytes; 0 0/0] %0
1: [102x24] [history 0/50000 bytes; 0 0/0] %1
2: [102x24] [history 0/50000 bytes; 0 0/0] %2 (active)Navigate between panes using these shortcuts:
Ctrl+bthen arrow keys – move to adjacent paneCtrl+btheno– cycle through panesCtrl+bthenq– show pane numbers, then press the number to jump
Resize panes by holding Ctrl+b then pressing an arrow key repeatedly. For larger steps, use the command mode:
tmux resize-pane -D 10
tmux resize-pane -U 5
tmux resize-pane -L 10
tmux resize-pane -R 10These commands resize the active pane down, up, left, and right by the specified number of cells.
Zoom a pane to full screen with Ctrl+b then z. Press the same combination again to restore it. This is useful when you need more space temporarily without closing other panes.
Close a pane with exit or Ctrl+d. To rearrange pane layouts, press Ctrl+b then Space to cycle through preset layouts (even-horizontal, even-vertical, main-horizontal, main-vertical, tiled).
Step 6: Copy Mode and Scrollback
By default, scrolling in tmux does not work like a regular terminal. You need to enter copy mode to scroll through output and copy text.
Enter copy mode with Ctrl+b then [. You are now in a vi-style navigation mode where you can:
- Scroll up and down with arrow keys or
Page Up/Page Down - Search forward with
/and backward with? - Start selection with
Space, move to select text, then pressEnterto copy - Paste the copied text with
Ctrl+bthen]
Press q to exit copy mode without copying.
The default scrollback buffer holds 2000 lines. Increase it by adding this to your tmux configuration:
set -g history-limit 50000If you prefer emacs-style key bindings in copy mode instead of vi, set:
set -g mode-keys emacsStep 7: Customize tmux with .tmux.conf
tmux reads its configuration from ~/.tmux.conf at startup. Create this file to set your preferred options, key bindings, and appearance.
Create or edit the configuration file:
vi ~/.tmux.confAdd the following practical configuration:
# Change prefix from Ctrl+b to Ctrl+a (easier to reach)
unbind C-b
set -g prefix C-a
bind C-a send-prefix
# Split panes with | and - (more intuitive than " and %)
bind | split-window -h
bind - split-window -v
unbind '"'
unbind %
# Switch panes with Alt+arrow without prefix
bind -n M-Left select-pane -L
bind -n M-Right select-pane -R
bind -n M-Up select-pane -U
bind -n M-Down select-pane -D
# Enable mouse support (resize panes, switch windows, scroll)
set -g mouse on
# Start window numbering from 1 instead of 0
set -g base-index 1
setw -g pane-base-index 1
# Increase scrollback buffer
set -g history-limit 50000
# Reduce escape time (faster key response)
set -sg escape-time 10
# Reload config with prefix + r
bind r source-file ~/.tmux.conf \; display "Config reloaded"
# Status bar styling
set -g status-style 'bg=colour235 fg=colour136'
set -g status-left '#[fg=colour46][#S] '
set -g status-right '#[fg=colour166]%Y-%m-%d %H:%M'
# Active window highlight
setw -g window-status-current-style 'fg=colour166 bold'After saving the file, reload the configuration without restarting tmux:
tmux source-file ~/.tmux.confThe changes take effect immediately. If you used the config above, the prefix key is now Ctrl+a instead of Ctrl+b.
tmux Keyboard Shortcuts Reference
This table lists the default tmux key bindings. All shortcuts require pressing the prefix key (Ctrl+b) first, then the action key.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
Ctrl+b d | Detach from session |
Ctrl+b s | List and switch sessions |
Ctrl+b $ | Rename current session |
Ctrl+b c | Create new window |
Ctrl+b , | Rename current window |
Ctrl+b n | Next window |
Ctrl+b p | Previous window |
Ctrl+b 0-9 | Switch to window by number |
Ctrl+b w | Interactive window list |
Ctrl+b & | Kill current window |
Ctrl+b " | Split pane horizontally |
Ctrl+b % | Split pane vertically |
Ctrl+b arrow | Navigate between panes |
Ctrl+b o | Cycle through panes |
Ctrl+b q | Show pane numbers |
Ctrl+b z | Toggle pane zoom (fullscreen) |
Ctrl+b Space | Cycle pane layouts |
Ctrl+b x | Kill current pane |
Ctrl+b [ | Enter copy mode |
Ctrl+b ] | Paste from buffer |
Ctrl+b : | Enter command mode |
Ctrl+b ? | List all key bindings |
Conclusion
tmux gives you persistent terminal sessions, multi-window workflows, and pane splitting – all from a single SSH connection. Once the key bindings become muscle memory, you will wonder how you worked without it. For long-running production tasks, always start work inside a tmux session so a network drop does not kill your process.
