tmux Cheatsheet

Comprehensive tmux reference guide featuring installation instructions across multiple platforms, custom configuration examples, vim-style navigation, mouse support, and practical tips for productive terminal multiplexing.

Installation

Building from Source

# Install dependencies (Ubuntu/Debian example; wget and ca-certificates are missing on a minimal install)
sudo apt install libevent-dev ncurses-dev build-essential bison pkg-config wget ca-certificates

# Download and compile (3.7c was the newest release when tested)
wget https://github.com/tmux/tmux/releases/download/3.7c/tmux-3.7c.tar.gz
tar -xzf tmux-3.7c.tar.gz
cd tmux-3.7c
./configure
make
sudo make install

Tested: the same steps built both 3.4 and 3.7c on Ubuntu 24.04 (./configure, make and make install all succeeded). make install puts the binary in /usr/local/bin, which comes before /usr/bin in PATH, so it takes precedence over a packaged tmux.

Verify Installation

tmux -V

Custom Configuration (Based on .tmux.conf)

The key bindings in this section assume the reference ~/.tmux.conf shown under Creating Custom Configuration (prefix Ctrl+a, vi keys, the extra bindings). Rows marked (reference config) are not tmux defaults. Everything was tested with that file on tmux 3.4 and 3.7c.

Prefix Key

Session Management

From Command Line

Inside Tmux

Session Sharing

From Command Line

Inside Tmux

Setting Up Session Sharing

For multiple users to share a session, they need access to the same tmux socket:

# User 1: create the session DETACHED, then open the socket to the group
tmux -S /tmp/shared new -d -s shared
chgrp <group> /tmp/shared          # a group both users belong to (not tested here, containers had one user)
chmod 770 /tmp/shared              # tested: the socket is created with mode 600
tmux -S /tmp/shared attach -t shared

# User 2: Attach to shared session
tmux -S /tmp/shared attach -t shared

# Attach in read-only mode
tmux -S /tmp/shared attach -t shared -r

Do not run tmux -S /tmp/shared new -s shared followed by chmod in the same shell: new stays attached until you detach, so the chmod only runs afterwards and the socket stays mode 600 (not reachable by the other user) in the meantime. Create the session with -d, as above. Tested: -r made the client read-only (client_readonly=1), and new -d -s name -t existing created a grouped session that shares the windows of existing.

Windows

From Command Line

Inside Tmux

Panes

Splitting

Navigation (Vim-style)

Resizing

With prefix (repeatable: a second arrow within 500 ms, the repeat-time option, needs no prefix; tested):

Without prefix (reference config, not a default):

Quick Layout Presets

These are tmux defaults and need the prefix (tested: each key gives the same layout as select-layout <name>).

Other Pane Commands

Copy Mode (Vi-style)

Entering Copy Mode

Navigation in Copy Mode

Selection and Copy

Paste from System Clipboard (without Shift)

When using tmux with mouse mode enabled, the terminal’s normal paste is intercepted by tmux. Here are ways to paste from your system clipboard depending on your setup:

PuTTY:

Add to ~/.tmux.conf: bind m set -g mouse \; display "Mouse: #{?mouse,ON,OFF}"

Linux (xclip/xsel):

Add to ~/.tmux.conf, then use Ctrl+a v to paste:

macOS:

WSL/Windows Terminal:

Buffer Management

Configuration

Creating Custom Configuration

Create or edit ~/.tmux.conf to customize tmux settings. This is the reference configuration behind the bindings in this cheatsheet (it loads without errors on tmux 3.4 and 3.7c, and every binding in it was driven through a real attached client):

# Prefix: Ctrl+a instead of Ctrl+b
unbind C-b
set -g prefix C-a
bind C-a send-prefix

# General
set -g mouse on
setw -g mode-keys vi
set -g history-limit 10000
set -g status-position top
set -g status-left "[#S] "
set -g status-right "#H  %H:%M"
setw -g window-status-style "bg=blue,fg=white"
setw -g window-status-current-style "bg=red,fg=white"

# Reload the config
bind r source-file ~/.tmux.conf \; display "Reloaded ~/.tmux.conf"

# Vim-style pane navigation (l replaces the default last-window)
bind h select-pane -L
bind j select-pane -D
bind k select-pane -U
bind l select-pane -R
bind Tab last-window

# Resize with the prefix, repeatable, 5 cells (replaces the default arrow pane selection)
bind -r Left  resize-pane -L 5
bind -r Right resize-pane -R 5
bind -r Up    resize-pane -U 5
bind -r Down  resize-pane -D 5

# Resize without the prefix, 2 cells
bind -n S-Left  resize-pane -L 2
bind -n S-Right resize-pane -R 2
bind -n S-Up    resize-pane -U 2
bind -n S-Down  resize-pane -D 2
bind -n C-Left  resize-pane -L 2
bind -n C-Right resize-pane -R 2
bind -n C-Up    resize-pane -U 2
bind -n C-Down  resize-pane -D 2

# PageUp enters copy mode without the prefix
bind -n PageUp copy-mode -u

# Copy mode (vi)
bind -T copy-mode-vi v send -X begin-selection
bind -T copy-mode-vi y send -X copy-selection-and-cancel
bind -T copy-mode-vi r send -X rectangle-toggle
bind -T copy-mode-vi p send -X cancel \; paste-buffer

# Toggle mouse mode
bind m set -g mouse \; display "Mouse: #{?mouse,ON,OFF}"

# Paste from the system clipboard (the xclip variant)
bind v run "xclip -selection clipboard -o | tmux load-buffer - ; tmux paste-buffer"

Reload it with Ctrl+a r, or from a shell: tmux source-file ~/.tmux.conf.

Defaults you may expect that differ from this setup (read with tmux show -g <option> and tmux list-keys):

The xclip binding at the end needs xclip installed and an X session. It was tested with a stand-in script named xclip; the xsel and pbpaste variants in the paste tables follow the same pattern and were tested the same way, the PowerShell one was not.

Mouse Support

Copying Text with Mouse

Holding Shift bypasses tmux mouse mode and brings back OS default behavior (useful when pasting from system clipboard).

Toggle Mouse Mode

Status Bar

Scrollback

Common Tmux Commands (General)

Useful Commands

Help

Tips

Resources

• https://github.com/tmux/tmux 
• https://github.com/rothgar/awesome-tmux 
• https://pragprog.com/titles/bhtmux2/tmux-2