Tmux Cheatsheet

My Tmux TLDR (Too Long; Didn’t Read) cheatsheet, grouped for easier understanding:

• C-b: This is the prefix key. You’ll press Ctrl+b then the key combination for the command.
• ~/.tmux.conf: This file is where you customize tmux. You can change keybindings, layouts, and more.
• ?: Always use C-b ? to see a list of available commands. It’s your friend!

1. Basic Navigation & Window Management:

• C-b c: Create a new window. (New tab)
• C-b n: Next window. (Next tab)
• C-b p: Previous window. (Previous tab)
• C-b <number>: Switch to window by number. (Go to specific tab)
• C-b " : Access the window list. (See all tabs)
• C-b x: Kill the current window. (Close tab)
• C-b d: Kill the current window (prompt for confirmation). (Close tab)

2. Pane Management (Splitting the screen):

• C-b s: Split window vertically. (Split screen up/down)
• C-b x: Split window horizontally. (Split screen left/right)
• C-b <arrow key>: Move to the pane in the direction of the arrow key.
• C-b <number>: Switch to pane by number. (Go to specific screen section)
• C-b .: Duplicate the current pane. (Clone screen section)
• C-b <letter>: Go to pane that’s associated with the given letter. (e.g., C-b t goes to pane named “t”)

3. Layout & Configuration:

• C-b <number>: Select a layout from the ~/.tmux.conf file. (Predefined screen arrangement)
• C-b r: Reload the ~/.tmux.conf file. (Apply configuration changes)
• C-b ?: Show help. (List of commands)
• C-b :: Enter command mode. (Type commands directly)

4. Session & Persistence:

• C-b s: Save the current session name. (Name your session)
• C-b q: Quit tmux. (Exit all windows/panes)
• tmux attach-session -t <session_name>: Attach to an existing session. (Reconnect to a saved session)

5. Other Useful Commands:

• C-b %: Toggle copy mode. (Copy/paste text)
• C-b u: Undo last command. (Revert a mistake)
• C-b p: Redo last undone command. (Reapply an undone action)
• C-b ?: Help. (List of commands)
• C-b <prefix> <key>: Run a command in the current window. (e.g., C-b ! ls -l)
• C-b <prefix> <number>: Run a command in the current pane. (e.g., C-b 1 ls -l)