Tmux Commands¶

This pae goes through tmux commands and its arguments. Most of these notes come from man tmux

To see all commands in a nice little table, check out the Table of Commands.
The options aren't explained there like they are in the list, but it's easier to look at.

Tmux Basics¶

Usage¶

tmux [options] command [flags]

* command [flags] * This specifies one of a set of commands to send to tmux.
* If no commands are given, new-session is assumed.

Most important options: * -f file: Specify the config file to use. * -s session-name: Specify the name of a new session. * -t session-name: Specify the name of an existing session

Usage Examples¶

tmux new -s session1    # Create and attach a new session named "session1"
tmux a -t session1      # Attach to and existing session named "session1"
tmux new -s session1 -d # Create and new session named "session1" and detach
tmux kill-session -t session1 # Kill the session named "session1"

List of Options¶

When launching tmux from the command line, you can specify the following options:

-2
- Force tmux to assume the terminal supports 256 colours. Equivalent to -T 256
-C
- Start in control mode (see man://tmux 2933).
- Given twice (-CC) disables echo.
-c shell-command
- Execute shell-command using the default shell.
-D
- Do not start the tmux server as a daemon.
- This also turns the exit-empty option off.
- With -D, command may not be specified.
-f file
- Specify an alternative configuration file.
- By default, tmux loads the system configuration file from /etc/tmux.conf, if present
- Then it looks for a user configuration file at ~/.tmux.conf.
-L socket-name
- tmux stores the server socket in a directory under TMUX_TMPDIR (defaults to /tmp).
- The default socket is named default.
- Allows a different socket name to be specified, allowing several independent
  tmux servers to be run.
-l
- Behave as a login shell.
- Currently has no effect. Exists for compatibility with other shells when using tmux as a login shell.
-N
- Do not start the server even if the command would normally do so.
- E.g., with new-session or start-server.
-S socket-path
- Specify a full alternative path to the server socket.
- If -S is specified, the default socket directory is not used and any -L flag is ignored.
-u
- Force output to be UTF-8 in the terminal. Ignores LC_ALL, LC_CTYPE, or LANG.
- Equivalent to -T UTF-8.
-T features
- Set terminal features for the client as a comma-separated list of features.
- Equivalent to setting terminal-features in tmux config.
-v
- Verbose logging.
- Log messages are saved into tmux-client-PID.log and tmux-server-PID.log files
  in the current directory.
  - PID is the PID of the server or client process.
- If -v is specified twice, an additional tmux-out-PID.log file is generated with
  a copy of everything tmux writes to the terminal.
-V
- Output the tmux version.

Useful Commands Quickref¶

Note: -t is usually target.

Command	Alias	Effect
`list-panes [-ast]`	`lsp`	`-a`: List all panes on server. `-s`: List panes for a session
`list-windows [-afFt]`	`lsw`	`-a`: List all windows on server. `-F`: Format for each line. `-f`: Filter.

List of tmux Commands and their Options/Argumnents¶

tmux list-commands

attach-session (attach)
- -t: Target session
- -d: Detach other clients
bind-key (bind)
- -T: Key table
- -n: No prefix key required
break-pane (breakp)
- -d: Leave pane in detached state
- -n: New window name
capture-pane (capturep)
- -S: Start line
- -E: End line
choose-buffer
choose-client
choose-session
choose-tree
choose-window
clear-history (clearhist)
clock-mode
command-prompt
confirm-before (confirm)
- -p: Prompt message
copy-mode
- -u: Scroll one page up
copy-pipe
- command: Shell command to pipe to
delete-buffer (deleteb)
- -b: Buffer index
display-menu (menu) [-O] [-c target-client] [-t target-pane] [-T title] [-x position] [-y position] name key command ...
detach-client (detach)
- -s: Target session
- -a: All but current client
display-message
- -c: Target client
- -p: Print message to stdout
display-panes
find-window
- -N: Search window names
- -C: Search window contents
has-session
- -t: Target session
if-shell
- shell-command: Shell command to execute
- tmux-command: Tmux command to run if shell-command succeeds
join-pane
- -h: Join horizontally
- -v: Join vertically
kill-pane
- -t: Target pane
kill-server
kill-session
- -t: Target session
kill-window
- -t: Target window
last-pane
last-window
link-window
- -s: Source window
- -t: Target window
list-buffers
list-clients
list-commands
list-keys
list-panes
list-sessions
- -F: Format
list-windows
load-buffer
- -b: Buffer name
- path: File path
lock-client
- -t: Target client
lock-server (lock)
lock-session
- -t: Target session
move-pane
- -t: Target window
move-window
- -t: Target session
- -s: Source window
new-session
- -s: Session name
- -n: Window name
- -c: Start directory
- -d: Detached session
new-window
- -n: Window name
- -c: Start directory
- -d: Detached window
next-layout
next-window
paste-buffer
- -b: Buffer index
- -t: Target pane
pipe-pane
- -o: Only pipe new output
- command: Shell command to pipe to
previous-layout
previous-window
refresh-client
- -S: Save layout
rename-session
- new-name: New session name
rename-window
- new-name: New window name
resize-pane
- -U: Resize up
- -D: Resize down
- -L: Resize left
- -R: Resize right
resize-window
- -U: Resize up
- -D: Resize down
- -L: Resize left
- -R: Resize right
respawn-pane
- -k: Kill existing pane
- command: Command to execute
respawn-window
- -k: Kill existing window
- command: Command to execute
rotate-window
- -D: Rotate down
- -U: Rotate up
run-shell (run)
- command: Shell command to execute
save-buffer
- -b: Buffer index
- path: File path
select-layout
- layout-name: Name of the layout
select-pane
- -U: Up
- -D: Down
- -L: Left
- -R: Right
- -m and -M: Set and clear the marked pane.
  - There is one marked pane at a time.
  - Setting a new one clears the last.
  - The marked pane is the default target for -s to:
    - join-pane
    - move-pane
    - swap-pane
    - swap-window
select-window
- -t: Target window
send-keys
- -t: Target pane
- -l: Literal string
- -R: Clear pane's input buffer
send-prefix
set-buffer
- -b: Buffer index
- data: Data to set
set-environment
- -g: Global variable
- -u: Unset variable
set-hook
- hook-name: Name of the hook
- command: Command to run
set-option
- -g: Global option
- -w: Window option
- -s: Server option
set-window-option
- option: Window option
- value: Value to set
show-buffer
- -b: Buffer index
show-environment
- -g: Show global variables
show-hooks
show-messages
show-options
- -g: Global options
- -w: Window options
- -s: Server options
show-window-options
source-file
- file: File to source
split-window
- -h: Horizontal split
- -v: Vertical split
- -c: Start directory
start-server
suspend-client
- -t: Target client
swap-pane
- -s: Source pane
- -t: Target pane
swap-window
- -s: Source window
- -t: Target window
switch-client
- -n: Next session
- -p: Previous session
- -t: Target session
unbind-key
- -T: Key table
unlink-window
- -k: Kill window if becomes detached
wait-for
- channel: Channel to wait for

Table of `tmux list-commands` Output¶

This table does not explain what each option does, but it is exhaustive.
| Command |Shorthand |Options
|---------------------|------------|-------------------------------------------------------- | tmux attach-session | attach | [-dErx] [-c working-directory] [-f flags] [-t target-session] | tmux bind-key | bind | [-nr] [-T key-table] [-N note] key [command [arguments]] | tmux break-pane | breakp | [-abdP] [-F format] [-n window-name] [-s src-pane] [-t dst-window] | tmux capture-pane | capturep | [-aCeJNpPq] [-b buffer-name] [-E end-line] [-S start-line] [-t target-pane] | tmux choose-buffer | | [-NrZ] [-F format] [-f filter] [-K key-format] [-O sort-order] [-t target-pane] [template] | tmux choose-client | | [-NrZ] [-F format] [-f filter] [-K key-format] [-O sort-order] [-t target-pane] [template] | tmux choose-tree | | [-GNrswZ] [-F format] [-f filter] [-K key-format] [-O sort-order] [-t target-pane] [template] | tmux clear-history | clearhist | [-t target-pane] | tmux clock-mode | | [-t target-pane] | tmux command-prompt | | [-1kiNTW] [-I inputs] [-p prompts] [-t target-client] [template] | tmux confirm-before | confirm | [-p prompt] [-t target-client] command | tmux copy-mode | | [-eHMuq] [-s src-pane] [-t target-pane] | tmux customize-mode | | [-NZ] [-F format] [-f filter] [-t target-pane] | tmux delete-buffer | deleteb | [-b buffer-name] | tmux detach-client | detach | [-aP] [-E shell-command] [-s target-session] [-t target-client] | tmux display-menu | menu | [-O] [-c target-client] [-t target-pane] [-T title] [-x position] [-y position] name key command ... | tmux display-message | display | [-aINpv] [-c target-client] [-d delay] [-F format] [-t target-pane] [message] | tmux display-popup | popup | [-CE] [-c target-client] [-d start-directory] [-h height] [-t target-pane] [-w width] [-x position] [-y position] [command] | tmux display-panes | displayp | [-bN] [-d duration] [-t target-client] [template] | tmux find-window | findw | [-CiNrTZ] [-t target-pane] match-string | tmux has-session | has | [-t target-session] | tmux if-shell | if | [-bF] [-t target-pane] shell-command command [command] | tmux join-pane | joinp | [-bdfhv] [-l size] [-s src-pane] [-t dst-pane] | tmux kill-pane | killp | [-a] [-t target-pane] | tmux kill-server | |
| tmux kill-session | | [-aC] [-t target-session] | tmux kill-window | killw | [-a] [-t target-window] | tmux last-pane | lastp | [-deZ] [-t target-window] | tmux last-window | last | [-t target-session] | tmux link-window | linkw | [-abdk] [-s src-window] [-t dst-window] | tmux list-buffers | lsb | [-F format] [-f filter] | tmux list-clients | lsc | [-F format] [-t target-session] | tmux list-commands | lscm | [-F format] [command] | tmux list-keys | lsk | [-1aN] [-P prefix-string] [-T key-table] [key] | tmux list-panes | lsp | [-as] [-F format] [-f filter] [-t target-window] | tmux list-sessions | ls | [-F format] [-f filter] | tmux list-windows | lsw | [-a] [-F format] [-f filter] [-t target-session] | tmux load-buffer | loadb | [-b buffer-name] [-t target-client] path | tmux lock-client | lockc | [-t target-client] | tmux lock-server | lock |
| tmux lock-session | locks | [-t target-session] | tmux move-pane | movep | [-bdfhv] [-l size] [-s src-pane] [-t dst-pane] | tmux move-window | movew | [-abdkr] [-s src-window] [-t dst-window] | tmux new-session | new | [-AdDEPX] [-c start-directory] [-e environment] [-F format] [-f flags] [-n window-name] [-s session-name] [-t target-session] [-x width] [-y height] [command] | tmux new-window | neww | [-abdkPS] [-c start-directory] [-e environment] [-F format] [-n window-name] [-t target-window] [command] | tmux next-layout | nextl | [-t target-window] | tmux next-window | next | [-a] [-t target-session] | tmux paste-buffer | pasteb | [-dpr] [-s separator] [-b buffer-name] [-t target-pane] | tmux pipe-pane | pipep | [-IOo] [-t target-pane] [command] | tmux previous-layout | prevl | [-t target-window] | tmux previous-window | prev | [-a] [-t target-session] | tmux refresh-client | refresh | [-cDlLRSU] [-A pane:state] [-B name:what:format] [-C XxY] [-f flags] [-t target-client] [adjustment] | tmux rename-session | rename | [-t target-session] new-name | tmux rename-window | renamew | [-t target-window] new-name | tmux resize-pane | resizep | [-DLMRTUZ] [-x width] [-y height] [-t target-pane] [adjustment] | tmux resize-window | resizew | [-aADLRU] [-x width] [-y height] [-t target-window] [adjustment] | tmux respawn-pane | respawnp | [-k] [-c start-directory] [-e environment] [-t target-pane] [command] | tmux respawn-window | respawnw | [-k] [-c start-directory] [-e environment] [-t target-window] [command] | tmux rotate-window | rotatew | [-DUZ] [-t target-window] | tmux run-shell | run | [-bC] [-d delay] [-t target-pane] [shell-command] | tmux save-buffer | saveb | [-a] [-b buffer-name] path | tmux select-layout | selectl | [-Enop] [-t target-pane] [layout-name] | tmux select-pane | selectp | [-DdeLlMmRUZ] [-T title] [-t target-pane] | tmux select-window | selectw | [-lnpT] [-t target-window] | tmux send-keys | send | [-FHlMRX] [-N repeat-count] [-t target-pane] key ... | tmux send-prefix | | [-2] [-t target-pane] | tmux set-buffer | setb | [-aw] [-b buffer-name] [-n new-buffer-name] [-t target-client] data | tmux set-environment | setenv | [-Fhgru] [-t target-session] name [value] | tmux set-hook | | [-agpRuw] [-t target-pane] hook [command] | tmux set-option | set | [-aFgopqsuUw] [-t target-pane] option [value] | tmux set-window | setw | -option [-aFgoqu] [-t target-window] option [value]
| tmux show-buffer | showb | [-b buffer-name] | tmux show-environment | showenv | [-hgs] [-t target-session] [name] | tmux show-hooks | | [-gpw] [-t target-pane] | tmux show-messages | showmsgs | [-JT] [-t target-client] | tmux show-options | show | [-AgHpqsvw] [-t target-pane] [option] | tmux show-window | showw | -options [-gv] [-t target-window] [option]
| tmux source-file | source | [-Fnqv] path ... | tmux split-window | splitw | [-bdefhIPvZ] [-c start-directory] [-e environment] [-F format] [-l size] [-t target-pane] [command] | tmux start-server | start |
| tmux suspend-client | suspendc | [-t target-client] | tmux swap-pane | swapp | [-dDUZ] [-s src-pane] [-t dst-pane] | tmux swap-window | swapw | [-d] [-s src-window] [-t dst-window] | tmux switch-client | switchc | [-ElnprZ] [-c target-client] [-t target-session] [-T key-table] | tmux unbind-key | unbind | [-anq] [-T key-table] key | tmux unlink-window | unlinkw | [-k] [-t target-window] | tmux wait-for | wait | [-L\|-S\|-U] channel