Many at thoughtbot run their editor+shell combos inside of tmux. Some remote pair program with ssh, vim, and tmux.
Getting started with tmux, these are the questions I’ve had.
How do I get started
Install tmux, read the documentation, and fire it up.
brew install tmux
man tmux
tmux -u
Can I make the environment look good
Yes. We have these lines in tmux.conf in
thoughtbot/dotfiles:
# improve colors
set -g default-terminal "screen-256color"
# soften status bar color from harsh green to light gray
set -g status-bg '#666666'
set -g status-fg '#aaaaaa'
# remove administrative debris (session name, hostname, time) in status bar
set -g status-left ''
set -g status-right ''
What’s a prefix
The “prefix” namespaces tmux commands. By default it is Ctrl+b. In our
tmux.conf in thoughtbot/dotfiles, we bound it to Ctrl+a:
# act like GNU screen
unbind C-b
set -g prefix C-a
How can I scroll up to see my backtraces
This was non-obvious to me.
Enter “copy mode”:
prefix+[
Use vim bindings to page up and down:
Ctrl+b
Ctrl+f
How can I copy text
Add this to your tmux.conf:
# enable copy-paste http://goo.gl/DN82E
# enable RubyMotion http://goo.gl/WDlCy
set -g default-command "reattach-to-user-namespace -l zsh"
How can I make tmux act more like vim
Add this to your tmux.conf to use vim’s home-row keys for movement between
windows and panes:
# act like vim
setw -g mode-keys vi
bind h select-pane -L
bind j select-pane -D
bind k select-pane -U
bind l select-pane -R
bind-key -r C-h select-window -t :-
bind-key -r C-l select-window -t :+
How do I name sessions
One day I might work on Airbrake. Another day, a client project. I’d like to name my tmux sessions so I can leave one, drop into another, and go back to the original with all my state maintained (files still open in my editor, console/logs I want open, etc.).
Create a new session:
tmux new -s airbrake
Attach to a session:
tmux attach -t airbrake
How do I split and move between windows
Create a window:
prefix c
Move to window 1:
prefix 1
Move to window 2:
prefix 2
Kill a window:
prefix x
I believe in setting my mouse free but it takes time for muscle memory to make this fast.
How do I reload ~/.tmux.conf
After editing ~/.tmux.conf, execute this from a shell:
tmux source-file ~/.tmux.conf
Give it a shot
I’ve had a love-hate relationship with tmux in my first week using it, but the brief moments of flow I’ve experienced so far are enough to keep trying it.
Give tmux a shot and if you have any other tips, I’d love to hear them.