tmux cheatsheet
By resources
sessions
list-sessions ls -- List sessions managed by server
new-session new -- Create a new session
kill-session -- Destroy a given session
rename-session rename -- Rename a session
attach-session attach -- Attach or switch to a session
has-session has -- Check and report if a ses is on server
set-option set -- Set a session option
lock-session -- Lock all clients attached to a session
windows
list-windows
new-window neww -- Create a new window
kill-window killw -- Destroy a given window
rename-window renamew -- Rename a window
choose-session -- Put a window into session choice mode
choose-window -- Put a window into window choice mode
select-window selectw -- Select a window
find-window findw -- Search for a pattern in windows
last-window last -- Select the previously selected window
move-window movew -- Move a window to another
next-window next -- Move to the next window in a session
previous-window prev -- Move to the previous window in a session
refresh-client refresh -- Refresh a client
respawn-window respawnw -- Reuse a wd in which a command has exited
rotate-window rotatew -- Rotate positions of panes in a window
swap-window swapw -- Swap two windows
unlink-window unlinkw -- Unlink a window
select-layout selectl -- Choose a layout for a window
select-prompt -- Open a prompt to enter a window index
set-window-option setw -- Set a window option
panes
list-panes lsp -- List panes of a window
kill-pane killp -- Destroy a given pane
pipe-pane pipep -- Pipe out from a pane to a sh command
resize-pane resizep -- Resize a pane
display-panes displayp -- Disp an indicator for each visible pane
select-pane selectp -- Make a pane the active one in the window
up-pane upp -- Move up a pane
down-pane downp -- Move down a pane
resize-pane resizep -- Resize a pane
swap-pane swapp -- Swap two panes
split-window splitw -- Splits a pane into two
join-pane joinp -- Split a pane and move an existing one into the new space
break-pane breakp -- Break a pane from an existing into a new window
capture-pane capturep -- Capture the contents of a pane to a buffer
clients
switch-client switchc -- Switch the client to another session
suspend-client suspendc -- Suspend a client
refresh-client refresh -- Refresh a client
lock-client -- Lock a client
list-clients lsc -- List clients attached to server
detach-client detach -- Detach a client from the server
choose-client -- Put a window into client choice mode
show-messages showmsgs -- Show client's message log
display-message display -- Display a message in the status line
server
server-info info -- Show server information
start-server start -- Start a tmux server
kill-server -- Kill clients, sessions and server
lock-server lock -- Lock all clients attached to the server
shell
run-shell run -- Execute a command without creating a new window
if-shell if -- Execute a tmux command if a shell-command succeeded
pipe-pane pipep -- Pipe output from a pane to a shell command
keys
bind-key bind -- Bind a key to a command
unbind-key unbind -- Unbind a key
list-keys lsk -- List all key-bindings
paste buffers
capture-pane capturep -- Capture the contents of a pane to a buffer
copy-buffer copyb -- Copy session paste buffers
delete-buffer deleteb -- Delete a paste buffer
list-buffers lsb -- List paste buffers of a session
load-buffer loadb -- Load a file into a paste buffer
paste-buffer pasteb -- Insert a paste buffer into the window
save-buffer saveb -- Save a paste buffer to a file
set-buffer setb -- Set contents of a paster buffer
show-buffer showb -- Display the contents of a paste buffer
By functionality
options
set-option set -- Set a session option
set-window-option setw -- Set a window option
list stuff
list-sessions ls -- List sessions managed by server
list-windows lsw -- List windows of a session
list-panes lsp -- List panes of a window
list-buffers lsb -- List paste buffers of a session
list-clients lsc -- List clients attached to server
list-commands lscm -- List supported sub-commands
list-keys lsk -- List all key-bindings
Typical usage
flags
e.g.
session-like: [-AdDP]
window-like: [-adkP]
arguments
[-c start-directory]
[-F format]
[-n window-name]
[-s session-name]
[-b buffer-name]
[-t : target-client, target-session target-window, or target-pane]
[-x width]
[-y height]
[command]
examples
tmux new-session -s <session-name>
tmux attach-session -t <target-session>
tmux load-buffer -b <buffer-name> <path>
tmux save-buffer -b <buffer-name> <path>
tmux show-buffer -b <buffer-name>
tmux paste-buffer -b <buffer-name> -t <target-pane>
Working with sessions
$ Rename the current session.
Working with clients
d Detach the current client.
( Switch the attached client to the previous session.
) Switch the attached client to the next session.
D Choose a client to detach.
L Switch the attached client back to the last session.
r Force redraw of the attached client.
s Select a new session for the attached client interactively.
Working with windows
c Create a new window.
, Rename the current window.
0 to 9 Select windows 0 to 9
l Move to the previously selected window.
n Change to the next window.
p Change to the previous window
w Choose the current window interactively
. Prompt for an index to move the current window.
& Kill the current window.
' Prompt for a window index to select
f Prompt to search for text in open windows.
i Display some information about the current window.
Working with panes
" Split the current pane into two, top and bottom
% Split the current pane into two, left and right
z Toggle zoom state of the current pane.
o Select the next pane in the current window
Up, Down, Left, Right Change to the pane relative of the current pane.
; Move to the previously active pane
q Briefly display pane indexes
! Break the current pane out of the window
m Mark the current pane (see select-pane -m)
M Clear the marked pane
C-o Rotate the panes in the current window forwards
{ Swap the current pane with the previous pane.
} Swap the current pane with the next pane.
x Kill the current pane
Space Arrange the current window in the next preset layout
M-1 to M-5 Arrange panes (preset layouts)
Copy mode
Set vi (or emacs) mode with:
set-window-option -g mode-keys vi <or emacs>
Function vi emacs
Back to indentation ^ M-m
Clear selection Escape C-g
Copy selection Enter M-w
Cursor down j Down
Cursor left h Left
Cursor right l Right
Cursor to bottom line L
Cursor to middle line M M-r
Cursor to top line H M-R
Cursor up k Up
Delete entire line d C-u
Delete to end of line D C-k
End of line $ C-e
Goto line : g
Half page down C-d M-Down
Half page up C-u M-Up
Next page C-f Page down
Next word w M-f
Paste buffer p C-y
Previous page C-b Page up
Previous word b M-b
Quit mode q Escape
Scroll down C-Down or J C-Down
Scroll up C-Up or K C-Up
Search again n n
Search backward ? C-r
Search forward / C-s
Start of line 0 C-a
Start selection Space C-Space
Transpose chars C-t
additional useful key bindings
bind-key -t vi-copy v begin-selection
bind-key -t vi-copy y copy-pipe "reattach-to-user-namespace pbcopy"
unbind -t vi-copy Enter
bind-key -t vi-copy Enter copy-pipe "reattach-to-user-namespace pbcopy"
bind-key -n C-S-Left swap-window -t -1
bind-key -n C-S-Right swap-window -t +1
bind-key -n S-Right next-window
bind-key -n S-Left previous-window