Get started with tmux

Configuration

Edit $HOME/.tmux.conf.

Keyboard shortcut

• Reload .tmux.conf
  Reload configuration file with Ctrl-b r:

  bind-key r source ~/.tmux.conf

• Last active window
  By default, you need to press Ctrl-b l to go to the last window. For faster typing, you can set it to Ctrl-b-b:

  bind-key C-b last-window

• Switch pane
  By default, shortcut for switch pane is Ctrl-b ArrrowKey, add shortcut Alt-ArrowKey for faster switching:

  bind -n M-Left select-pane -L
  bind -n M-Right select-pane -R
  bind -n M-Up select-pane -U
  bind -n M-Down select-pane -D

Theming

Make tmux status bar clean.

set -g status-justify left
set -g status-style "bg=colour0"
set -ag status-style "fg=colour7"
set -g status-left ''

set -g status-right  "'#H'    #[fg=colour15]#(date +"%H:%M")  "
set -ag status-right "#[fg=colour15]#(date +"%d/%m")#[fg=colour8] #(date +"%Y") "

set -g window-status-current-format "#[fg=colour15] #F#I:#W#F "
set -g window-status-format "#[fg=colour8] #F#I:#W#F "

set -g default-terminal "screen-256color"

Common use

Command/Shortcut	Action
tmux	Start new session
tmux new -s saymyname	Start new session with name saymyname
Ctrl-b ?	See all keybindings
Ctrl-b c	Create new window
Ctrl-b ,	Rename window
Ctrl-b 1	Go to window 1
Ctrl-b-b	Go to the last-active window
Ctrl-b "	Split window horizontally
Ctrl-b %	Split window vertically
Ctrl-b ArrowKey, Alt-ArrowKey	Switch pane
Ctrl-b ESC-[1-5]	Change panel layout to style 1 to 5
Ctrl-b z	Toggle zoom for pane
Ctrl-b [	Change to scroll mode ('q' to quit)
Ctrl-b d	Detach current session
tmux ls	Show all sessions
tmux a	Attach last session
tmux a -t saymyname	Attach session with name saymyname

Example ~/.tmux.conf

bind-key C-b last-window

# unbind key for helix
unbind-key -T prefix /

# reload tmux conf
bind-key r source ~/.tmux.conf

# Switch pane with Alt-Arrow
bind -n M-Left select-pane -L
bind -n M-Right select-pane -R
bind -n M-Up select-pane -U
bind -n M-Down select-pane -D

# Support true color
set -ga terminal-overrides ",*256col*:Tc"
# set -g default-terminal "tmux-256color"

# Disable escape timeout for helix
set -sg escape-time 10

# Theme
set -g status-justify left

## COLORSCHEME: gruvbox dark (medium)
set-option -g status "on"

# default statusbar color
set-option -g status-style bg=colour237,fg=colour223 # bg=bg1, fg=fg1

# default window title colors
set-window-option -g window-status-style bg=colour214,fg=colour237 # bg=yellow, fg=bg1

# default window with an activity alert
set-window-option -g window-status-activity-style bg=colour237,fg=colour248 # bg=bg1, fg=fg3

# active window title colors
set-window-option -g window-status-current-style bg=red,fg=colour237 # fg=bg1

# pane border
set-option -g pane-active-border-style fg=colour250 #fg2
set-option -g pane-border-style fg=colour237 #bg1

# message infos
set-option -g message-style bg=colour239,fg=colour223 # bg=bg2, fg=fg1

# writing commands inactive
set-option -g message-command-style bg=colour239,fg=colour223 # bg=fg3, fg=bg1

# pane number display
set-option -g display-panes-active-colour colour250 #fg2
set-option -g display-panes-colour colour237 #bg1

# clock
set-window-option -g clock-mode-colour colour109 #blue

# bell
set-window-option -g window-status-bell-style bg=colour167,fg=colour235 # bg=red, fg=bg

## Theme settings mixed with colors (unfortunately, but there is no cleaner way)
set-option -g status-justify "left"
set-option -g status-left-style none
set-option -g status-left-length "80"
set-option -g status-right-style none
set-option -g status-right-length "80"
set-window-option -g window-status-separator ""

set-option -g status-left "#[bg=colour241,fg=colour248] #S #[bg=colour237,fg=colour241,nobold,noitalics,nounderscore]"
set-option -g status-right "#[bg=colour237,fg=colour239 nobold, nounderscore, noitalics]#[bg=colour239,fg=colour246] %Y-%m-%d  %H:%M #[bg=colour239,fg=colour248,nobold,noitalics,nounderscore]#[bg=colour248,fg=colour237] #h "

set-window-option -g window-status-current-format "#[bg=colour214,fg=colour237,nobold,noitalics,nounderscore]#[bg=colour214,fg=colour239] #I #[bg=colour214,fg=colour239,bold] #W#{?window_zoomed_flag,*Z,} #[bg=colour237,fg=colour214,nobold,noitalics,nounderscore]"
set-window-option -g window-status-format "#[bg=colour239,fg=colour237,noitalics]#[bg=colour239,fg=colour223] #I #[bg=colour239,fg=colour223] #W #[bg=colour237,fg=colour239,noitalics]"