35+ Shortcuts

Tmux Commands & Terminal Multiplexer Cheat Sheet

The definitive Tmux quick reference: create/attach sessions, split panes horizontally/vertically, zoom panes, copy-mode buffer navigation, and custom configs with 1-click copy.

Sessions Management (5 commands)

Sessions Management

tmux new -s <session_name>

Creates a new named tmux session in the background or terminal.

PRO TIP Naming sessions (e.g. dev, api, prod) makes switching and attaching effortless.

Sessions Management

tmux ls

Lists all currently running tmux sessions and their attached status.

PRO TIP Alias for tmux list-sessions.

Sessions Management

tmux attach -t <session_name>

Attaches your terminal to an existing named session.

PRO TIP Shortcut: tmux a -t .

Sessions Management

tmux kill-session -t <session_name>

Terminates an active session and all processes running within its windows.

PRO TIP Use tmux kill-server to terminate all tmux sessions completely.

Sessions Management

Ctrl+b d

Detaches from the current session, leaving all background tasks executing.

PRO TIP You can safely close SSH and re-attach later from any machine.

Windows (Tabs) (5 commands)

Windows (Tabs)

Ctrl+b c

Creates a brand-new window (tab) inside the current active session.

PRO TIP Windows are listed at the bottom status bar.

Windows (Tabs)

Ctrl+b ,

Renames the current active window.

PRO TIP Keep window titles concise: "editor", "server", "tests".

Windows (Tabs)

Ctrl+b n / Ctrl+b p

Switches to the next (n) or previous (p) window in the session.

PRO TIP Use Ctrl+b <0-9> to jump directly to a specific window number.

Windows (Tabs)

Ctrl+b w

Opens an interactive visual tree list of all sessions and windows.

PRO TIP Use arrow keys and Enter to jump instantly between sessions.

Windows (Tabs)

Ctrl+b &

Kills the current active window (prompts for confirmation y/n).

PRO TIP Close shell by typing exit instead to avoid prompt.

Panes (Split Screen) (7 commands)

Panes (Split Screen)

Ctrl+b %

Splits the current active pane vertically into left and right columns.

PRO TIP Remember % looks like two vertical halves divided by a line.

Panes (Split Screen)

Ctrl+b "

Splits the current active pane horizontally into top and bottom rows.

PRO TIP Remember " looks like two horizontal quotation marks.

Panes (Split Screen)

Ctrl+b <Arrow Keys>

Navigates cursor focus between adjacent panes (Up, Down, Left, Right).

PRO TIP Use Ctrl+b o to rotate focus sequentially through all open panes.

Panes (Split Screen)

Ctrl+b z

Zooms (maximizes) the current pane to full screen; press again to restore split.

PRO TIP Invaluable when viewing wide log outputs or editing code.

Panes (Split Screen)

Ctrl+b x

Kills the current active pane (prompts for confirmation).

PRO TIP Shortcut: type exit in the pane shell to close without prompt.

Panes (Split Screen)

Ctrl+b { / Ctrl+b }

Swaps the position of the current pane with the previous or next pane.

PRO TIP Rearranges pane layouts without killing processes.

Panes (Split Screen)

Ctrl+b q

Briefly displays pane numbers on screen; press the digit to jump there.

PRO TIP Pane index duration can be increased in ~/.tmux.conf.

Copy Mode & Scrolling (3 commands)

Copy Mode & Scrolling

Ctrl+b [

Enters copy/scrollback mode: scroll through terminal history with arrows or PageUp/Down.

PRO TIP Press q to exit copy mode and return to normal prompt.

Copy Mode & Scrolling

Ctrl+b ]

Pastes text previously copied from tmux buffer into the active pane.

PRO TIP Tmux maintains a stack of recent copy buffers.

Copy Mode & Scrolling

set -g mouse on

Enables mouse support: click to focus panes, drag to resize, wheel to scroll.

PRO TIP Add this line to ~/.tmux.conf for modern IDE-like terminal navigation.

Configuration & Customization (2 commands)

Configuration & Customization

tmux source-file ~/.tmux.conf

Reloads tmux configuration file without restarting running sessions.

PRO TIP Bind this to Ctrl+b r in your config for 1-keystroke reloads.

Configuration & Customization

set -g prefix C-a

Changes default prefix from Ctrl+b to Ctrl+a (popular screen compatibility option).

PRO TIP Easier to reach on standard keyboard layouts.