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My personal tmux cheat sheet for working with sessions, windows, and panes. `NB` I have remapped the command prefix to `ctrl` + `a`.
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tmux-vim-cheats.md

Tmux

Sessions

New Session

  • tmux new [-s name] [cmd] (:new) - new session

Switch Session

  • tmux ls (:ls) - list sessions
  • tmux switch [-t name] (:switch) - switches to an existing session
  • tmux as [id] [-t name] (:attach) - attaches to an existing session
  • <C-a>c (:detach) - detach the currently attached session

Session Management

  • <C-a>s - list sessions
  • <C-a>$ - name session

Close Session

  • tmux kill-session [-t name] (:kill-session)

Windows

New Window

  • <C-a>c (:neww [-n name] [cmd]) - new window

Cursor Movement

  • <C-a>[i] (:selectw -t [i]) - go to window [i]
  • <C-a>l - go to last window
  • <C-a>p - go to previous window
  • <C-a>n - go to next window

Window Management

  • <C-a>T - rename window
  • <C-a>, - rename window
  • <C-a>w - list all windows
  • <C-a>f - find window by name
  • <C-a>& (:kill-window) - kill window
  • <C-a>. - move window to another session (promt)
  • :movew - move window to next unused number

Panes

New Pane

  • (%) <C-a>| (:splitw [-v] [-p width] [-t focus] [cmd]) - split current pane vertically
  • (") <C-a>s (:splitw -h [-p width] [-t focus] [cmd]) - split current pane horizontally

Cursor Movement

  • (o) <C-a><Tab> (:selectp -t :.+) - move cursor to the next pane
  • <C-a><Up> (:selectp -U) - move cursor to the pane above
  • <C-a><Down> (:selectp -D) - move cursor to the pane below
  • <C-a><Left> (:selectp -L) - move cursor to the pane to the left
  • <C-a><Right> (:selectp -R) - move cursor to the pane to the right
  • :selectp [i] - move cursor to the pane [i]

Panes Management

  • (:swap-pane -U) - move current pane up
  • (:swap-pane -D) - move current pane down
  • <C-a>{ (:swap-pane -L) - move current pane to the left
  • <C-a>} (:swap-pane -R) - move current pane to the right
  • <C-a>q - show pane numbers (type number to move cursor)
  • <C-a><Space> - toggle pane arrangements

Resize Pane

  • :resize-pane -U [i] - move horizontal divider up by [i] lines
  • :resize-pane -D [i] - move horizontal divider down by [i] lines
  • :resize-pane -L [i] - move vertical divider left by [i] columns
  • :resize-pane -R [i] - move vertical divider right by [i] columns

resize-pane [-DLRUZ] [-x width] [-y height] [-t target-pane] [adjustment]

Close Pane

  • <C-a>x (:kill-pane) - kill current pane

Misc

  • <C-a>t - show time
  • <C-a>r - reload config

VIM

Tab

New Tab

  • :tabnew - new blank tab
  • :tabedit [file] - open file in tab

Cursor Movement

  • gt (:tabn) - next tab
  • gT (:tabp) - previous tab
  • [i]gt - go to tab [i]

Tabs Management

  • :tabs - list open tabs
  • :tabm 0 - move current tab to first position
  • :tabm - move current tab to last position
  • :tabm [i] - move current tab to position [i]

Close Tab

  • :tabc - close current tab
  • :tabo - close all other tabs

Window Split

New Split

  • <C-w>n (:new) - new horizontal split
  • <C-w>s (:split) - split window horizontaly
  • <C-w>v (:vsplit) - split window verticaly

Cursor Movement

  • <C-w>w - next split
  • <C-w>p - previous split
  • <C-w><Up> - move above
  • <C-w><Down> - move bellow
  • <C-w><Left> - move left
  • <C-w><Right> - move right

Splits Movement

  • <C-w>r - rotate to the right
  • <C-w>H - move to the left
  • <C-w>J - move to the bottom
  • <C-w>K - move to the top
  • <C-w>L - move to the right
  • <C-w>T - (:tab split) move split to new tab

Resize Split

  • <C-w>p + - increase height
  • <C-w>p - - decrease height
  • <C-w>p < - increase width
  • <C-w>p > - decrease width

Close Split

  • <C-w>c (:close) - close split
  • <C-w>q (:q) - close split and quit file
  • <C-w>o (:only) - close all other splits

Sources

Tmux

Vim

@hitjim
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hitjim commented Mar 6, 2018

This is awesome! A friend share this sheet when I shared "zoom pane" with our group. https://sanctum.geek.nz/arabesque/zooming-tmux-panes/

Spoilers: in a pane -> <prefix>+z

@tkkcc
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tkkcc commented Oct 11, 2018

You can swap-pane -L?

@neumachen
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swap-pane requires -T.

@fieldse
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fieldse commented Apr 16, 2019 

# Kill other sessions 
tmux kill-session -a

@kostorv
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kostorv commented Apr 23, 2019

Does anyone know what is the line you have to write in tmux.conf in order to resize panes with arrow keys ?

@MosJef
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MosJef commented May 20, 2019

Resize with arrow keys is default behavior?
Ctrl+b, continue to hold Ctrl, Left / Right / Up / Down with resize panes.
Ctrl+b, let go of Ctrl, Letf / Right / Up / Down will switch active panes.

@niya3
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niya3 commented Feb 6, 2020

<C-a>c (:detach) - detach the currently attached session

isn't it <C-a>d ?

@laudai
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laudai commented Oct 30, 2021

In tmux 3.0a version manual
Can't find swap-pane -L / -R options

@MosJef
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MosJef commented Nov 1, 2021 •
edited
Loading

In tmux 3.0a version manual Can't find swap-pane -L / -R options

It hasn't changed. Swap pane L/R is still:
<C-a>{ (:swap-pane -L) - move current pane to the left
<C-a>} (:swap-pane -R) - move current pane to the right

Note: make sure you are holding shift to get { as [ is used for other things.

@laudai
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laudai commented Nov 2, 2021

It hasn't changed. Swap pane L/R is still

This is the manual in tmux 3.0a
圖片

The actually move current pane to right and left command is swap-pane -D / -U
In fact, -D / -U options is move to the next/previous pane number. So it is not work for move the pane to left or right.

test2-2021-11-02_21.45.46.mp4

@MosJef
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MosJef commented Nov 2, 2021

It hasn't changed. Swap pane L/R is still

This is the manual in tmux 3.0a 圖片

The actually move current pane to right and left command is swap-pane -D / -U In fact, -D / -U options is move to the next/previous pane number. So it is not work for move the pane to left or right.
test2-2021-11-02_21.45.46.mp4

This is also in the man page for tmux 3.0a:
image

The default swap pane shortcuts haven't changed. This action only swaps with previous/next, if you need to define panes which are switched you can use the -s and -t options with the swap-pane command as you mentioned.

@laudai
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laudai commented Nov 3, 2021 •
edited
Loading

It hasn't changed. Swap pane L/R is still

This is the manual in tmux 3.0a 圖片
The actually move current pane to right and left command is swap-pane -D / -U In fact, -D / -U options is move to the next/previous pane number. So it is not work for move the pane to left or right.
test2-2021-11-02_21.45.46.mp4

This is also in the man page for tmux 3.0a: image

The default swap pane shortcuts haven't changed. This action only swaps with previous/next, if you need to define panes which are switched you can use the -s and -t options with the swap-pane command as you mentioned.

Yes, so the default action is not move the pane to the right or left.
So it can't move pane like as vim buffer to the right or left in this markdown file say.

@MosJef
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MosJef commented Nov 3, 2021

I get ya, I haven't tested this as I have no need for the workflow, but it looks like:
:bind-key -n C-{ select-pane -L \; swap-pane -s '!'
will select the left pane, and then swap with the previously active pane.

more info here: https://itectec.com/superuser/tmux-keybinding-to-swap-pane-left-or-right/

@laudai
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laudai commented Nov 4, 2021 •
edited
Loading

Yes, it's exactly what I said. :)
The reason normal user can move the pane to right because the pane number is :

 1  |  2             1  |  3
----|-----   not    ----|-----
  3 | 4               2 | 4

So in the previous message. I show the what will happen in different number sequence in tmux pane.

Thank you for your information. I will try later and improve my tmux workflow.
Have a nice day.

@laudai
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laudai commented Nov 9, 2021

I get ya, I haven't tested this as I have no need for the workflow, but it looks like: :bind-key -n C-{ select-pane -L \; swap-pane -s '!' will select the left pane, and then swap with the previously active pane.

more info here: https://itectec.com/superuser/tmux-keybinding-to-swap-pane-left-or-right/

In my tmux workflow. My keybindings is bind -r C-Right swap-pane -s '{right-of}' etc ...
It's more powerful for move smoothly the pane via repeatedly the prefix.

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