tmux¶

tmux is a terminal multiplexer that lets you run multiple terminal sessions within a single window. It keeps sessions alive when you disconnect, making it essential for remote work and complex workflows.

Overview¶

tmux lets you:

Split terminal into multiple panes
Create multiple sessions (workspaces)
Detach and reattach sessions without losing state
Share sessions across SSH connections
Customize every aspect of your terminal experience

Why tmux?¶

Native terminal multiplexing without GUI overhead
Persistent sessions survive SSH disconnections
Keyboard-driven workflow (no mouse needed)
Highly customizable with powerful scripting
Works seamlessly across macOS, Linux, and remote systems

Installation¶

macOS (Homebrew)¶

brew install tmux

Linux¶

# Debian/Ubuntu
sudo apt install tmux

# Fedora
sudo dnf install tmux

# Arch Linux
sudo pacman -S tmux

Norwegian Keyboard Layout¶

The Problem¶

The Norwegian layout has key differences from US layout that cause issues with tmux:

Character	US Key	Norwegian
ae	Alt+Z	a (U+00E5)
o	Alt+L	o (U+00F8)
a	Alt+A	a (U+00E5)

This causes issues because:

Default Ctrl+b prefix requires reaching for b key
Keybindings using these characters may not work as expected
Escape sequences for special characters can interfere with tmux commands
Copy/paste operations may fail for Norwegian text

Solution: Change Prefix to Ctrl+Space¶

# Add to ~/.tmux.conf
unbind C-b
set-option -g prefix C-Space
bind C-Space send-prefix

Benefits:

Space is large, comfortable key on all keyboards
No conflict with Norwegian characters (ae, o, a)
Familiar macOS keyboard shortcut pattern
Works consistently across local and remote sessions

Quick Start¶

# Create new named session
tmux new -s dev

# Attach to existing session
tmux attach -t dev
tmux a -t dev           # Short form

# List sessions
tmux ls

# Kill session
tmux kill-session -t dev

Core Concepts¶

tmux organizes terminals in a hierarchy:

Server (runs in background)
-- Session (named workspace)
    -- Window (like browser tabs)
        -- Pane (split within a window)

Session: A collection of windows, persists when detached
Window: A full terminal screen within a session
Pane: A split section within a window

Prefix Key¶

All tmux commands start with the prefix key.

Default: Ctrl+b
Recommended for Norwegian: Ctrl+Space

Prefix + <command>

For example, to split horizontally: Ctrl+Space then h

Complete Configuration for Norwegian Layout¶

# ~/.tmux.conf - Norwegian-optimized tmux configuration

# ============================================
# Prefix Key (Norwegian-friendly)
# ============================================

# Change prefix from Ctrl+b to Ctrl+Space
unbind C-b
set-option -g prefix C-Space

# Bind Ctrl+Space to send prefix to nested tmux
bind C-Space send-prefix

# ============================================
# General Settings
# ============================================

# Enable mouse support (scrolling, pane selection, window selection)
set -g mouse on

# Set terminal type for proper color support
set -g default-terminal "screen-256color"

# Enable true color support (for Neovim, etc.)
set -ga terminal-overrides ",xterm-256color:Tc"

# Start window numbering at 1 (easier to reach on keyboard)
set -g base-index 1

# Start pane numbering at 1
setw -g pane-base-index 1

# Renumber windows when one is closed
set -g renumber-windows on

# Increase scrollback buffer size
set -g history-limit 50000

# Reduce escape time (important for Vim/Neovim)
set -sg escape-time 0

# Increase display time for messages
set -g display-time 4000

# Refresh status bar more often
set -g status-interval 5

# Focus events for Vim/Neovim autoread
set -g focus-events on

# Don't rename windows automatically
set -g allow-rename off

# Enable vi mode
set -g mode-keys vi

# UTF-8 support
set -g status-utf8 on

# ============================================
# Norwegian-Friendly Key Bindings
# ============================================

# Pane navigation (h,j,k,l - home row, no conflicts with Norwegian)
bind h select-pane -L
bind C-h select-pane -L
bind j select-pane -D
bind C-j select-pane -D
bind k select-pane -U
bind C-k select-pane -U
bind l select-pane -R
bind C-l select-pane -R

# Pane splitting (use current directory)
bind v split-window -h -c "#{pane_current_path}"
bind s split-window -v -c "#{pane_current_path}"

# Unbind default split keys
unbind '"'
unbind %

# Window navigation
bind -n C-n next-window
bind -n C-p previous-window

# Create new window in current directory
bind c new-window -c "#{pane_current_path}"

# Resize panes
bind -r Left resize-pane -L 5
bind -r Right resize-pane -R 5
bind -r Up resize-pane -U 5
bind -r Down resize-pane -D 5

bind -r H resize-pane -L 10
bind -r J resize-pane -D 5
bind -r K resize-pane -U 5
bind -r L resize-pane -R 10

# Kill pane/window without confirmation
bind x kill-pane
bind X kill-window

# Reload config
bind r source-file ~/.tmux.conf \; display-message "Config reloaded!"

# Zoom pane
bind z resize-pane -Z

# Detach
bind d detach-client

# ============================================
# Copy Mode (Vi-style)
# ============================================

# Enter copy mode
bind [ copy-mode
bind ] copy-mode

# Vi-style selection and copy
bind -T copy-mode-vi v send-keys -X begin-selection
bind -T copy-mode-vi y send-keys -X copy-pipe-and-cancel "pbcopy"

# Mouse selection copies to clipboard
bind -T copy-mode-vi MouseDragEnd1Pane send-keys -X copy-pipe-and-cancel "pbcopy"

# ============================================
# Status Bar
# ============================================

# Status bar position
set -g status-position bottom

# Status bar colors (Tokyo Night theme)
set -g status-style 'bg=#1a1b26 fg=#a9b1d6'

# Status bar content
set -g status-left-length 40
set -g status-right-length 60

# Left: session name
set -g status-left '#[fg=#7aa2f7,bold] #S #[default]'

# Right: date and time
set -g status-right '#[fg=#565f89]%Y-%m-%d #[fg=#7aa2f7]%H:%M '

# Window status format
setw -g window-status-format '#[fg=#565f89] #I:#W '
setw -g window-status-current-format '#[fg=#7aa2f7,bold] #I:#W '

# ============================================
# Pane Borders
# ============================================

set -g pane-border-style 'fg=#3b4261'
set -g pane-active-border-style 'fg=#7aa2f7'

# ============================================
# Messages
# ============================================

set -g message-style 'bg=#1a1b26 fg=#7aa2f7'

# ============================================
# Activity Monitoring
# ============================================

# Don't show activity notifications
set -g visual-activity off
set -g visual-bell off
set -g visual-silence off
setw -g monitor-activity off
set -g bell-action none

# ============================================
# Plugins (using TPM)
# ============================================

# Install TPM: git clone https://github.com/tmux-plugins/tpm ~/.tmux/plugins/tpm

# set -g @plugin 'tmux-plugins/tpm'
# set -g @plugin 'tmux-plugins/tmux-sensible'
# set -g @plugin 'tmux-plugins/tmux-resurrect'
# set -g @plugin 'tmux-plugins/tmux-continuum'
# set -g @plugin 'tmux-plugins/tmux-yank'

# Initialize TPM (keep at bottom)
# run '~/.tmux/plugins/tpm/tpm'

Key Bindings Reference¶

Norwegian-Optimized Bindings¶

With Ctrl+Space as prefix:

Key	Action
`Ctrl+Space h`	Select left pane
`Ctrl+Space j`	Select down pane
`Ctrl+Space k`	Select up pane
`Ctrl+Space l`	Select right pane
`Ctrl+Space v`	Split vertically
`Ctrl+Space s`	Split horizontally
`Ctrl+Space c`	Create new window
`Ctrl+Space x`	Kill pane
`Ctrl+Space X`	Kill window
`Ctrl+Space d`	Detach session
`Ctrl+Space [`	Enter copy mode
`Ctrl+Space z`	Toggle pane zoom
`Ctrl+Space r`	Reload config
`Ctrl+Space :`	Command prompt
`Ctrl+Space ?`	List all key bindings

Session Management¶

Key	Action
`Ctrl+Space d`	Detach from session
`Ctrl+Space s`	List sessions
`Ctrl+Space $`	Rename session
`Ctrl+Space (`	Switch to previous session
`Ctrl+Space )`	Switch to next session

Window Management¶

Key	Action
`Ctrl+Space c`	Create new window
`Ctrl+Space ,`	Rename window
`Ctrl+Space n`	Next window
`Ctrl+Space p`	Previous window
`Ctrl+Space 0-9`	Switch to window by number
`Ctrl+Space w`	List windows
`Ctrl+Space &`	Kill window

Pane Management¶

Key	Action
`Ctrl+Space v`	Split vertically
`Ctrl+Space s`	Split horizontally
`Ctrl+Space h/j/k/l`	Navigate panes
`Ctrl+Space x`	Kill pane
`Ctrl+Space z`	Toggle zoom (fullscreen)
`Ctrl+Space {`	Move pane left
`Ctrl+Space }`	Move pane right
`Ctrl+Space space`	Cycle pane layouts
`Ctrl+Space q`	Show pane numbers

Copy Mode (Vi-style)¶

Key	Action
`Ctrl+Space [`	Enter copy mode
`q`	Exit copy mode
`v`	Start selection
`V`	Line selection
`y`	Copy selection
`Enter`	Copy selection
`Ctrl+Space ]`	Paste buffer
`j/k`	Move down/up
`g/G`	Go to top/bottom
`w/b`	Next/previous word
`/`	Search forward
`?`	Search backward
`n/N`	Next/previous match

Remote Server Usage¶

SSH with tmux Auto-Start¶

Configure ~/.ssh/config:

Host prod-server
    User dev-user
    HostName prod.example.com
    RemoteCommand tmux new -A -s prod
    RequestTTY yes
    SendEnv LANG LC_ALL

Host dev-server
    User dev-user
    HostName dev.example.com
    RemoteCommand tmux new -A -s dev
    RequestTTY yes
    SendEnv LANG LC_ALL

Usage:

# Connect to production (starts tmux session automatically)
ssh prod-server

# Detach: Ctrl+Space d
# Reconnect: ssh prod-server (resumes session)

Keyboard Layout on Remote Servers¶

The Problem:

When SSHing from macOS (Norwegian) to Linux (US/Default):

macOS sends Norwegian keycodes
Remote tmux interprets with US keyboard mapping
Result: Wrong characters and broken keybindings

Solutions:

Solution 1: Set remote keyboard to Norwegian

# On remote Linux system
sudo dpkg-reconfigure keyboard-configuration

# Or set specifically
setxkbmap -layout "no"

# Make persistent
echo 'setxkbmap -layout "no"' >> ~/.bashrc

Solution 2: Use SSH -X for forwarding

# Forward special characters properly
ssh -X user@remote-server

Solution 3: Sync tmux config

# Sync config to remote
rsync -avz ~/.tmux.conf user@remote-server:~/.tmux.conf

# Or use Git dotfiles

Nested tmux Sessions¶

When SSH'ing into a server with tmux, use different prefixes:

# Local: Ctrl+Space
# Remote: Ctrl+a (add to remote ~/.tmux.conf)
set -g prefix C-a
unbind C-b
bind C-a send-prefix

Now local tmux uses Ctrl+Space and remote uses Ctrl+a.

Session Commands¶

# Create session
tmux new-session -s dev
tmux new -s dev                 # Short form

# Create detached session
tmux new -d -s background

# List sessions
tmux list-sessions
tmux ls

# Attach to session
tmux attach -t dev
tmux a -t dev

# Attach or create if doesn't exist
tmux new -A -s dev

# Kill session
tmux kill-session -t dev

# Kill all sessions
tmux kill-server

# Rename session
tmux rename-session -t old new

Window Commands¶

# Create window
tmux new-window -t dev
tmux new-window -t dev -n logs  # Named window

# Rename window
tmux rename-window -t dev:1 editor

# Kill window
tmux kill-window -t dev:1

# Select window
tmux select-window -t dev:2

Pane Commands¶

# Split panes
tmux split-window -h            # Horizontal
tmux split-window -v            # Vertical

# Resize pane
tmux resize-pane -D 10          # Down 10 lines
tmux resize-pane -U 10          # Up 10 lines
tmux resize-pane -L 10          # Left 10 columns
tmux resize-pane -R 10          # Right 10 columns

Layouts¶

tmux has built-in layouts:

Layout	Description
`even-horizontal`	Panes spread left to right
`even-vertical`	Panes spread top to bottom
`main-horizontal`	Large pane on top, smaller below
`main-vertical`	Large pane on left, smaller on right
`tiled`	Even grid

Cycle layouts with Ctrl+Space space or set directly:

tmux select-layout main-vertical

Plugins with TPM¶

Install TPM¶

git clone https://github.com/tmux-plugins/tpm ~/.tmux/plugins/tpm

Essential Plugins¶

Add to ~/.tmux.conf:

# Plugin manager
set -g @plugin 'tmux-plugins/tpm'

# Sensible defaults
set -g @plugin 'tmux-plugins/tmux-sensible'

# Save and restore sessions
set -g @plugin 'tmux-plugins/tmux-resurrect'
set -g @plugin 'tmux-plugins/tmux-continuum'

# Better copy/paste (important for Norwegian text)
set -g @plugin 'tmux-plugins/tmux-yank'

# Initialize (keep at bottom)
run '~/.tmux/plugins/tpm/tpm'

TPM Commands¶

Key	Action
`Ctrl+Space I`	Install plugins
`Ctrl+Space U`	Update plugins
`Ctrl+Space Alt+u`	Uninstall plugins

tmux-yank Configuration¶

Essential for proper Norwegian text copy/paste:

# macOS clipboard integration
set -g @yank-selection-command 'pbcopy'
set -g @yank-selection-primary-command 'pbcopy'
set -g @yank-action 'copy-pipe-no-clear'

tmux-resurrect and tmux-continuum¶

Save and restore sessions across restarts:

set -g @plugin 'tmux-plugins/tmux-resurrect'
set -g @plugin 'tmux-plugins/tmux-continuum'

# Auto-restore on tmux start
set -g @continuum-restore 'on'

# Save interval in minutes
set -g @continuum-save-interval '10'

# Restore vim/neovim sessions
set -g @resurrect-strategy-vim 'session'
set -g @resurrect-strategy-nvim 'session'

Key	Action
`Ctrl+Space Ctrl+s`	Save session
`Ctrl+Space Ctrl+r`	Restore session

Profile-Based Sessions¶

Development Profile¶

Create ~/.tmux/profiles/dev.sh:

#!/bin/bash
SESSION="dev"

tmux has-session -t $SESSION 2>/dev/null

if [ $? != 0 ]; then
    # Create session with editor window
    tmux new-session -d -s $SESSION -n editor
    tmux send-keys -t $SESSION:editor "nvim" Enter

    # Shell window
    tmux new-window -t $SESSION -n shell

    # Server window
    tmux new-window -t $SESSION -n server
    tmux send-keys -t $SESSION:server "npm run dev" Enter

    # Logs window with splits
    tmux new-window -t $SESSION -n logs
    tmux split-window -h -t $SESSION:logs
    tmux send-keys -t $SESSION:logs.0 "tail -f app.log" Enter
    tmux send-keys -t $SESSION:logs.1 "tail -f error.log" Enter

    # Select editor window
    tmux select-window -t $SESSION:editor
fi

tmux attach -t $SESSION

Shell Aliases¶

# Add to ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc
alias tmux-dev='~/.tmux/profiles/dev.sh'
alias tmux-prod='~/.tmux/profiles/prod.sh'

Troubleshooting Norwegian Layout Issues¶

Characters Not Appearing¶

Problem: Norwegian characters (ae, o, a) don't appear or show as different symbols.

Solutions:

Check terminal font support:
```
echo "ae o a O A AE"
```

Verify UTF-8:

# In ~/.bashrc
export LANG="nb_NO.UTF-8"
export LC_ALL="nb_NO.UTF-8"

In tmux config:

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

Prefix Key Not Working¶

Problem: Ctrl+Space doesn't respond.

Solutions:

Check for conflicting bindings:
```
tmux list-keys | grep "C-Space"
```
Test prefix in fresh session:
```
tmux -f /dev/null new-session
```
Verify terminal sends correct codes (use Ghostty, iTerm2, or Alacritty)

Copy/Paste Issues¶

Problem: Can't copy Norwegian text or paste doesn't work.

Solutions:

Use tmux-yank plugin:

set -g @plugin 'tmux-plugins/tmux-yank'
set -g @yank-selection-command 'pbcopy'

Enable OSC 52:
```
set -g set-clipboard on
```
In iTerm2: Preferences > Profiles > General > Enable "Applications in terminal may access clipboard"

Slow Escape Key¶

Add to config:

set -sg escape-time 0

Colors Not Working¶

# Check terminal supports 256 colors
echo $TERM

# In tmux.conf
set -g default-terminal "screen-256color"
set -ga terminal-overrides ",xterm-256color:Tc"

Performance Optimization¶

# Reduce input lag
set -s escape-time 0
set -g status-interval 5

# Limit history
set -g history-limit 10000

# Disable bells
set -g bell-action none
set -g visual-bell off

# Disable activity monitoring
set -g visual-activity off
setw -g monitor-activity off

Quick Reference¶

Essential Commands¶

tmux new -s name              # New session
tmux attach -t name           # Attach to session
tmux ls                       # List sessions
tmux kill-session -t name     # Kill session
tmux source-file ~/.tmux.conf # Reload config
tmux list-keys                # Show keybindings

Common Workflows¶

Development workflow:

# Start dev session
tmux new -s dev

# Split into panes:
# Ctrl+Space v (vertical split) - left: editor
# Ctrl+Space s (horizontal split) - top right: server
# Ctrl+Space s (horizontal split) - bottom right: tests

# Navigate between panes
# Ctrl+Space h/j/k/l

# Create new window for different service
# Ctrl+Space c

Multi-project workflow:

# Named sessions for each project
tmux new -s project-a
tmux new -s project-b

# Switch between projects
tmux ls
tmux switch-client -t project-a

# Each session maintains its own layout

Summary Checklist for Norwegian Layout¶

Change prefix from Ctrl+b to Ctrl+Space
Use terminal with good keyboard handling (Ghostty, iTerm2, Alacritty)
Configure SSH hosts for proper locale (SendEnv LANG LC_ALL)
Install tmux-yank for macOS clipboard
Configure tmux-resurrect for session persistence
Use h/j/k/l navigation (avoids Norwegian character conflicts)
Test Norwegian character input in copy mode
Document your custom configuration

Ghostty - Modern terminal with good keyboard support
Neovim - Terminal editor that works well with tmux
Starship - Cross-shell prompt
lazygit - Git TUI that works in tmux panes

tmux¶

Overview¶

Why tmux?¶

Installation¶

macOS (Homebrew)¶

Linux¶

Norwegian Keyboard Layout¶

The Problem¶

Solution: Change Prefix to Ctrl+Space¶

Quick Start¶

Core Concepts¶

Prefix Key¶

Complete Configuration for Norwegian Layout¶

Key Bindings Reference¶

Norwegian-Optimized Bindings¶

Session Management¶

Window Management¶

Pane Management¶

Copy Mode (Vi-style)¶

Remote Server Usage¶

SSH with tmux Auto-Start¶

Keyboard Layout on Remote Servers¶

Nested tmux Sessions¶

Session Commands¶

Window Commands¶

Pane Commands¶

Layouts¶

Plugins with TPM¶

Install TPM¶

Essential Plugins¶

TPM Commands¶

tmux-yank Configuration¶

tmux-resurrect and tmux-continuum¶

Profile-Based Sessions¶

Development Profile¶

Shell Aliases¶

Troubleshooting Norwegian Layout Issues¶

Characters Not Appearing¶

Prefix Key Not Working¶

Copy/Paste Issues¶

Slow Escape Key¶

Colors Not Working¶

Performance Optimization¶

Quick Reference¶

Essential Commands¶

Common Workflows¶

Summary Checklist for Norwegian Layout¶

Related Tools¶