About tmux
tmux is a terminal multiplexer that runs many shell sessions inside one terminal window. It is a long-standing open source tool, used mostly on Linux and macOS systems and servers.
What it does
tmux keeps sessions alive on a machine, so work can continue after an SSH connection drops. You can split a window into panes, arrange several windows inside one session and reattach from another terminal. Commands and key bindings can be scripted to build repeatable setups.
Key features
- Split one terminal into several panes
- Detach from a session and reattach later
- Keep programs running after you disconnect
- Multiple windows inside a single session
- Scriptable with commands and key bindings
- Customize behaviour in a config file
Who it's for
System administrators, developers who work over SSH and anyone who runs long jobs on a server. Local users also use it to keep projects organised in one terminal window.
Pricing and good to know
The source code is public and released under the ISC license, so it is free to use. It is installed through common package managers on Linux and macOS. Windows users usually run it inside a Linux environment such as WSL, since it is a Unix tool. Learning its key bindings takes some practice, but the basics are quick to pick up.
Highlights
- Split one terminal into several panes
- Detach from a session and reattach later
- Keep programs running after you disconnect
- Multiple windows inside a single session
- Scriptable with commands and key bindings
- Customize behaviour in a config file
