# tmux Workflow Cheatsheet

> A practical guide for starting sessions, splitting panes, navigating windows, and keeping long-running terminal work organized instead of chaotic. Most shortcuts start with the prefix `Ctrl-b`. Press the prefix first, then the next key.

Source: https://tmux.cobanov.dev/
Part of the cobanov.dev cheatsheet set. Companions: https://git.cobanov.dev/llms.txt, https://vim.cobanov.dev/llms.txt

Mental model: sessions hold projects, windows group tasks, panes split focus.

## 01. Create, list, attach, and kill sessions
This is the tmux backbone when you want work to survive terminal restarts.
```
tmux new -s work
tmux ls
tmux attach -t work
tmux kill-session -t work
```

## 02. Leave a session running and come back later
Detach now, then reattach from another terminal or after a reboot.
```
Ctrl-b d
tmux attach -t work
```

## 03. Open and navigate windows
Think of windows as task groups inside the same session.
```
Ctrl-b c        # create window
Ctrl-b n        # next window
Ctrl-b p        # previous window
Ctrl-b ,        # rename window
Ctrl-b 0..9     # jump to window N
```

## 04. Split the terminal into panes
Use panes when you want logs, editor, and shell visible at the same time.
```
Ctrl-b %           # split vertically
Ctrl-b "           # split horizontally
Ctrl-b arrow-key   # move between panes
Ctrl-b x           # close current pane
```

## 05. Resize panes and zoom the one you care about
Good for temporarily promoting one pane without losing the grid.
```
Ctrl-b Alt-Left
Ctrl-b Alt-Right
Ctrl-b Alt-Up
Ctrl-b Alt-Down
Ctrl-b z        # toggle zoom on current pane
```

## 06. Scroll, search, and copy from history
Enter copy mode when the output is already off-screen.
```
Ctrl-b [        # enter copy mode
/text           # search forward
n               # next match
Space           # start selection
Enter           # copy selection
```

## 07. Jump around windows and sessions visually
These pickers help when you have several things running at once.
```
Ctrl-b w        # window picker
Ctrl-b s        # session picker
Ctrl-b $        # rename session
```

## 08. Send the same command to every pane
Very handy when you intentionally need mirrored commands in multiple panes.
```
Ctrl-b :setw synchronize-panes on
# type once, every pane receives it
Ctrl-b :setw synchronize-panes off
```

## 09. Swap panes or reorganize the current layout
Useful after a split order that felt right at first but no longer does.
```
Ctrl-b o        # cycle through panes
Ctrl-b Space    # cycle layouts
Ctrl-b {        # swap with previous
Ctrl-b }        # swap with next
```

## 10. Rename sessions and windows so they stay readable
A named tmux setup is much easier to return to later.
```
Ctrl-b ,
Ctrl-b $
tmux rename-session -t work api
```

## 11. Reload tmux config after editing it
No need to restart tmux just to test a mapping or setting change.
```
tmux source-file ~/.tmux.conf
```

## 12. Close the current pane, window, or whole session
Choose the smallest thing to close so you do not accidentally kill unrelated work.
```
exit
Ctrl-b &        # kill current window
tmux kill-session -t work
```

## Rules of thumb
- prefix first, then the command
- sessions hold projects · windows group tasks · panes split focus