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Intro to tmux

The benefit that TMUX provides

Default pane/window support

You can have multiple command-line sessions open without needed a terminal that supports tabs, or having multiple terminal windows open.

Terminal session persistence

they persist even after the terminal is closed, because it attaches to its own process. This is great for long-running processes on servers.

Pair programming

Two people can view each others changes in real time. They need to be sshed into the same machine though

Saving your layout and scripting

With a plugin, you can save you pane/session layout.

You can also write a script that will open panes/windows/sessions in a repeatable manner for testing purposes

Usage

  • changing your prefix key
  • making new panes and swapping between them
  • making new windows and swapping between them
  • detaching
  • switching sessions
  • plugins

alternatives

  • zellij - the new “rewrite it in Rust” alternative
  • screen - the historical precursor

Homework

Record a video of yourself using vim to edit 3 different config files of your choosing. Make sure to include navigating multiple tmux panes and windows. The video should be no longer than a minute and you cannot use the mouse when interacting with either vim or tmux. Submit the video to the appropriate assignment on canvas.