Tmux Configuration

I use tmux infrequently as I'm usually running a bunch of Terminals from within Emacs. Laugh all you want, but Emacs is my terminal multiplexer. That said, frequent network connectivity and long-running jobs make a tmux helpful on a remote server.

Remote Installation

  sudo yum install -y tmux

And on my Ubuntu systems:

  sudo dpkg install tmux

Remote Configuration

Copy the following to $HOME/~/.tmux.conf:

    set-option -g prefix C-`

    set -g status-right "| docker "
    set-option -g allow-rename off

    # Start windows and panes at 1, not 0
    set -g base-index 1
    set -g pane-base-index 1

    # Bind function keys.
    bind -n F1 select-window -t 1
    bind -n F2 select-window -t 2
    bind -n F3 select-window -t 3
    bind -n F4 select-window -t 4
    bind -n F5 select-window -t 5
    bind -n F6 select-window -t 6
    bind -n F7 select-window -t 7
    bind -n F8 select-window -t 8
    bind -n F9 select-window -t 9
    bind -n F10 select-window -t 10

Not sure why screen and tmux chose such awful prefix keybindings as C-a and C-b, so I change this to C-`.

I'm not a tmux power user, as changing windows is about all I do, so I bind the function keys to change tabs.

The following ~/.bash_aliases enhance tmux:

  #!/bin/sh
  # The following aliases have been installed on this machine.
  # - `nw` to create a new Tmux window. Give ‘er a command.
  alias nw='tmux new-window'

  # - `root` for a TMUX window as the root user.
  alias root='nw -n root "sudo su -" '

When using Docker sessions on the remote system, the go and logs opens a new window:

  # - `go` to connect to a docker container
  function go {
      nw -n "$1" "sudo docker exec -it $1 bash"
  }

  # - `logs` for displaying the logs from a container
  function logs {
      nw -n $1-logs "sudo docker logs -f $*"
  }

After writing a number of helper aliases, I find it helpful to see those aliases when I roll into a remote server, so put this in the .bashrc file:

  if [ "$HOME/.bash_aliases" ]
  then
      source "$HOME/.bash_aliases"
      grep '^# ' "$HOME/.bash_aliases" | sed 's/^# *//'
      echo
  fi

Note: this can interfere with Tramp.

Local Access

For a collection of long-running and highly verbose programs (like a remote Anisble run), I use iTerm on a MacOS with a special binding to create Mac-widgets in tmux.

  ssh -t laptop 'tmux -CC attach || tmux -CC'

3.4 KiB Raw Blame History Unescape Escape

Tmux Configuration

Remote Installation

Remote Configuration

Local Access

3.4 KiB

Raw Blame History