Tmux Usage

I use xfce4-terminal which is really awesome. It light on my computer and yet heavy on features. It has tabs, a drop down terminal option, and many more.

However, I soon came to realize I needed something more. Something that I could use with together with the features of xfce4-terminal. That's when I got to find tmux.

Tmux put simple is a terminal multiplexer, meaning it gives you multiple terminals within the same window i.e kinda like tabs but more powerful. You can have multiple windows on the same screen(it works like vsplit and hsplit of vim) and multiple windows in the same session.

To make you understand, I just have to show you how to use it:

sudo pacman -S tmux

To start a tmux session:

tmux

After than you can create mutliple windows on screen or in buffers

C-b c " creates a new buffer
C-b , ' renames a new buffer
C-b number "moves to the numbered buffer
C-b " 'Creates a vsplit
C-b % "creates a hsplit

To move through sections I wanted to use vim directional buttons h,j,k,l so I had to configure this in tmux config file. So I created a .tmux.conf in my home folder and added the following:

bind -r k select-pane -U 
bind -r j select-pane -D 
bind -r h select-pane -L 
bind -r l select-pane -R

So if I have multiplw window splits on screen, I just do:

C-b h/j/k/l " move to window

I also set the resizing of split to use

bind -r C-k resize-pane -U
bind -r C-j resize-pane -D
bind -r C-h resize-pane -L
bind -r C-l resize-pane -R

So to resize a window split I just do:

C-b C-h/j/k/l

If you have multiple windows and have exited from one, the numbering is usually flawed ie. it can be 1,2,4,5. To renumber the windows, I do

C-n : "command mode
movew -r "renumber the windows