Every tmux command
you actually need, on one page.

Reference

Every binding below is shown with your prefix. Pick one and the whole page updates.

Your prefixtmux default

Sessions

Long-lived workspaces. Detach, reattach, never lose state.

$ tmux

Start a new session
$ tmux new -s <name>

Start a named session
$ tmux ls

List running sessions
$ tmux attach

Attach to last session
$ tmux attach -t <name>

Attach to a specific session
$ tmux kill-session -t <name>

Kill a session by name
$ tmux kill-server

Kill the tmux server and all sessions
C-bthend

Detach from current session
C-bthens

Show session tree
C-bthen$

Rename current session
C-bthen(

Switch to previous session
C-bthen)

Switch to next session

Windows

Tabs within a session. One per task.

C-bthenc

Create a new window
C-bthen,

Rename current window
C-bthen&

Close current window
C-bthenw

List all windows
C-bthenn

Next window
C-bthenp

Previous window
C-bthen0

Switch to window 0 (1–9 for others)
C-bthenl

Toggle to last window
C-bthenf

Find window by name
C-bthen.

Move window to new index

Panes

Split the current window. Code, logs, tests side by side.

C-bthen%

Split pane vertically
C-bthen"

Split pane horizontally
C-btheno

Cycle to next pane
C-bthen;

Toggle to last active pane
C-bthen←/→/↑/↓

Move to pane in direction
C-bthen{

Swap with previous pane
C-bthen}

Swap with next pane
C-bthenx

Close current pane
C-bthenz

Toggle pane zoom (fullscreen)
C-bthen!

Break pane into a new window
C-bthenq

Show pane numbers
C-bthenspace

Cycle through pane layouts
C-bthenCtrl+←/→/↑/↓

Resize pane in direction

Copy Mode

Scroll, search, and yank text without a mouse.

C-bthen[

Enter copy mode
q

Quit copy mode
space

Start selection
enter

Copy selection to tmux buffer
C-bthen]

Paste from buffer
C-bthen=

List and choose from paste buffers
/

Search forward
?

Search backward
n

Next search match
g

Jump to top
G

Jump to bottom

Misc & Help

The small commands that save you from Googling.

C-bthen?

Show all key bindings
C-bthen:

Open tmux command prompt
C-bthent

Show a big clock in current pane
C-bthenr

Reload tmux config (custom binding)
C-bthen~

Show tmux messages
C-bthenD

Choose a client to detach

Config

A sensible `.tmux.conf` to start from.

Drop this in ~/.tmux.conf, reload, and you've got the defaults most users end up with anyway.

~/.tmux.conf

# ~/.tmux.conf — a sensible starting point

# Use Ctrl-a instead of Ctrl-b

unbind C-b

set -g prefix C-a

bind C-a send-prefix

# Start window and pane indexes at 1

set -g base-index 1

setw -g pane-base-index 1

# Reload config

bind r source-file ~/.tmux.conf \; display "reloaded"

# Split panes using | and -

bind | split-window -h -c "#{pane_current_path}"

bind - split-window -v -c "#{pane_current_path}"

# Vim-style pane navigation

bind h select-pane -L

bind j select-pane -D

bind k select-pane -U

bind l select-pane -R

# Mouse on

set -g mouse on

# More history

set -g history-limit 50000

# True color

set -g default-terminal "tmux-256color"

set -ga terminal-overrides ",*256col*:Tc"

One-pager

The whole sheet on one page. Print it.

Stick it on the wall next to your monitor. The print layout hides the rest of the site.

tmux cheat sheet

Prefix: C-b

tmux.sheet · May 2026

Sessions

$ tmux Start a new session
$ tmux new -s <name> Start a named session
$ tmux ls List running sessions
$ tmux attach Attach to last session
$ tmux attach -t <name> Attach to a specific session
$ tmux kill-session -t <name> Kill a session by name
$ tmux kill-server Kill the tmux server and all sessions
C-bthend Detach from current session
C-bthens Show session tree
C-bthen$ Rename current session
C-bthen( Switch to previous session
C-bthen) Switch to next session

Windows

C-bthenc Create a new window
C-bthen, Rename current window
C-bthen& Close current window
C-bthenw List all windows
C-bthenn Next window
C-bthenp Previous window
C-bthen0 Switch to window 0 (1–9 for others)
C-bthenl Toggle to last window
C-bthenf Find window by name
C-bthen. Move window to new index

Panes

C-bthen% Split pane vertically
C-bthen" Split pane horizontally
C-btheno Cycle to next pane
C-bthen; Toggle to last active pane
C-bthen←/→/↑/↓ Move to pane in direction
C-bthen{ Swap with previous pane
C-bthen} Swap with next pane
C-bthenx Close current pane
C-bthenz Toggle pane zoom (fullscreen)
C-bthen! Break pane into a new window
C-bthenq Show pane numbers
C-bthenspace Cycle through pane layouts
C-bthenCtrl+←/→/↑/↓ Resize pane in direction

Copy Mode

C-bthen[ Enter copy mode
q Quit copy mode
space Start selection
enter Copy selection to tmux buffer
C-bthen] Paste from buffer
C-bthen= List and choose from paste buffers
/ Search forward
? Search backward
n Next search match
g Jump to top
G Jump to bottom

Misc & Help

C-bthen? Show all key bindings
C-bthen: Open tmux command prompt
C-bthent Show a big clock in current pane
C-bthenr Reload tmux config (custom binding)
C-bthen~ Show tmux messages
C-bthenD Choose a client to detach

tmux.sheet Start: tmux new -s work · Reattach: tmux a -t work

Reference

Sessions

Windows

Panes

Copy Mode

Misc & Help

A sensible .tmux.conf to start from.

The whole sheet on one page. Print it.

Sessions

Windows

Panes

Copy Mode

Misc & Help

A sensible `.tmux.conf` to start from.