learntmux.dev
Task 1 of 12
Level 1 · BasicsOverview
  1. 1Start your first session
  2. 2The prefix key and new windows
  3. 3Find any key with the help list
  4. 4Run commands from the command prompt
  5. 5Detach and come back
  6. 6Read the session list and juggle sessions
  7. 7Split the window into panes
  8. 8Split with flags
  9. 9Move between panes
  10. 10Kill the server
  11. 11Challenge: morning on the build boxchallenge
Level 2 · IntermediateOverview
  1. 1Change the current window
  2. 2Rename the session and a window
  3. 3Kill a pane, a window and a session
  4. 4Zoom a pane
  5. 5Resize panes
  6. 6Apply window layouts
  7. 7Mark and swap panes
  8. 8Move and renumber windows
  9. 9Browse in tree mode
  10. 10Tag and kill from the tree
  11. 11Kick out a stale client
  12. 12Challenge: tidy a messy sessionchallenge
Level 3 · AdvancedOverview
  1. 1Copy text in copy mode
  2. 2Scroll, search the scrollback and paste
  3. 3Choose and delete buffers in buffer mode
  4. 4Name, save and load buffers
  5. 5Find a window by its content or name
  6. 6Use the mouse
  7. 7Break out, join and send keys
  8. 8Challenge: recover the secret from the logschallenge
Level 4 · ConfigureOverview
  1. 1Show, set and unset options
  2. 2Write the configuration file
  3. 3Add and remove key bindings
  4. 4Change the prefix key
  5. 5Customize the status line
  6. 6Formats and embedded styles
  7. 7Embedded shell commands
  8. 8Configure the pane border
  9. 9Use vi keys in copy mode
  10. 10Mouse copying behaviour
  11. 11Challenge: write your own tmux.confchallenge
Cheat sheet

Change the current window

Goal

Window 0 is current and window 3 is the last window.

Three ways to change window, all of them select-window with a different target:

C-b 0 … C-b 9
jump to a window by index
C-b n / C-b p
step to the next or previous window
C-b l
the last window, meaning the one that was current before this one

The status line marks the current window with * and the last window with -. The last window updates on every switch, so it is one step of history, not a stack — which is why C-b l twice brings you home.

Do this

Press C-b 3.

tests is current: 3:tests*.

Press C-b n, then C-b p.

To docs and back to tests.

Press C-b 0.

editor is current, and 3:tests- marks the last window.

Press C-b l twice.

First to tests, then back to editor, with tests last again.

The other ways to target a window

Each of these is one command with a different target: an index, the next or previous window, or the remembered last one. select-window -t 3 at the prompt does exactly what C-b 3 does.

Stuck on this one?

This is a live terminal. Typing goes to the machine, including Tab. Press Shift and Tab together to move focus back out to the page.

A real terminal, in this tab

about 15 MB, once

session learn

Done when

not started
  1. Window 3 becomes the current window of session learn— not done yet
  2. Window 0 is current and window 3 is the last window— not done yet