Session Management & Scripting

At this point, you know the fundamentals: sessions, windows, panes, copy mode, and configuration. Now let's cover advanced workflows for managing multiple projects and automating layouts.

Multiple session workflows

Project-based sessions

Create a session per project:

# Web development
tmux new -s webdev -n editor
# Split: tests on right
tmux split-window -h -t webdev:0
# Split: logs on bottom
tmux split-window -v -t webdev:0

# Server work
tmux new -s production -n server
# Attach to production server
tmux send-keys -t production:0.0 "ssh prod-server" Enter

Team-based sessions

Share session naming conventions with your team:

# Naming: <environment>-<service>
tmux new -s prod-api
tmux new -s staging-db
tmux new -s dev-frontend

Switching between sessions

Inside tmux:

Interactive list shows all sessions. Arrow to select, Enter to attach.

Command mode:

Type: switch-client -t sessionname

Session groups

Attach to multiple sessions simultaneously:

The -E flag prevents closing the client if the session is already attached elsewhere.

Scripting session layouts

Create a script to automate session setup:

#!/usr/bin/env bash
# ~/scripts/dev-session.sh

SESSION="dev"

# Check if session exists
if tmux has-session -t $SESSION 2>/dev/null; then
  echo "Session $SESSION already exists. Attaching..."
  tmux attach -t $SESSION
  exit 0
fi

# Create session
tmux new-session -d -s $SESSION -n "editor"

# Window 0: Editor (default)
tmux send-keys -t $SESSION:editor "cd ~/projects/myapp" Enter
tmux send-keys -t $SESSION:editor "vim" Enter

# Window 1: Server
tmux new-window -t $SESSION -n "server"
tmux send-keys -t $SESSION:server "cd ~/projects/myapp" Enter
tmux send-keys -t $SESSION:server "npm run dev" Enter

# Window 2: Tests
tmux new-window -t $SESSION -n "tests"
tmux send-keys -t $SESSION:tests "cd ~/projects/myapp" Enter
tmux send-keys -t $SESSION:tests "npm test --watch" Enter

# Window 3: Logs (split pane)
tmux new-window -t $SESSION -n "logs"
tmux send-keys -t $SESSION:logs "cd ~/projects/myapp" Enter
tmux send-keys -t $SESSION:logs.0 "tail -f logs/server.log" Enter
tmux split-window -h -t $SESSION:logs
tmux send-keys -t $SESSION:logs.1 "tail -f logs/app.log" Enter

# Attach to session
tmux select-window -t $SESSION:editor
tmux attach -t $SESSION

Tmuxinator for complex layouts

For more complex layouts, use tmuxinator:

# Install
gem install tmuxinator

# Create project
tmuxinator new myproject

# Edit ~/.tmuxinator/myproject.yml

Example tmuxinator config:

# ~/.tmuxinator/myproject.yml
name: myproject
root: ~/projects/myproject

windows:
  - editor:
      layout: main-vertical
      panes:
        - vim
        - npm test --watch
  - server:
      layout: even-horizontal
      panes:
        - npm run dev
        - npm run storybook
  - logs:
      layout: even-horizontal
      panes:
        - tail -f logs/server.log
        - tail -f logs/app.log

Start session:

Session persistence

By default, sessions end when:

• The server restarts
• You explicitly kill the session
• The last pane exits

For true persistence across reboots, use tmux-resurrect:

# Clone
git clone https://github.com/tmux-plugins/tmux-resurrect ~/.tmux/plugins/tmux-resurrect

# Add to ~/.tmux.conf
run-shell ~/.tmux/plugins/tmux-resurrect/resurrect.tmux

Save session: Ctrl-b Ctrl-s

Restore session: Ctrl-b Ctrl-r

Environment-specific sessions

Development

tmux new -s dev -n editor \; \
  split-window -h -t dev:editor \; \
  new-window -n server \; \
  send-keys -t dev:server "npm run dev" Enter \; \
  attach -t dev

Production monitoring

tmux new -s prod-mon -n servers \; \
  send-keys -t prod-mon:servers.0 "ssh prod-1" Enter \; \
  split-window -h -t prod-mon:servers \; \
  send-keys -t prod-mon:servers.1 "ssh prod-2" Enter \; \
  split-window -h -t prod-mon:servers \; \
  send-keys -t prod-mon:servers.2 "ssh prod-3" Enter \; \
  attach -t prod-mon

Send-keys automation

Automate commands across panes:

# Update all servers in parallel
for i in {0..2}; do
  tmux send-keys -t prod-mon:servers.$i "sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y" Enter
done

Session hooks

Run commands when events occur:

# In ~/.tmux.conf
# Run when session is created
set-hook -g after-new-session 'send-keys "cd ~/projects" Enter'

# Run when window is created
set-hook -g after-new-window 'send-keys "clear" Enter'

Monitoring sessions

Check session status:

# List all sessions
tmux ls

# Show session details
tmux display-message -p '#S: #W (#P)'

# Show pane info
tmux display-message -p '#{pane_pid} #{pane_current_command}'

Practical workflows

Morning routine

# 1. Start dev environment
~/scripts/dev-session.sh

# 2. Start monitoring session
~/scripts/prod-monitor.sh

# 3. Check sessions
tmux ls

# 4. Attach to what you need
tmux attach -t dev

Context switching

# Working on backend
tmux attach -t backend-api

# Need to check frontend
tmux detach
tmux attach -t frontend

# Production issue
tmux detach
tmux attach -t prod-mon

End of day

# Detach from all
tmux detach -a

# Kill dev sessions (keep prod monitoring)
tmux kill-session -t dev
tmux kill-session -t frontend

# Leave prod-mon running overnight

Session backup

Save session layout to file:

tmux list-windows -t dev -F "#{window_index}: #{window_name} #{window_layout}"

Restore from saved layout (requires manual implementation or tmux-resurrect).

Troubleshooting

Session won't attach:

# Force detach elsewhere
tmux attach -d -t sessionname

Zombie sessions:

# Kill all sessions
tmux kill-server

# Or kill specific
tmux kill-session -t sessionname

Lost session (detached but not in list):

# Check server status
tmux server-info

# Restart server
tmux kill-server
tmux start-server

Key bindings summary

You're done!

You've learned:

• Sessions, windows, panes
• Key bindings and copy mode
• Configuration and customization
• Scripting and automation

From here, explore:

• tmux plugins: tmux-resurrect, tmux-continuum, tmux-yank
• Status line customization: CPU, battery, weather widgets
• Nested tmux: Local and remote sessions simultaneously

Happy multiplexing!