tmux is a terminal multiplexer, an advanced tool for running multiple tasks on the command line. It enhances the functionality of a standard terminal session, enabling the user to use multiple sessions in a single window.

The main tmux window can be divided into smaller window “panes.” Each pane can run different tasks on the same computer, or on different computers, either on the Internet or your local network. Tmux can save your session state, maintaining network connections and allowing processes to continue running after the terminal application is closed. Sessions can be restored later, so you can continue where you left off.

First released in 2007, tmux is free and open-source software. It’s available for Unix-like operating systems, including Linux, BSD, macOS, and Windows 10 (if WSL is installed).

Software terms

  • Tutorial: How to use the bash shell (Linux command line).
  • How to install WSL on Windows 10.
  • Tmux official downloads, wiki, and source code.
  • Microsoft DevBlog: How to use tmux on Windows 10.