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As a developer, I often work in the command line, using a terminal multiplexer like Tmux to manage my sessions. One of the most common tasks I perform in Tmux is scrolling up and down through the terminal output to review previous commands or troubleshoot issues.

In this article, I’ll show you how to scroll up and down in Tmux using the mouse and keyboard.

What is Tmux?

Before we dive into the specifics of scrolling in Tmux, let’s first define what Tmux is and why it’s useful. Tmux (short for “Terminal Multiplexer”) is a software application that allows you to run multiple terminal sessions within a single terminal window.

This is particularly useful if you work with multiple servers or applications simultaneously and need to switch between them frequently.

With Tmux, you can split your terminal window into multiple panes and run different commands in each pane. You can also switch between panes, resize them, and even detach and reattach to a Tmux session from a separate terminal window.

These features make Tmux a powerful tool for managing and organizing your terminal sessions.

How to Scroll Up and Down in Tmux Using the Mouse?

The first method I’ll cover for scrolling in Tmux is using the mouse. By default, Tmux allows you to scroll up and down through the terminal output by clicking and dragging the scroll bar on the right side of the window.

You can also use the mouse wheel to scroll up and down, just like any other application.

However, if you don’t have a mouse or prefer to use the keyboard, you can also scroll in Tmux using keyboard shortcuts.

How to Scroll Up and Down in Tmux Using the Keyboard?

To scroll up and down in Tmux using the keyboard, you’ll need to enter “copy mode.” In copy mode, you can navigate the terminal output utilizing the arrow keys, search for specific text, and copy and paste text to the clipboard.

To enter copy mode in Tmux, use the following keyboard shortcut:

Ctrl + b + [

Once you’re in copy mode, you can use the following keyboard shortcuts to scroll up and down:

  • Page Up: Scroll up one page at a time.
  • Page Down: Scroll down one page at a time.
  • Up Arrow: Scroll up one line at a time.
  • Down Arrow: Scroll down one line at a time.

To exit copy mode and return to normal terminal mode, press Esc.

Advanced Scrolling Techniques in Tmux

Now that you know the basics of scrolling in Tmux, let’s explore more advanced techniques.

Searching for Text in Tmux

While in copy mode, you can search for specific text in the terminal output by pressing / and entering your search query. Tmux will highlight all instances of the search term, and you can use the n key to navigate between matches.

To exit search mode, press Esc.

Copying and Pasting Text in Tmux

Another helpful feature of copy mode is the ability to copy and paste text from the terminal. To copy text, navigate to the beginning of the text you want to copy using the arrow keys.

To copy text, you’ll need to enter “selection mode.” To do this, press Space to start highlighting text and use the arrow keys to navigate to the end of the text you want to copy. Once you’ve highlighted the desired text, press Enter to copy it to the clipboard.

To paste the copied text, press Ctrl + b + ]. This will paste the text at the current cursor position in the terminal.

Customizing Scrolling Behavior in Tmux

If the default scrolling behavior in Tmux doesn’t suit your needs, you can customize it using Tmux configuration options.

To access the Tmux configuration file, type the following command in the terminal:

nano ~/.tmux.conf

This will open the Tmux configuration file in the Nano text editor. From here, you can add any of the following options to customize the scrolling behavior in Tmux:

  • set -g mouse on: Enables mouse support in Tmux. This allows you to use the mouse to scroll up and down, resize panes, and select text.
  • set -g history-limit <number>: Sets the maximum number of lines Tmux will keep in the terminal buffer. This can be helpful if you want to limit the amount of scrolling you need to do.
  • set -g base-index 1: Changes the numbering of Tmux panes to start at 1 instead of 0. This can make it easier to remember which pane is which when using keyboard shortcuts to switch between them.

Many other configuration options are available in Tmux, so feel free to explore the documentation and customize Tmux to suit your needs.

Conclusion

This article covers the basics of scrolling up and down in Tmux using the mouse and keyboard. I’ve also covered advanced techniques like searching for text, copying and pasting, and customizing the scrolling behavior in Tmux.

I hope this has been helpful and that you feel more confident using Tmux to manage your terminal sessions. Happy scrolling!

Tim Miller

Tim has always been obsessed with computers his whole life. After working for 25 years in the computer and electronics field, he now enjoys writing about computers to help others. Most of his time is spent in front of his computer or other technology to continue to learn more. He likes to try new things and keep up with the latest industry trends so he can share them with others.

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