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I constantly switch between different terminal sessions and windows as a software developer. It can get overwhelming to manage all these different processes and keep track of what I am working on. That’s where tmux and screen come in.

Both tmux and screen are terminal multiplexers that allow me to easily switch between different terminal sessions and windows and keep my processes running even when I disconnect from the terminal.

In this article, I will compare tmux and screen and discuss the pros and cons of each tool.

What is tmux?

tmux is a terminal multiplexer that allows me to run multiple terminal sessions within a single terminal window. It is a powerful tool that allows me to switch between different terminal sessions and keep my processes running even when I disconnect from the terminal. tmux is available on Linux, Unix, and macOS systems.

What is screen?

Screen is a terminal multiplexer that enables me to access several terminals simultaneously within the same window, saving time and effort. It is available on many Unix-like systems, including Linux and macOS.

Tmux vs Screen: Similarities

There are several similarities between tmux and screen:

  • Both tmux and screen are written in C.
  • Both tmux and screen allow me to run multiple terminal sessions within a single terminal window.
  • Both tmux and screen allow me to switch between different terminal sessions and windows easily.
  • Both tmux and screen allow me to keep my processes running even when I disconnect from the terminal.

Related: How to Scroll Up and Down in Tmux: The Ultimate Guide

Tmux vs Screen: Differences

Despite their similarities, there are also some differences between tmux and screen:

  • tmux is highly customizable and allows users to run various commands from the shell by invoking tmux command [args]. This makes it beneficial for complex tasks or automated operations.
  • screen allows a user to share a session with other users but this isn’t available in tmux.
  • tmux uses a default key, Ctrl+b, to perform actions, while the screen uses Ctrl+a.

How to Install tmux?

To install tmux, you will need to have a Unix-like system such as Linux or macOS. If you are using a Debian-based Linux distribution such as Ubuntu, you can install tmux using the following command:

sudo apt-get install tmux

If you are using a Red Hat-based Linux distribution such as CentOS, you can install tmux using the following command:

sudo yum install tmux

If you are using macOS, you can install tmux using Homebrew with the following command:

brew install tmux

How to Install screen?

To install screen, you will need to have a Unix-like system such as Linux or macOS. If you are using a Debian-based Linux distribution such as Ubuntu, you can install screen using the following command:

sudo apt-get install scree

If you are using a Red Hat-based Linux distribution such as CentOS, you can install screen using the following command:

sudo yum install screen

If you are using macOS, you can install screen using Homebrew with the following command:

brew install screen

How to Use tmux?

To start a new tmux session, you can use the following command:

tmux

This will open a new tmux session in your terminal window. You can create new windows within the tmux session by pressing “Ctrl+b” and then “c“. You can switch between windows by pressing the prefix key and the window number. For example, to switch to the second window, you would press “Ctrl+b” and then “2“.

To detach from a tmux session, press “Ctrl+b” and then “d“. This will keep the tmux session running in the background, even if you close the terminal window.

To reattach to a tmux session, you can use the following command:

tmux attach

You can also use the “tmux list-sessions” command to list all of the available tmux sessions and “tmux attach -t [session name]” to attach to a specific session.

tmux also allows you to split the terminal window into multiple panes. You can do this by pressing “Ctrl+b” and then to split the pane horizontally. To split the pane vertically, press “Ctrl+b” and then %.

You can use “Ctrl+b” and the arrow keys to switch between panes. You can also use the “resize-pane” command to resize the panes. For example, to resize the current pane to be 50% of the terminal window, you can use the following command:

tmux resize-pane -t :.0 -x 50

tmux also has several configuration options that you can set in the “.tmux.conf” file in your home directory. For example, you can change the prefix key (“Ctrl+b“), set the status bar style, and enable mouse support.

How to Use screen?

To start a new screen session, you can use the following command:

screen

This will open a new screen session in your terminal window. You can create new windows within the screen session by pressing “Ctrl+a” and then “c“. You can switch between windows by pressing “Ctrl+a” and then the window number. For example, to switch to the second window, you would press “Ctrl+a” and then “2“.

To detach from a screen session, you can press “Ctrl+a” and then “d“. This will keep the screen session running in the background, even if you close the terminal window. To reattach to a screen session, you can use the following command:

screen -r

You can also use the “screen -ls” command to list all of the available screen sessions and “screen -r [session id]” to attach to a specific session.

Like tmux, screen also allows you to split the terminal window into multiple panes. You can do this by pressing “Ctrl+a” and then “S” to split the pane horizontally. To vertically split the pane, press “Ctrl+a” and “|“. You can use “Ctrl+a” and the arrow keys to switch between panes. You can also use the “resize” command to resize the panes.

For example, to resize the current pane to be 50% of the terminal window, you can use the following command:

Ctrl + a + :resize 50

screen also has some configuration options that you can set in the “.screenrc” file in your home directory. For example, you can change the command character, set the status line, and enable logging.

Conclusion

In this article, I have compared tmux and screen, two popular terminal multiplexers that allow you to run multiple terminal sessions and windows within a single terminal window. Both tmux and screen have their unique features and customization options, and which one you choose will depend on your personal preferences and needs.

Ultimately, either tmux or screen can be valuable for managing multiple terminal sessions and keeping your processes running in the background.

I hope this article has helped you understand the differences between tmux and screen and how to use them. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them below.

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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