How to effectively manage panes in tmux?
Quick Answer
Manage panes in tmux using: Ctrl+b % (split vertical), Ctrl+b " (split horizontal), Ctrl+b arrow (navigate), Ctrl+b z (zoom), Ctrl+b x (close).
Ctrl+b % (vertical split) Ctrl+b " (horizontal split)
Detailed Explanation
Panes are subdivisions within a tmux window that allow you to run multiple terminal sessions side by side in the same window. Efficient pane management is key to a productive tmux workflow.
Creating panes:
Ctrl+b %Split pane vertically (side by side)
Ctrl+b "Split pane horizontally (top and bottom)
Navigating between panes:
Ctrl+b arrow keyMove to pane in direction of arrow key
Ctrl+b oCycle through panes in order
Ctrl+b qShow pane numbers (press number to select)
Ctrl+b ;Toggle between current and last pane
Resizing panes:
Ctrl+b Ctrl+arrow keyResize pane in direction of arrow key (repeat for larger adjustment)
Ctrl+b Alt+arrow keyResize pane in direction of arrow key (5-cell increments)
Ctrl+b :Enter command mode, then use:resize-pane -D 10 (resize down 10 cells)resize-pane -U 10 (resize up 10 cells)resize-pane -L 10 (resize left 10 cells)resize-pane -R 10 (resize right 10 cells)
Managing panes:
Ctrl+b zZoom/unzoom current pane to full window
Ctrl+b !Convert pane into a new window
Ctrl+b xClose current pane (will prompt)
Ctrl+b {Move current pane left
Ctrl+b }Move current pane right
Ctrl+b SpaceCycle through pane layouts
Preset layouts:
tmux offers several preset layouts that can be cycled through with Ctrl+b Space or set directly:
Ctrl+b :select-layout even-horizontal Ctrl+b :select-layout even-vertical Ctrl+b :select-layout main-horizontal Ctrl+b :select-layout main-vertical Ctrl+b :select-layout tiled
Pro Tip
For a custom split, you can specify an exact percentage:
Ctrl+b :split-window -v -p 30 # Horizontal split, new pane is 30% of height Ctrl+b :split-window -h -p 40 # Vertical split, new pane is 40% of width
Pane Synchronization
To send the same commands to all panes in a window simultaneously:
Ctrl+b :setw synchronize-panes on
To turn it off:
Ctrl+b :setw synchronize-panes off