Tmux Quick Reference (Cheat Sheet)

Prefix: Ctrl + a (Press both—in this example, the CTRL key and the A key—release them, and then press the next key). Note: If you haven’t changed your tmux configuration as described at the end of the table, your default combination remains Ctrl + b.

Ideal Configuration for Hacking

This configuration is very common among cybersecurity professionals. It focuses on personalizing ergonomics, responsiveness, and session logging.

Place the following configuration in your config file, typically located at ~/.tmux.conf. You will find the detailed explanation below:

set -g prefix C-a
bind C-a send-prefix
unbind C-b

set -g history-limit 100000
set -g allow-rename off
set -g @plugin 'tmux-plugins/tmux-logging'
set -g status-bg colour27
set -g status-fg white
set -g mouse on

bind-key j command-prompt -p "Join pane from:" "join-pane -s '%%'"
bind-key s command-prompt -p "Send pane to:" "join-pane -t '%%'"

set-window-option -g mode-keys vi

run-shell /opt/tmux-logging/logging.tmux

1. Prefix Change (Ergonomics)

set -g prefix C-a
bind C-a send-prefix
unbind C-b

• What it does: Changes the tmux master command from Ctrl + b (default) to Ctrl + a.
• Why: Ctrl + a is much easier to reach with your left hand. In my case, I used GNU screen before tmux and have already internalized this muscle memory. The second line ensures that pressing Ctrl + a twice sends the command to an application running inside tmux (like a VM). The third line disables the original prefix to avoid conflicts.

2. Performance and Behavior

set -g history-limit 100000
set -g allow-rename off
set -g mouse on

• history-limit: Increases the scrollback buffer to 100,000 lines. The default is quite short (approx. 2,000 lines). This is vital when running tools that generate heavy output, such as Nmap scans.
• allow-rename off: Prevents programs (like bash or zsh) from automatically renaming your windows.
• mouse on: Enables mouse support (scrolling, resizing panes, and selecting windows with a click). This is extremely useful in graphical environments, allowing you to scroll through history and switch panes effortlessly.

3. Aesthetics and Plugins (Visuals and Auditing)

set -g status-bg colour27
set -g status-fg white
set -g @plugin 'tmux-plugins/tmux-logging'
run-shell /opt/tmux-logging/logging.tmux

• Colors: Changes the status bar to a bright blue background (colour27) with white text. This helps you quickly identify that you are working inside a tmux session.
• Logging: Configures and starts the tmux-logging plugin. This is highly useful as it allows you to save a complete record of everything typed and received on the screen—ideal for building audit reports or documenting CTFs. (Note: This requires the plugin to be installed; we will cover that configuration in another post).

4. Advanced Pane Management (Join & Send)

bind-key j command-prompt -p "Join pane from:" "join-pane -s '%%'"
bind-key s command-prompt -p "Send pane to:" "join-pane -t '%%'"

These are powerful functions for manipulating panes across different windows:

• j (Join): Allows you to “pull” a pane from another window into your current one. For example, pressing Prefix + j and typing 2 will pull window 2 here as a new pane.
• s (Send): “Sends” your current pane to another existing window.

5. Vi-Style Navigation

set-window-option -g mode-keys vi

• What it does: Allows you to navigate through the terminal history using Vim keys (h, j, k, l) when in Copy Mode (Prefix + [).
• Why: It is much faster than using arrow keys if you are already accustomed to modern or classic text editors.

How to use this configuration?

1. Click copy to save the configuration to your clipboard and save it into the ~/.tmux.conf file.
2. Ensure the logging plugin is installed at /opt/tmux-logging/ (don’t worry, we will cover this in a future post).
3. Reload the configuration with: tmux source-file ~/.tmux.conf