tmux_configuration.md

Configuration Guide

This guide provides a comprehensive and modular .tmux.conf setup designed to boost your productivity, enhance the visual experience, and seamlessly integrate a variety of plugins and themes. It explains all the steps and settings you’ll need to go from a basic installation to a fully optimized development terminal environment.

Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned developer, this configuration will modernize your terminal workflow and make working inside Tmux intuitive, fast, and pleasant.

🔑 Change Prefix & Basic Options

Start by redefining the prefix key, enabling mouse control, improving scrollback, and enabling modern terminal features:

set -g prefix C-a                                   # Change default prefix from Ctrl+b to Ctrl+a for convenience
set -g mouse on                                     # Enable mouse support (click to switch windows/panes)
set -g history-limit 10000                          # Allow deep scrollback into command history
set -g default-terminal "screen-256color"           # Use 256-color support for theme compatibility
set -ag terminal-overrides ',xterm-256color*:RGB'   # Enable true color rendering for rich themes

set -g base-index 1                                 # Make windows start at index 1 (instead of 0)
set -g pane-base-index 1                            # Make panes start at index 1

These settings ensure tmux behaves more intuitively and supports rich color themes.

Plugin Manager + Plugin Setup

Install TPM (Tmux Plugin Manager)

To manage plugins easily, clone the TPM repository:

git clone https://github.com/tmux-plugins/tpm ~/.tmux/plugins/tpm

Then, add the following line at the bottom of your ```.tmux.conf`:

run '~/.tmux/plugins/tpm/tpm'

TPM allows you to install, update, and manage your plugins with ease directly from within tmux.

🔌 Recommended Plugins

set -g @plugin 'tmux-plugins/tpm'                     # Plugin manager itself
set -g @plugin 'tmux-plugins/tmux-sensible'           # Sensible defaults and safety features
set -g @plugin 'christoomey/vim-tmux-navigator'       # Seamless navigation between Vim and Tmux panes
set -g @plugin 'tmux-plugins/tmux-resurrect'          # Save/restore tmux sessions across reboots
set -g @plugin 'tmux-plugins/tmux-continuum'          # Show active prefix visually; copy text with system clipboard
set -g @plugin 'tmux-plugins/tmux-prefix-highlight'
set -g @plugin 'tmux-plugins/tmux-yank'

These plugins provide a mix of usability, automation, and visual feedback that greatly enhance the experience.

🎨 Theme: Catppuccin

Catppuccin is a beautiful pastel theme with full support for Tmux.

Option 1: Manual Installation (Recommended)

For more control and to avoid name conflicts:

mkdir -p ~/.config/tmux/plugins/catppuccin

git clone -b v2.1.3 https://github.com/catppuccin/tmux.git ~/.config/tmux/plugins/catppuccin/tmux

Add this to your .tmux.conf:

run ~/.config/tmux/plugins/catppuccin/tmux/catppuccin.tmux

Option 2: TPM-based Installation

set -g @plugin 'catppuccin/tmux'

Catppuccin Configuration Options

set -g @catppuccin_flavor 'mocha'
set -g @catppuccin_window_status_style 'rounded'
set -g @catppuccin_window_number_position 'right'
set -g @catppuccin_window_status 'no'
set -g @catppuccin_window_default_text '#W'
set -g @catppuccin_window_current_fill 'number'
set -g @catppuccin_window_current_text '#W'
set -g @catppuccin_window_current_color '#242424'
set -g @catppuccin_status_module_text_bg '#242424'
set -g @catppuccin_status_background '#242424'

Customize the Status Bar

Customize the position, refresh interval, and left/right content in the Tmux status bar:

set -g allow-rename off                           # Prevent renaming tmux windows
set -g status-position top                        # Place status bar at the top of the screen
set -g status-interval 5                          # Update interval for dynamic content
set -g status-left-length 100
set -g status-right-length 100

set -g status-left '#{E:@catppuccin_status_session} '
set -g status-right '#{E:@catppuccin_status_directory}'

The content is rendered using Catppuccin modules, and can be extended with additional ones like weather, hostnames, battery, etc.

Additional Configurations

set -g renumber-window on    # Automatically renumber windows when one is closed

This makes sure your layout always remains clean and logical.

Installing Plugins in Tmux

After setting up your .tmux.conf, launch a tmux session by write tmux in your terminal and press:

(press 1) Ctrl  + a
(press 2) Shift + i

By default prefix is Ctrl + b but we change it in the first block of configuration/.

This will trigger TPM and install all the plugins you’ve declared in your config.

To reload the config manually:

tmux source ~/.tmux.conf

💡 Tip: To ensure all plugins are working, restart tmux and check for any errors. You should also see changes in your status bar immediately.