The basics of creating a Window, renaming it, selecting it by number and closing it safely. These instructions use the default prefix, C-b.
§ 00 · Window — switch tasks without cluttering the screen
A Window is an independent screen inside a Session. Each Window has a name and index and contains one or more Panes. If you do not need to see several tasks simultaneously, separate Windows are easier to read than a screen split into many small Panes.
For example, put a conversation, a development server and a log in separate Windows. Each program then uses the full screen, and you switch by name. A Window name is a label for the purpose of the task you want to remember, not the state of the program.
§ 01 · Creating and switching — c, n, p, numbers and w
C-b c creates a new Window and switches to it. C-b n selects the next Window, C-b p the previous one, and C-b l the last Window you viewed. C-b 0 through C-b 9 select the Window with that index directly.
If you have too many Windows to remember their numbers, use C-b w to open tree mode and choose from the list of Sessions and Windows. The status line shows each Window’s index and name: use numbers for fast navigation and names to identify tasks.
| Shortcut | Function | Note |
|---|---|---|
| C-b c | Create a new Window | A new shell opens and that Window becomes the current screen |
| C-b , | Rename the current Window | Type the name and press Enter |
| C-b n / p | Next / previous Window | Wraps around at the end of the list |
| C-b l | Last Window | Quick for switching between two tasks |
| C-b 0–9 | Select the given index | The number is a position within the Session, not a name |
| C-b w | Open the list and select | Find a Window by name when there are many |
§ 02 · Renaming — C-b ,
Press C-b , in the current Window to open the rename-window input on the status line. Delete the old name, enter a name that shows its purpose—such as notes, server or review—and press Enter. Window names can repeat, so check the index too.
If you prefer a command prompt, open the tmux command prompt with C-b : and run rename-window new-name. If a name unexpectedly changes again, check automatic-rename or the title-changing settings of the running program.
§ 03 · Closing — exit the program or kill the Window with C-b &
Running exit in a shell or closing the shell normally with Ctrl-d closes that Pane. When the last Pane closes, the Window disappears too. If a program is running, the safest approach is to save and exit using that program’s own shutdown procedure first.
C-b & asks whether to forcibly close the current Window and every Pane inside it. Unsaved editors and running tasks may end with it. Use C-b x to close just one Pane. Even when closing “one unused Window,” check the current Window and the processes inside it before answering the & confirmation.
Read this note at sass.studio.