bash
tmux show-options -gNotes
Useful when debugging unexpected behavior from config files.
tmux Troubleshooting and Debugging
tmux commands and config snippets for diagnosing key bindings, options, environment issues, TERM problems, and server resets.
Export
Copy the compact sheet, download it, or print it.
Download
`D` dense toggle · `C` copy all
Debug and introspection
Inspect bindings, options, environment, and server state.
bash
tmux show-window-options -gNotes
Helps with issues like synchronization, mode keys, or layout-related settings.
bash
tmux list-keysNotes
A fast way to verify what is actually bound.
bash
tmux show-environmentNotes
Helpful when debugging PATH, SSH agent, or locale issues.
bash
tmux infoNotes
Useful for low-level debugging.
Common problems and fixes
Practical snippets for frequent tmux headaches.
Set a modern default terminal
Use a terminal definition with 256-color/feature support.
tmuxANYtmuxtermcolors
tmux
set -g default-terminal "tmux-256color"Notes
Terminal capability mismatches are a common reason for broken colors or key behavior.
Preserve selected environment variables
Update tmux with variables from the client environment.
tmuxANYtmuxenvironmentssh-agent
tmux
set -g update-environment "DISPLAY SSH_AUTH_SOCK SSH_AGENT_PID WINDOWID XAUTHORITY"Notes
Useful when SSH agent forwarding or GUI-related variables disappear after attaching.
bash
tmux kill-serverNotes
Nuclear option for clearing server-wide state; it ends all sessions.
Reload config with shell tracing
Verify config sourcing from a shell wrapper.
bashANYtmuxdebugconfig
bash
sh -x -c "tmux source-file ~/.tmux.conf"Notes
Useful when a shell wrapper or plugin bootstrap script is involved.
More in tmux
tmux Plugins and Productivity Setup
tmux plugin manager patterns, TPM setup, and common plugin snippets for restoring sessions, sensible defaults, and clipboard workflows.
tmux Remote Sessions, SSH, and Pairing
tmux patterns for remote servers, resilient SSH sessions, multi-client visibility, and collaboration workflows.
tmux Scripting, Formats, and Automation
tmux commands for listing state, using format strings, conditional logic, send-keys automation, and repeatable workspace bootstrapping.
tmux Configuration and Customization
tmux .tmux.conf settings for prefix changes, mouse support, indexing, reloading, and status bar customization.
tmux Copy Mode, Scrollback, and Clipboard
tmux copy-mode commands, scrollback capture, search, buffers, and clipboard configuration patterns.
tmux Sessions, Windows, and Panes
Core tmux commands and interactive shortcuts for managing sessions, windows, panes, splits, and layouts.