Posts tagged: linux

All posts with the tag "linux"

123 posts latest post 2026-04-18
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Mar 2026 | 1 posts

tmux join-pane

https://youtu.be/Vm5rRtcVXLw

Join-pane allows you to join panes that you have broken away from your window, or created in a different window to the window you want it in. As far as I know there is not a default keybinding for it.

Before you can join a pane you must first have a pane marked to join. Once you mark a pane, go back to the window you want to join it to and join-pane.

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tmux break-pane

https://youtu.be/ICL609F2xnc

Break-pane is a handy tmux command when your layout gets too cramped and you want to just move a split into its own window. Calling break-pane does exactly that, it creates a new-window for you and moves your currently selected split into that window

Default key binding for break-pane

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tmux zoom

https://youtu.be/Rn6mOarCQ-Y

Zooming into the current split in tmux is a valuable tool to give yourself some screen real estate. These days I am almost always presenting, streaming, or pairing up with a co-worker over a video call. Since I am always sharing my screen I am generally zoomed in to a level that is just a bit uncomfortable, so anytime I make a split it is really uncomfortable, being able to zoom into the split I am focused on is a big help, and also help anyone watching follow where I am currently working.

Default key bindings for zooming the current split

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tmux new-window

https://youtu.be/YRPZBv-iYyE

New window as it sounds makes new windows in tmux. Windows are kind of like tabs. They are another screen within your sessions that you can name and make new panes in.

Default key bindings for creating and navigating windows in tmux.

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tmux select-layout

https://youtu.be/F0mHnwTrNNc

When you get many splits going in tmux sometimes its time for a new layout. There are four layout strategies that I use, main-vertical, main-horizontal, even-vertical, even-horizontal. Almost always I am useing the main ones with mod plus a or mod plus shift a keybindings.

# Select Layouts #――――――――――――――――― bind -n M-a select-layout main-vertical bind -n M-A select-layout main-horizontal bind -n M-E select-layout even-vertical bind -n M-V select-layout even-horizontal

1 min read

tmux resize-panes

https://youtu.be/hpFYE2LU7xc

Resizing panes in tmux can be quite difficult in default tmux, I use a set of keybingings to help resize panes in the rare occasions that I do need just a bit more space. I set the keybinding to the same as my split navigation bindings but shifted. They are very vim like (h,j,k,l).

# resize panes #――――――――――――――――――――――――――――― bind -n M-H resize-pane -L 2 bind -n M-L resize-pane -R 2 bind -n M-K resize-pane -U 2 bind -n M-J resize-pane -D 2

Most often when I need to resize panes I just grab the edge of the pane with my mouse. Yes the mouse, its not that often that I actually need to change the size of a pane.

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tmux choose-tree

https://youtu.be/79Y-kqAiMpw

Choose tree is a powerful tmux utility that provides a graphical interface to preview all sessions, windows, and panes, move between them kill them, move them and much more.

The default keybinding

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tmux prefix

https://youtu.be/BMkpbfhbkKM

The prefix key is an essential part of tmux, by default all of tmux’s key-bindings sit behind a prefix. This prefix is very similar to vim’s leader key. It is common for folks to change the default C-b (control b) to C-a or if they are a vim user something to match their vim leader key.

set -g prefix C-Space bind Space send-prefix

A few of the essential default key-bindings.

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tmux splitting panes

https://youtu.be/kzgyiHap1nQ

splitting panes is a core feature of tmux. It allows us to split the terminal vertically or horizontally into new panes.

bind -n M-s split-window -c '#{pane_current_path}' bind -n M-v split-window -h -c '#{pane_current_path}' bind -n M-X kill-pane

🗒️ note that ‘#{pane_current_path}‘will keep the split in the same directory as it’s parent, without this it will default to your home directory.

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tmux last session

https://youtu.be/RB87EEnnMnU

An ultimate productivity key-binding in tmux is one to switch to the last session. I use this to quickly get between sessions really quick. Often I am working and need to lookup a quick note, or copy something into my notes, then get back to where I was quickly.

bind -n M-b switch-client -l

I think of this hub and spoke model, and use last-session to quickly drive it.

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tmux floating popups

https://youtu.be/2ZqFDsJywt8

Tmux popups are actually floating windows that you can drag around the screen. They always open in the middle (by default) when you open them, no matter where you leave them.

Here are a couple of keybindings I use to open up popup windows.

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Copy and Paste on Linux

These are the notes that I used as I set up my first ever ubuntu desktop.

sudo apt install gnome-tweaks

nordix gtk theme #

I ran this, but have no idea if it had any effect as the theme did not show up until I relogged.

gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.wm.preferences theme Nordic

What I think actuagnome terminal showing scrollbar in tmuxlly worked was

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How I configure git

Git can be a bit tricky to get configured correctly. I often stumble into config issues weeks after setting up a new machine that I did not even notice. These are my notes to remind me how I configure git.

How I navigate tmux in 2021

In 2021 I changed the way I navigate between tmux sessions big time. Now I can create, kill, switch with ease, and generally keep work separated into logical groups.

Since making this post, I have made ~20 other posts in short form that all have a YouTube video to go along with them you can find them all on my tmux-playlist.

I took Chris’s tmux course in December 2020 and it was fantastic. Even as a seasoned tmux user, I learned quite a bit. Before the course, I was proficient in...

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Trim unused git branches

Trim branches no longer on origin # git remote prune origin --dry-run git remote prune origin Find branches already merged # git checkout main # list remote branches that have already been merged into main git branch -r --merged # list local branches that have already been merged into main git branch --merged