tmux: persistent terminal sessions

Updated November 2026

tmux runs your shell inside a session that lives on the server. If your SSH connection drops, or you close your laptop, the session and everything running in it carry on; you simply attach to it again. It can also split one terminal into several panes.

tmux new -s name # new named session tmux attach -t name # reattach tmux ls # list sessions

The basic workflow

ssh server
tmux new -s upgrade          # start a session called "upgrade"
sudo apt full-upgrade        # long job…
# press Ctrl+b, then d       → detach; the job keeps running
exit                         # log out
# later, from anywhere:
ssh server
tmux attach -t upgrade       # back exactly where you left off

Every tmux command key starts with the prefix, Ctrl+b by default: press it, release, then press the command key.

Essential keys (after Ctrl+b)

Key	Action
`d`	Detach from the session
`c`	New window
`n` / `p` / `0`-`9`	Next / previous / numbered window
`,`	Rename the window
`%` / `"`	Split side by side / top and bottom
arrow keys	Move between panes
`z`	Zoom the current pane to full size and back
`x`	Close the current pane
`[`	Scroll / copy mode (arrows or PgUp, `q` to leave)
`s`	Choose a session from a list
`?`	List all key bindings

Useful commands

tmux new -As work                     # attach to "work", or create it if missing
tmux kill-session -t upgrade
tmux new -d -s backup '/usr/local/bin/backup.sh'   # start a job in a detached session
tmux attach -d -t work                # attach and detach other clients (e.g. a stale connection)

A small ~/.tmux.conf

set -g mouse on                 # click panes, scroll with the wheel
set -g history-limit 50000      # more scrollback
set -g base-index 1             # windows numbered from 1
bind r source-file ~/.tmux.conf \; display "reloaded"

GNU screen

The older screen does the same job and is still found on many systems. Its prefix is Ctrl+a: screen -S name starts a session, Ctrl+a d detaches, screen -r name reattaches, and screen -ls lists sessions.

For a single job that must survive logout without an interactive session, nohup or a systemd service also work; see kill and systemctl.