tmux
Open-source terminal multiplexer that runs multiple persistent shell sessions, windows and panes in one terminal.
HN commenters use it to run and organize AI coding agents in panes and windows,1234 and for remote sessions over SSH that survive disconnects.567 The most common complaint is unintuitive key bindings and defaults that need heavy configuration,891011 especially for scrollback and copy-paste.121314
Why people recommend it
Agent workflows · 3
Commenters run several coding agents in separate tmux windows or panes and let agents control sessions.
“I still use tmux constantly. And, of course, tmux with agents is an excellent combination.”
“In a tmux session run each agent in its own window and directory.”
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“I like this setup with tmux, works over ssh, easy to bring any one full focus, etc.”
Long-term reliability · 3
Longtime users rely on it every day and return to it after trying alternatives like Herdr.
“so I gave up and went back to tmux”
“I have also given up on Herdr and came back to Tmux”
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“I use tmux every day, vim and bash and stuff, all great, genuinely like them”
Remote persistence · 3
Sessions work over SSH, survive disconnects and stay usable on slow, high-latency links.
“being able to combine tmux with resurrect”
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“They always run in a project scoped tmux session so they are always on.”
Scriptable and composable · 3
Commenters like that its features are programmatic and Unix-oriented, including non-interactive use.
“I love that most tmux features are programmatic and unix-oriented.”
“I prefer to use tmux non-interactively.”
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“Tmux is a good way to orchestrate sessions and keep them observable and interactive.”
Session restore · 2
With resurrect, users can restore all their sessions quickly after a reboot.
“Since I use tmux and have terminal heavy workflows it takes 1 command and a few seconds to resurrect all of my sessions”
“being able to combine tmux with resurrect”
Keyboard copy mode · 2
Keyboard-driven scrollback and copy mode is a core feature for some users.
“that's one of the core features of tmux for me”
“The tmux copy mode is also pretty friendly in the same way”
Caveats and dissent
Steep configuration · 3
Key bindings feel unintuitive and it is not user-friendly until heavily configured.
“I have tried to learn tmux, but the key bindings are really unintuitive to me”
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“Honestly the TUI of tmux is the one that really enrages me - so much complexity”
Scrollback and paste · 3
Mouse scrolling, scrollback, copy-paste and X11 selection can break or need extra setup.
“there were issues with tmux with either scroll back, or copy paste or other similar things that get broken”
“I love tmux but one thing which really annoys me”
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“failure to handle basic X11 select/paste is what keeps me away from herdr and tmux”
Agent status · 2
Agent status reporting needs a plugin and is less detailed than in dedicated tools.
“in that case tmux is just great”
Small screens · 2
Some find it awkward on phones and other tiny screens.
“Tmux does not work that well on a tiny screen, and I use it a lot.”
“I’ve been using tmux (with the wonderful iTerm2 integration) for almost a year now”
Restore reliability · 1
One user found saved sessions with resurrect and continuum stopped working after reboots.
“I gave up on Tmux due to issues w/reboot & session storage not working after.”
Rendering glitches · 1
One former user cites wrong colors, escape-sequence issues and messed-up buffers.
“I realized that whatever tmux brings can be done better by a good terminal.”
Often compared with
3 moved from herdr to tmux
7 moved from tmux to herdr
1 moved from Zellij to tmux
3 moved from tmux to Zellij
Who recommends it in their own words
Threads where it came up
- Tmux and Claude Code: Sessions, Send-Keys, and the Ceiling 12 mentions
- Herdr: One terminal to rule them all 9 mentions
- Make Tmux Pretty and Usable 9 mentions
- Herdr has released native app 7 mentions
- Mitchellh starts a new company: Superlogical 6 mentions
- Herdr is joining Y Combinator. The runtime stays open 4 mentions
Also written as Tmux. Data: tmux.json. Quotes are verbatim; the verdict and theme labels are written by a model from these comments, and every clause links to its sources.
All comments 51
“Before Cursor, I used vim + tmux.”
“something I can use myself like I use tmux, without agents”
“in that case tmux is just great”
“I just use tmux with multiple ghostty sessions”
“so I gave up and went back to tmux”
“There are many ways to do what herdr does, like tmux, and rex”
“that's one of the core features of tmux for me”
“a step up from years using tmux”
“I use it with tmux sometimes and agents.”
“If I wasn't able to multiplex with tmux I would have switched to emacs a long time ago.”
“I have also given up on Herdr and came back to Tmux”
“I and others are very thankful to be able to use his program daily”
“failure to handle basic X11 select/paste is what keeps me away from herdr and tmux”
“regular SSH session, and screen or tmux”
“I have a tmux split in 4.”
“I used to do ssh, tmux, vim for most of my work on the server”
“I have tried to learn tmux, but the key bindings are really unintuitive to me”
“i3 for non-terminal work, and tmux in the terminal. Loved it”
“If you're using tmux with either worktrees or agents”
“Tmux is a good way to orchestrate sessions and keep them observable and interactive.”
“To me, Tmux seems ... not a whole lot better than a terminal.”
“I use AI Agents inside tmux since last year”
“I regret seeing the problem as "this or that" when I could have mastered both.”
“I still use tmux constantly. And, of course, tmux with agents is an excellent combination.”
“to leverage tmux and neovim”
“it feels tmux was right choice early this year as the alternatives just weren’t there”
“I am doing tmux + Claude”
“there were just too many tmux sessions to maintain”
“I use tmux every day, vim and bash and stuff, all great, genuinely like them”
“Technologies: Opencode / Codex / Jcode, Tmux, Docker”
“It uses tmux for detaching and reattaching”
“I also went back to using neovim and tmux”
“I use Pi harness in tmux and just ask my current agent to spawn interactive pi instances in new tmux windows”
“I love mouse support in tmux, for instance.”
“I switched to a single F12 key for tmux”
“So I set up tmux and used Junie CLI”
“The simplest(since the early days) was letting it use Tmux for spawning other sessions and controlling it.”
“In a tmux session run each agent in its own window and directory.”
“I use Claude Code + eternal terminal + tailscale + tmux”
“I do care about xterm and tmux.”
“I usually limit # of concurrent tmux windows 15”
“they can survive disconects (within tmux)”
“I don't need to use TMUX's wonky keyboard shortcuts”
“I like this setup with tmux, works over ssh, easy to bring any one full focus, etc.”
“Coupled with tmux and tmuxinator.”
“there were issues with tmux with either scroll back, or copy paste or other similar things that get broken”
“They always run in a project scoped tmux session so they are always on.”
“Honestly the TUI of tmux is the one that really enrages me - so much complexity”
“being able to combine tmux with resurrect”
“I love tmux! It's perfectly usable!”
“I love tmux but one thing which really annoys me”