Master tmux and vim: Installation, Configuration, and Essential Commands

tmux Overview

tmux (Terminal Multiplexer) allows multiple terminal sessions to be created, accessed and controlled inside a single window. It is useful for remote work, multitasking and keeping long‑running jobs alive after disconnection.

Installation on Ubuntu

Update the package index: sudo apt update Install tmux:

sudo apt install tmux

Basic Configuration

Edit the file ~/.tmux.conf and add the following lines to change the default prefix to Ctrl‑a and enable mouse support:

# Set new prefix to Ctrl‑a (default is Ctrl‑b)
unbind C-b
set-option -g prefix C-a
bind-key C-a send-prefix
# Enable mouse support
set -g mouse on

Reload the configuration without leaving the session:

tmux source-file ~/.tmux.conf

tmux Hierarchy

Session : top‑level container that can hold multiple windows. Sessions can be detached and later re‑attached.

Window : a virtual terminal inside a session; a session may contain many windows.

Pane : a sub‑region of a window created by splitting the window horizontally or vertically.

Common tmux Commands

Starting tmux

Start a new session with a default window and pane:

tmux

Pane Management (prefix is Ctrl‑a )

Split vertically: Ctrl‑a " Split horizontally: Ctrl‑a % Switch panes: Ctrl‑a <arrow> Close pane: Ctrl‑d Enter copy mode: Ctrl‑a [ → move cursor, press Enter to copy, paste with Ctrl‑a ] Toggle fullscreen for the current pane:

Ctrl‑a z

Session Management

Detach from the current session: Ctrl‑a d List all sessions: tmux ls Attach to a session: tmux attach-session -t <session‑name> Create a new session (named mysession): tmux new-session -s mysession Create a new detached session: tmux new-session -s mysession -d Kill a specific session: tmux kill-session -t <session‑name> Kill all sessions:

tmux kill-server

vim Overview

vim (Vi IMproved) is a powerful, extensible text editor that builds on the classic vi interface. It provides several operating modes and a rich set of commands for efficient editing.

Basic Concepts

Normal mode : default mode for navigation and issuing commands.

Insert mode : entered with i, I, a or A to edit text.

Command‑line mode : entered with :, / or ? to execute Ex commands or searches.

Mode Switching

Normal → Insert: press i, I, a or A.

Normal → Command‑line: press :, / or ?.

Insert → Normal: press Esc.

Command‑line → Normal: press Enter to run the command or Esc to cancel.

Cursor Movement (Normal mode)

h j k l

– left, down, up, right.

Arrow keys – same directions. 0 or Home – start of line. $ or End – end of line. gg – first line; G – last line. nG – go to line n .

Text Editing (Normal mode)

v

– start visual selection; move cursor to select text. d – delete selection (also yanks to the unnamed register). dd – delete the current line. yy – yank (copy) the current line. p – paste after the cursor. u – undo; Ctrl‑r – redo. Shift‑> / Shift‑< – indent/outdent selected lines.

Save/quit: :w, :q, :wq, :wq!.

Search and Highlight

Forward search: /word then Enter.

Backward search: ?word then Enter.

Next match: n; previous match: N.

Toggle highlight: :set hlsearch / :noh.

Sample vim Configuration (.vimrc)

Create or edit ~/.vimrc and add the following settings to improve usability:

" Show line numbers
set number

" Highlight current line
set cursorline

" Show ruler (line and column)
set ruler

" Enable syntax highlighting
syntax on

" Filetype detection and auto‑indent
filetype plugin indent on

" Use spaces instead of tabs, 4‑space indent
set expandtab
set shiftwidth=4
set tabstop=4

" Enable smart indent
set smartindent

" Show matching brackets
set showmatch

" Enable search highlighting and incremental search
set hlsearch
set incsearch

" Use system clipboard
set clipboard=unnamedplus

" Case‑insensitive search, but respect case when uppercase used
set ignorecase
set smartcase

" Show command as you type
set showcmd

" Split windows below and to the right
set splitbelow
set splitright

" Persistent undo
set undofile
set undodir=~/.vim/undodir

" Wrap long lines
set wrap

" Enable folding based on syntax
set foldmethod=syntax
set foldlevelstart=99

" Color scheme (choose any you like)
colorscheme desert

" Always show status line
set laststatus=2

" Better backspace behavior in insert mode
set backspace=indent,eol,start

" Auto‑write on buffer change
set autowrite

" Show invisible characters
set list
set listchars=tab:>-,trail:.,eol:$

" Highlight current line with custom colors
hi CursorLine cterm=NONE ctermbg=darkgray

" Increase command history size
set history=1000

" Enable automatic formatting options
set formatoptions+=cro