Core Shortcuts Cheatsheet
All shortcuts use the default prefix Ctrl+b. Press and release the prefix, then press the command key.
Session Shortcuts
Ctrl+b d Detach from session (session stays alive)
Ctrl+b s List and switch sessions
Ctrl+b $ Rename current session
Ctrl+b ( Previous session
Ctrl+b ) Next session
Window Shortcuts
Ctrl+b c Create new window
Ctrl+b , Rename current window
Ctrl+b n Next window
Ctrl+b p Previous window
Ctrl+b 0-9 Switch to window by number
Ctrl+b w Interactive window list
Ctrl+b l Last used window
Ctrl+b & Kill current window (prompts)
Pane Shortcuts
Ctrl+b % Split pane vertically (side by side)
Ctrl+b " Split pane horizontally (top/bottom)
Ctrl+b ←↑→↓ Move focus between panes
Ctrl+b o Cycle through panes
Ctrl+b q Show pane numbers
Ctrl+b z Zoom / unzoom current pane
Ctrl+b ! Break pane into new window
Ctrl+b x Kill current pane (prompts)
Ctrl+b { Move pane left
Ctrl+b } Move pane right
Ctrl+b Space Cycle through layout presets
Ctrl+b Alt+←→↑↓ Resize pane (5 cells)
Copy Mode Shortcuts
Ctrl+b [ Enter copy/scroll mode
Ctrl+b ] Paste from tmux buffer
Ctrl+b PgUp Enter copy mode, scroll up
Ctrl+b = Choose from paste buffers (interactive)
# Inside copy mode (vi mode):
h/j/k/l Move cursor
v Begin selection
y Copy selection and exit
/ Search forward
? Search backward
n / N Next / previous match
q Exit copy mode
g / G Top / bottom of scrollback
Ctrl+u / Ctrl+d Scroll half page up / down
Miscellaneous
Ctrl+b : Open command prompt
Ctrl+b ? Show all key bindings
Ctrl+b t Show clock
Ctrl+b r Reload config (if bound)
Ctrl+b m Toggle mouse (if bound)
Common Gotchas
| Gotcha | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Shortcuts do nothing | Holding all keys at once | Press and RELEASE prefix first |
| Session killed on logout | User lingering disabled | sudo loginctl enable-linger $USER |
| Config changes not applied | Not reloaded | tmux source-file ~/.tmux.conf |
| Wrong session attached | Typo in session name | Check tmux ls first |