{"id":91061,"date":"2019-03-20T08:00:57","date_gmt":"2019-03-20T08:00:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fedoramagazine.org\/?p=22409"},"modified":"2019-03-20T08:00:57","modified_gmt":"2019-03-20T08:00:57","slug":"4-cool-terminal-multiplexers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/2019\/03\/20\/4-cool-terminal-multiplexers\/","title":{"rendered":"4 cool terminal multiplexers"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Fedora OS is comfortable and easy for lots of users. It has a stunning desktop that makes it easy to get everyday tasks done. Under the hood is all the power of a Linux system, and the terminal is the easiest way for power users to harness it. By default terminals are simple and somewhat limited. However, a terminal multiplexer<\/em> allows you to turn your terminal into an even more incredible powerhouse. This article shows off some popular terminal multiplexers and how to install them.<\/p>\n

<\/span> <\/p>\n

Why would you want to use one? Well, for one thing, it lets you logout of your system while leaving your terminal session undisturbed<\/em>. It’s incredibly useful to logout of your console, secure it, travel somewhere else, then remotely login with SSH and continue where you left off. Here are some utilities to check out.<\/p>\n

One of the oldest and most well-known terminal multiplexers is screen.<\/em> However, because the code is no longer maintained, this article focuses on more recent apps. (“Recent” is relative — some of these have been around for years!)<\/p>\n

Tmux<\/h2>\n

The tmux<\/em> utility is one of the most widely used replacements for screen.<\/em> It has a highly configurable interface. You can program tmux to start up specific kinds of sessions based on your needs. You’ll find a lot more about tmux in this article published earlier:<\/p>\n

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Use tmux for a more powerful terminal<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Already a tmux user? You might like this additional article on making your tmux sessions more effective<\/a>.<\/p>\n

To install tmux, use the sudo<\/em> command along with dnf<\/em>, since you’re probably in a terminal already:<\/p>\n

$ sudo dnf install tmux
<\/pre>\n
To start learning, run the tmux<\/em> command. A single pane window starts with your default shell. Tmux uses a modifier key<\/em> to signal that a command is coming next. This key is Ctrl+B<\/strong> by default. If you enter Ctrl+B, C<\/strong> you’ll create a new window with a shell in it.<\/p>\n
Here’s a hint: Use Ctrl+B, ?<\/strong> to enter a help mode that lists all the keys you can use. To keep things simple, look for the lines starting with bind-key -T prefix<\/em> at first. These are keys you can use right after the modifier key to configure your tmux session. You can hit Ctrl+C<\/strong> to exit the help mode back to tmux.<\/p>\n
To completely exit tmux, use the standard exit<\/em> command or Ctrl+D<\/em> keystroke to exit all the shells.<\/p>\n
Dvtm<\/h2>\n
You might have recently seen the Magazine article on dwm, a dynamic window manager<\/a>. Like dwm, dvtm<\/em> is for tiling window management — but in a terminal. It’s designed to adhere to the legacy UNIX philosophy of “do one thing well” — in this case managing windows in a terminal.<\/p>\n
Installing dvtm is easy as well. However, if you want the logout functionality mentioned earlier, you’ll also need the abduco<\/em> package which handles session management for dvtm.<\/p>\n
$ sudo dnf install dvtm abduco<\/pre>\n
The dvtm utility has many keystrokes already mapped to allow you to manage windows in the terminal. By default, it uses Ctrl+G<\/strong> as its modifier key. This keystroke tells dvtm that the following character is going to be a command it should process. For instance, Ctrl+G, C<\/strong> creates a new window and Ctrl+G, X<\/strong> removes it.<\/p>\n
For more information on using dvtm, check out the dvtm home page<\/a> which includes numerous tips and get-started information.<\/p>\n
Byobu<\/h2>\n
While byobu<\/em> isn’t truly a multiplexer on its own — it wraps tmux<\/em> or even the older screen<\/em> to add functions — it’s worth covering here too. Byobu makes terminal multiplexers better for novices, by adding a help menu and window tabs that are slightly easier to navigate.<\/p>\n
Of course it’s available in the Fedora repos as well. To install, use this command:<\/p>\n
$ sudo dnf install byobu<\/pre>\n
By default the byobu<\/em> command runs screen<\/em> underneath, so you might want to run byobu-tmux<\/em> to wrap tmux<\/em> instead. You can then use the F9<\/strong> key to open up a help menu for more information to help you get started.<\/p>\n
Mtm<\/h2>\n
The mtm<\/em> utility is one of the smallest multiplexers you’ll find. In fact, it’s only about 1000 lines of code! You might find it helpful if you’re in a limited environment such as old hardware, a minimal container, and so forth. To get started, you’ll need a couple packages.<\/p>\n
$ sudo dnf install git ncurses-devel make gcc<\/pre>\n
 Then clone the repository where mtm lives:<\/p>\n
$ git clone https:\/\/github.com\/deadpixi\/mtm.git<\/pre>\n
Change directory into the mtm<\/em> folder and build the program:<\/p>\n
$ make<\/pre>\n
You might receive a few warnings, but when you’re done, you’ll have the very small mtm<\/em> utility. Run it with this command:<\/p>\n
$ .\/mtm<\/pre>\n
You can find all the documentation for the utility on its GitHub page<\/a>.<\/p>\n
These are just some of the terminal multiplexers out there. Got one you’d like to recommend? Leave a comment below with your tips and enjoy building windows in your terminal!<\/p>\n
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Photo by <\/em>Michael<\/em><\/a> on Unsplash<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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