---
name: tmux-40f72149fa99
description: Remote-control tmux sessions for interactive CLIs by sending keystrokes and scraping pane output.
metadata:
  {
    "openclaw":
      {
        "emoji": "🧵",
        "os": ["darwin", "linux"],
        "requires": { "bins": ["tmux"] },
        "install":
          [
            {
              "id": "brew",
              "kind": "brew",
              "formula": "tmux",
              "bins": ["tmux"],
              "label": "Install tmux (brew)",
            },
          ],
      },
  }
---

# tmux Session Control

Control tmux sessions by sending keystrokes and reading output. Essential for managing Claude Code sessions.

## When to Use

✅ **USE this skill when:**

- Monitoring Claude/Codex sessions in tmux
- Sending input to interactive terminal applications
- Scraping output from long-running processes in tmux
- Navigating tmux panes/windows programmatically
- Checking on background work in existing sessions

## When NOT to Use

❌ **DON'T use this skill when:**

- Running one-off shell commands → use `exec` tool directly
- Starting new background processes → use `exec` with `background:true`
- Non-interactive scripts → use `exec` tool
- The process isn't in tmux
- You need to create a new tmux session → use `exec` with `tmux new-session`

## Example Sessions

| Session                 | Purpose                     |
| ----------------------- | --------------------------- |
| `shared`                | Primary interactive session |
| `worker-2` - `worker-8` | Parallel worker sessions    |

## Common Commands

### List Sessions

```bash
tmux list-sessions
tmux ls
```

### Capture Output

```bash
# Last 20 lines of pane
tmux capture-pane -t shared -p | tail -20

# Entire scrollback
tmux capture-pane -t shared -p -S -

# Specific pane in window
tmux capture-pane -t shared:0.0 -p
```

### Send Keys

```bash
# Send text (doesn't press Enter)
tmux send-keys -t shared "hello"

# Send text + Enter
tmux send-keys -t shared "y" Enter

# Send special keys
tmux send-keys -t shared Enter
tmux send-keys -t shared Escape
tmux send-keys -t shared C-c          # Ctrl+C
tmux send-keys -t shared C-d          # Ctrl+D (EOF)
tmux send-keys -t shared C-z          # Ctrl+Z (suspend)
```

### Window/Pane Navigation

```bash
# Select window
tmux select-window -t shared:0

# Select pane
tmux select-pane -t shared:0.1

# List windows
tmux list-windows -t shared
```

### Session Management

```bash
# Create new session
tmux new-session -d -s newsession

# Kill session
tmux kill-session -t sessionname

# Rename session
tmux rename-session -t old new
```

## Sending Input Safely

For interactive TUIs (Claude Code, Codex, etc.), split text and Enter into separate sends to avoid paste/multiline edge cases:

```bash
tmux send-keys -t shared -l -- "Please apply the patch in src/foo.ts"
sleep 0.1
tmux send-keys -t shared Enter
```

## Claude Code Session Patterns

### Check if Session Needs Input

```bash
# Look for prompts
tmux capture-pane -t worker-3 -p | tail -10 | grep -E "❯|Yes.*No|proceed|permission"
```

### Approve Claude Code Prompt

```bash
# Send 'y' and Enter
tmux send-keys -t worker-3 'y' Enter

# Or select numbered option
tmux send-keys -t worker-3 '2' Enter
```

### Check All Sessions Status

```bash
for s in shared worker-2 worker-3 worker-4 worker-5 worker-6 worker-7 worker-8; do
  echo "=== $s ==="
  tmux capture-pane -t $s -p 2>/dev/null | tail -5
done
```

### Send Task to Session

```bash
tmux send-keys -t worker-4 "Fix the bug in auth.js" Enter
```

## Notes

- Use `capture-pane -p` to print to stdout (essential for scripting)
- `-S -` captures entire scrollback history
- Target format: `session:window.pane` (e.g., `shared:0.0`)
- Sessions persist across SSH disconnects


---
Source attribution: ProtocolSage
Original project: https://github.com/ProtocolSage/openclaw/blob/0ccfd97b3a0658bb28116ebf0b131af132e7726b/skills/tmux/SKILL.md
License: MIT
License information: https://opensource.org/license/mit
Original upstream instructions; downloaded from Mega AI Hub.

## Upstream license notice

MIT License

Copyright (c) 2025 Peter Steinberger

Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:

The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all
copies or substantial portions of the Software.

THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
SOFTWARE.



# Mega AI Hub resource metadata

Creator / publisher: ProtocolSage
Original project: https://github.com/ProtocolSage/openclaw/blob/0ccfd97b3a0658bb28116ebf0b131af132e7726b/skills/tmux/SKILL.md
Attribution basis: Source repository record

Fields of work: Development & Engineering, Customer Support
Roles: Backend Developer, DevOps / SRE, Technical Support
Specialties: API, Frontend
Tools: Tmux
Country applicability: Country not specified
Classification basis: Source catalog labels
Instruction SHA-256: e31210434fcf5e1029bae906b03b6bc625f3c4f1b4d2fdc8b1c380f6af071ba3