Over the years, I've refined my own tmux configuration to fit the way I work. It includes a custom prefix key, mouse support, clipboard integration, automatic session recovery, and a small collection of plugins that improve the overall experience.

In this article, I'll share my personal setup, explain the reasoning behind the configuration, provide a quick cheat sheet, and show how I automate the entire installation using Ansible.

Installing tmux

On Fedora, installing tmux is straightforward:

sudo dnf install tmux -y

I also install the following clipboard utilities:

• xclip
• xsel

These packages allow tmux to interact properly with the system clipboard.

Why I Changed the Prefix Key

By default, tmux uses Ctrl+b as its prefix key.

I've always preferred using Ctrl+s because it feels more natural and is easier to reach while typing.

Unfortunately, Ctrl+s has a special meaning in most terminals: it enables XON/XOFF flow control, which pauses terminal output.

To disable this behavior, run:

stty -ixon

For a permanent solution, add the command to your shell configuration, for example:

~/.bashrc

or

~/.zshrc

Without this step, Ctrl+s will freeze your terminal instead of acting as the tmux prefix.

Installing TPM (Tmux Plugin Manager)

I use TPM to manage all tmux plugins.

Installation is simple:

git clone https://github.com/tmux-plugins/tpm ~/.tmux/plugins/tpm

After opening tmux for the first time, install all configured plugins by pressing:

Ctrl+s Shift+i

Since my prefix is Ctrl+s, this is equivalent to the default Prefix + I.

My tmux Cheat Sheet

Every shortcut starts with my custom prefix:

Ctrl+s

For example:

Ctrl+s c

creates a new window.

Session Management

Windows

Panes

Pane Layout

Copy Mode

I also added a custom shortcut:

Ctrl+y

which jumps directly into Copy Mode.

Command Mode

My tmux Configuration

Below is the configuration I currently use on all of my systems.

unbind r
bind r source-file ~/.tmux.conf

set -g prefix C-s
set -g mouse on

set-option -g set-clipboard on

# Start numbering windows and panes at 1
set -g base-index 1
set -g pane-base-index 1

# Place the status bar at the top
set-option -g status-position top

# Plugins
set -g @plugin 'tmux-plugins/tpm'
set -g @plugin 'tmux-plugins/tmux-resurrect'
set -g @plugin 'tmux-plugins/tmux-continuum'
set -g @plugin 'egel/tmux-gruvbox'
set -g @plugin 'tmux-plugins/tmux-yank'

set -g @tmux-gruvbox 'dark'

# Launch Copy Mode using Ctrl+y
bind -n C-y copy-mode

# Initialize TPM
run '~/.tmux/plugins/tpm/tpm'

Configuration Breakdown

Reload the Configuration

unbind r
bind r source-file ~/.tmux.conf

Instead of restarting tmux after every change, I simply press:

Prefix + r

to reload the configuration.

Custom Prefix

set -g prefix C-s

Replaces the default Ctrl+b prefix with Ctrl+s.

Mouse Support

set -g mouse on

Enables mouse support for:

• Selecting panes
• Resizing panes
• Scrolling
• Switching windows

Although I mainly work with keyboard shortcuts, mouse support is occasionally convenient.

Clipboard Integration

set-option -g set-clipboard on

This allows tmux to synchronize copied text with the system clipboard, making copy-and-paste much smoother.

Window Numbering

set -g base-index 1
set -g pane-base-index 1

By default, tmux starts numbering windows and panes at zero.

I prefer starting at 1, which feels more intuitive.

Status Bar Position

set-option -g status-position top

Instead of displaying the status bar at the bottom, I place it at the top of the terminal.

Plugins I Use

I intentionally keep my plugin list small.

tmux-resurrect

Saves the complete tmux session, including windows, panes, and commands.

tmux-continuum

Automatically saves sessions in the background and restores them after restarting tmux.

tmux-yank

Improves clipboard integration by making copied text available outside of tmux.

tmux-gruvbox

Provides a clean Gruvbox-inspired color theme.

TPM

The official plugin manager used to install and update all tmux plugins.

Automating Everything with Ansible

Whenever I set up a new workstation or server, I don't install tmux manually.

Instead, I use an Ansible playbook that performs the complete setup automatically.

The playbook:

• installs tmux
• installs Git
• installs clipboard utilities (xclip and xsel)
• downloads TPM
• creates the plugin directory
• writes my complete ~/.tmux.conf
• disables XON/XOFF by adding stty -ixon to .bashrc

---
- name: Install and configure tmux
  hosts: linux
  become: true

  vars:
    tmux_home: "/home/{{ tmux_user }}"

    tmux_conf: |
      unbind r
      bind r source-file ~/.tmux.conf

      set -g prefix C-s
      set -g mouse on

      set-option -g set-clipboard on

      set -g base-index 1
      set -g pane-base-index 1

      set-option -g status-position top

      set -g @plugin 'tmux-plugins/tpm'
      set -g @plugin 'tmux-plugins/tmux-resurrect'
      set -g @plugin 'tmux-plugins/tmux-continuum'
      set -g @plugin 'egel/tmux-gruvbox'
      set -g @plugin 'tmux-plugins/tmux-yank'

      set -g @tmux-gruvbox 'dark'

      bind -n C-y copy-mode

      run '~/.tmux/plugins/tpm/tpm'

  tasks:

    - name: Install tmux and clipboard tools
      ansible.builtin.dnf:
        name:
          - tmux
          - git
          - xclip
          - xsel
        state: present

    - name: Ensure plugin directory exists
      ansible.builtin.file:
        path: "{{ tmux_home }}/.tmux/plugins"
        state: directory
        owner: "{{ tmux_user }}"
        group: "{{ tmux_user }}"
        mode: "0755"

    - name: Install TPM plugin manager
      ansible.builtin.git:
        repo: https://github.com/tmux-plugins/tpm
        dest: "{{ tmux_home }}/.tmux/plugins/tpm"
      become_user: "{{ tmux_user }}"

    - name: Write tmux configuration
      ansible.builtin.copy:
        dest: "{{ tmux_home }}/.tmux.conf"
        content: "{{ tmux_conf }}"
        owner: "{{ tmux_user }}"
        group: "{{ tmux_user }}"
        mode: "0644"

    - name: Disable XON/XOFF so Ctrl+s works
      ansible.builtin.lineinfile:
        path: "{{ tmux_home }}/.bashrc"
        line: "stty -ixon"
        create: true
        owner: "{{ tmux_user }}"
        group: "{{ tmux_user }}"
        mode: "0644"

Using Ansible ensures that every machine receives the exact same configuration, making new installations fast, consistent, and reproducible.

Final Thoughts

This configuration reflects the workflow I've refined over time. It stays close to the default tmux experience while adding a few quality-of-life improvements that make a noticeable difference in day-to-day use.

My favorite features include:

• Ctrl+s as a more comfortable prefix
• Mouse support
• Clipboard integration
• Automatic session persistence with tmux-resurrect and tmux-continuum
• Simple plugin management with TPM
• Fully automated deployment using Ansible

Whether you're setting up a development workstation or managing remote Linux servers, this configuration provides a solid starting point that is both lightweight and practical. Feel free to adapt it to your own workflow and build on top of it.