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https://github.com/jabirali/tmux-tilish

Plugin which makes tmux work and feel like i3wm
https://github.com/jabirali/tmux-tilish

dwm i3 i3wm sway swaywm tmux tmux-plugins

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Plugin which makes tmux work and feel like i3wm

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README 

        
# Tmux Tilish



This is a plugin that makes [`tmux`][6] behave more like a typical

[dynamic window manager][7]. It is heavily inspired by [`i3wm`][8], and 

most keybindings are taken [directly from there][1]. However, I have made 

some adjustments to make these keybindings more consistent with `vim`: 

using hjkl instead of

jkl; for directions, and 

using `vim`'s definitions of "split" and "vsplit". There is also an 

"easy mode" available for non-`vim` users, which uses arrow keys 

instead of hjkl.



The plugin has been verified to work on `tmux` v1.9, v2.6, v2.7, v2.9, and v3.0. 

Some features are only available on newer versions of `tmux` (currently v2.7+), 

but I hope to provide at least basic support for most `tmux` versions in active use.

If you encounter any problems, please file an issue and I'll try to look into it.



[1]: https://i3wm.org/docs/refcard.html

[6]: https://github.com/tmux/tmux/wiki/Getting-Started

[7]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamic_window_manager

[8]: https://i3wm.org/docs/



## Why?



Okay, so who is this plugin for anyway? You may be interested in this if:



- You're using or interested in using `tmux`, but find the default keybindings

  a bit clunky. This lets you try out an alternative keybinding paradigm, 

  which uses a modifier key (Alt) instead of a prefix key 

  (Ctrl + b). The plugin also makes it easier to do

  automatic tiling via `tmux` layouts, as opposed to splitting panes manually.

- You use `i3wm`, but also do remote work over `ssh` + `tmux`. This lets 

  you use similar keybindings in both contexts.

- You also use other platforms like Gnome, Mac, or WSL. You want to take 

  your `i3wm` muscle memory with you via `tmux`.

- You're not really using `i3wm` anymore, but you did like how it handled

  terminals and workspaces. You'd like to keep working that way in terminals,

  without using `i3wm` or `sway` for your whole desktop.

- You use a window manager that is similar to `i3wm`, e.g. [`dwm`][9],

  and want to have that workflow in `tmux` too.  

  

[9]: https://dwm.suckless.org/tutorial/



## Quickstart



The easiest way to install this plugin is via the [Tmux Plugin Manager][2].

Just add the following to `~/.tmux.conf`, then press Ctrl + b

followed by Shift + i to install it (assuming default prefix key):



	set -g @plugin 'jabirali/tmux-tilish'



For `tmux` v2.7+, you can customize which layout is used as default for new workspaces.

To do so, add this to `~/.tmux.conf`:



	set -g @tilish-default 'main-vertical'



Just replace `main-vertical` with one of the layouts from the `tmux` `man` page:



| Description       | Name              |

| ----------------- | ----------------- |

| split then vsplit | `main-horizontal` |

| only split        | `even-vertical`   |

| vsplit then split | `main-vertical`   |

| only vsplit       | `even-horizontal` |

| fully tiled       | `tiled`           |

                                         

The words "split" and "vsplit" refer to the layouts you get in `vim` when

running `:split` and `:vsplit`, respectively. (Unfortunately, what is called 

a "vertical" and "horizontal" split varies between programs.)

If you do not set this option, `tilish` will not autoselect any layout; you

can still choose layouts manually using the keybindings listed below.



After performing the steps above, you should read the [list of keybindings](#keybindings).

For further configuration options:



- If you use `nvim` or `vim`, consider [integrating it with `tilish`](#integration-with-vim).

- If you do not use `vim` or `kak`, consider activating [easy mode](#easy-mode).

- If you use `kak` or `emacs`, consider activating [prefix mode](#prefix-mode).

- If you use `tmux` within `i3wm` or `sway`, see [this section](#usage-inside-i3wm).

- If you like `dmenu`, check out the [application launcher](#application-launcher).

- If it doesn't work, check your [terminal settings](#terminal-compatibility).



It is also recommended that you add the following to the top of your `.tmux.conf`:



	set -s escape-time 0

	set -g base-index 1



The first line prevents e.g. Esc + h from triggering the

Alt + h keybinding, preventing common misbehavior when

using `vim` in `tmux`. This option is automatically set by [tmux-sensible][4], if 

you use that. The second line makes workspace numbers go from 1-10 instead of 0-9,

which makes more sense on a keyboard where the number row starts at 1. However,

`tilish` explicitly checks this setting when mapping keys, and works fine without it.



[2]: https://github.com/tmux-plugins/tpm

[4]: https://github.com/tmux-plugins/tmux-sensible



## Keybindings



Finally, here is a list of the actual keybindings. Most are [taken from `i3wm`][1].

Below, a "workspace" is what `tmux` would call a "window" and `vim` would call a "tab",

while a "pane" is what `i3wm` would call a "window" and `vim` would call a "split".



| Keybinding | Description |

| ---------- | ----------- |

| Alt + 0-9 | Switch to workspace number 0-9 |

| Alt + Shift + 0-9 | Move pane to workspace 0-9 |

| Alt + hjkl | Move focus left/down/up/right |

| Alt + Shift + hjkl | Move pane left/down/up/right |

| Alt + Enter | Create a new pane at "the end" of the current layout |

| Alt + s | Switch to layout: split then vsplit |

| Alt + Shift + s | Switch to layout: only split |

| Alt + v | Switch to layout: vsplit then split |

| Alt + Shift + v | Switch to layout: only vsplit |

| Alt + t | Switch to layout: fully tiled |

| Alt + z | Switch to layout: zoom (fullscreen) |

| Alt + r | Refresh current layout |

| Alt + n | Name current workspace |

| Alt + Shift + q | Quit (close) pane |

| Alt + Shift + e | Exit (detach) `tmux` |

| Alt + Shift + c | Reload config |



The Alt + 0 and Alt + Shift + 0 

bindings are "smart": depending on `base-index`, they either act on workspace 0 or 10.



The keybindings that move panes between workspaces assume a US keyboard layout.

However, you can configure `tilish` for international keyboards by providing a string

`@tilish-shiftnum` prepared by pressing Shift + 

1234567890. 

For instance, for a UK keyboard, you would configure it as follows:



	set -g @tilish-shiftnum '!"£$%^&*()'



Your terminal must support sending keycodes like `M-£` for the above to work.

For instance, a UK keyboard layout works fine on `urxvt`, but does not work 

by default on `kitty` or `alacritty`, which may require additional configuration.



## Easy mode



To make the plugin more accessible for people who do not use `vim` as well,

there is also an "easy mode" available, which uses arrow keys instead of 

the `vim`-style hjkl keys.

This mode can be activated by putting this in your `.tmux.conf`:



	set -g @tilish-easymode 'on'



The revised keybindings for the pane focus and movement then become:



| Keybinding | Description |

| ---------- | ----------- |

| Alt + ←↓↑→ | Move focus left/down/up/right |

| Alt + Shift + ←↓↑→ | Move pane left/down/up/right |



## Prefix mode

Note that this feature is currently only available in `tmux` v2.4+.

The "prefix mode" uses a prefix key instead of Alt, and 

may be particularly interesting for users of editors like `kak` and 

`emacs` that use Alt key a lot. To activate this mode, you

define a prefix keybinding in your `tmux.conf`. For instance, to use

Alt + Space as your `tilish` prefix, add:



	set -g @tilish-prefix 'M-space'



Actions that would usually be done by Alt + key

are now accomplished by pressing the prefix and then key. 

For example, opening a split is usually Alt + Enter,

but with the above prefix this becomes Alt + Space 

then Enter. Note that the `tilish` prefix is different from

the `tmux` prefix, and should generally be bound to a different key.

For the prefix key, you can choose basically any keybinding that `tmux`

supports, e.g. `F12` or `C-s` or anything else you may prefer.



All these keybindings are `repeat`'able, so you do not have to press the

prefix key again if you type multiple commands fast enough. Thus, pressing

Alt + Space followed by hj would 

move to the left and then down, without requiring another prefix activation.

The `tmux` option `repeat-time` can be used to customize this timeout.

Personally, I find the default 500ms timeout somewhat short, and would

recommend that you increase this to at least a second if you use `tilish`:



	set -g repeat-time 1000



## Application launcher



In `i3wm`, the keybinding Alt+d is by default mapped to

the application launcher `dmenu`, which can be practical to quickly open apps.

If you have [`fzf`][5] available on your system, `tilish` can offer a similar 

application launcher using the same keyboard shortcut. To enable this 

functionality, add the following to your `~/.tmux.conf`:



	set -g @tilish-dmenu 'on'



Basically, pressing Alt+d will then pop up a split

that lets you fuzzy-search through all executables in your system `$PATH`.

Selecting an executable runs the command in that split. When you want 

to start an interactive process, this can be more convenient than

using Alt+Enter and typing the command name.

This is currently only available in `tmux` v2.7+.



[5]: https://github.com/junegunn/fzf



## Terminal compatibility



Not all terminals support all keybindings. The plugin has been verified

to work well with: `iTerm2` and `Terminal.app` on macOS; `alacritty`, `kitty`,

`terminator`, `gnome-terminal`, and `urxvt` on Linux; `wsltty` and `alacritty`

on Windows.  Some of these terminals bind Alt+Enter to

fullscreen, so you have to disable that for the `tilish` "new pane" binding to

work.  Moreover, `gnome-terminal` steals the "switch workspace" keybindings

Alt+0-9 *if* you open multiple tabs. If you

use macOS, you likely want to configure the `Option` key to send either `Esc+`

(`iTerm2`) or `Meta` (`Terminal.app`) under the keyboard settings of the app.



If you use `xterm`, almost none of the Alt keys work by default.

That can be fixed by adding this to `~/.Xresources`:



	XTerm*eightBitControl: false

	XTerm*eightBitInput: false

	XTerm.omitTranslation: fullscreen

	XTerm*fullscreen: never



The same issue affects Alacritty on macOS; see

[this issue](https://github.com/alacritty/alacritty/issues/93#issuecomment-353489475)

for a proposed solution.



## Usage inside i3wm



If you use `tilish` inside `i3wm` or `sway`, keybindings like 

Alt+Enter may spawn a new terminal in your window manager

instead of a new terminal pane inside `tmux`. The window manager always takes

priority — so if both `i3wm` and `tilish` define the same keybinding,

`i3wm` will intercept the keybinding before `tmux` sees it.



The best way to solve this is perhaps to change your window manager  modifier key

to Super, also known as the "Windows key". As described 

[in the `i3wm` user guide](https://i3wm.org/docs/userguide.html#_using_i3), this can

be done by changing `$mod` to `Mod4` in your `i3wm` config. That way, pressing e.g.

Alt+Enter opens a new terminal pane inside `tmux`, while

Super+Enter opens a new terminal in `i3wm`. 



Alternatively, `tilish` also supports a [Prefix mode](#prefix-mode). This is in my opinion

less ergonomic than the default `tilish` keybindings. However, it does not require the use

of Alt, and is therefore compatible with the default `i3wm` keybindings.



## Integration with vim



There are two great plugins [tmux-navigate][10] and [vim-tmux-navigator][3],

which both allow seamless navigation between `vim` splits and `tmux` splits.

The former has an advantage that it also works over `ssh` connections, and that

it plays better with zooming (Alt+z).  If you use either

plugin, you can tell `tilish` to make it setup the keybindings for you. (If you

don't, `tilish` will use fallback keybindings that don't integrate with `vim`.)



### Navigate



It is perhaps easiest to setup `tmux-navigate`. Just load `navigate` *after* `tilish`

in your `tmux.conf`, and set the option `@tilish-navigate` to `on` to integrate them.

Thus a full working minimal example of a `tpm`-based `tmux.conf` would be:



	# List of plugins.

	set -g @plugin 'tmux-plugins/tpm'

	set -g @plugin 'tmux-plugins/tmux-sensible'

	set -g @plugin 'jabirali/tmux-tilish'

	set -g @plugin 'sunaku/tmux-navigate'

	

	# Plugin options.

	set -g @tilish-navigate 'on'

	

	# Install `tpm` if needed.

	if "test ! -d ~/.tmux/plugins/tpm" \

	   "run 'git clone https://github.com/tmux-plugins/tpm ~/.tmux/plugins/tpm && ~/.tmux/plugins/tpm/bin/install_plugins'"

	

	# Activate the plugins.

	run -b "~/.tmux/plugins/tpm/tpm"



No further setup is required; `tilish` sets up the keybindings, and `navigate`

handles seamless navigation of `vim`/`nvim` splits. However, if you also want

this seamless navigation over `ssh` connections, you should install

the accompanying `vim` plugin; see [their website for more information][10].



### Navigator



To install `vim-tmux-navigator`, you should first install the plugin for `vim` 

or `nvim`, as described on [their website][3]. Then place this in your

`~/.config/nvim/init.vim` (`nvim`) or `~/.vimrc` (`vim`):



	noremap   :TmuxNavigateLeft

	noremap   :TmuxNavigateDown

	noremap   :TmuxNavigateUp

	noremap   :TmuxNavigateRight



You then just have to tell `tilish` that you want the integration:



	set -g @tilish-navigator 'on'



A minimal working  example of a `~/.tmux.conf` with `tpm` would then be:



	# List of plugins.

	set -g @plugin 'tmux-plugins/tpm'

	set -g @plugin 'tmux-plugins/tmux-sensible'

	set -g @plugin 'jabirali/tmux-tilish'

	

	# Plugin options.

	set -g @tilish-navigator 'on'

	

	# Install `tpm` if needed.

	if "test ! -d ~/.tmux/plugins/tpm" \

	   "run 'git clone https://github.com/tmux-plugins/tpm ~/.tmux/plugins/tpm && ~/.tmux/plugins/tpm/bin/install_plugins'"

	

	# Activate the plugins.

	run -b "~/.tmux/plugins/tpm/tpm"



[3]:  https://github.com/christoomey/vim-tmux-navigator

[10]: https://github.com/sunaku/tmux-navigate



# Related projects



- [3mux](https://github.com/aaronjanse/3mux)

- [tmux-navigate](https://github.com/sunaku/tmux-navigate)

- [vim-tmux-navigator](https://github.com/christoomey/vim-tmux-navigator)

- [vim-i3wm-tmux-navigator](https://github.com/fogine/vim-i3wm-tmux-navigator)