Using tmux for Interactive Commands

Quick Reference (30 seconds)

Interactive CLI tools (vim, REPLs, git rebase -i) require real terminals. Use tmux detached sessions with send-keys and capture-pane.

Essential Commands

Task	Command
Start session	tmux new-session -d -s <name> <command>
Send input	tmux send-keys -t <name> 'text' Enter
Capture output	tmux capture-pane -t <name> -p
Stop session	tmux kill-session -t <name>
List sessions	tmux list-sessions

Core Pattern

tmux new-session -d -s edit vim file.txt  # Start detached
sleep 0.3                                   # Wait for init
tmux send-keys -t edit 'i' 'Hello' Escape ':wq' Enter  # Interact
tmux kill-session -t edit                   # Cleanup

When to Use

Use tmux	Don't use
vim, nano, editors	Simple non-interactive commands
Python/Node REPLs	Commands that accept stdin redirection
git rebase -i, git add -p	One-shot commands
Full-screen apps (htop)

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Implementation Guide (5 minutes)

Workflow

1. Create detached session with interactive command
2. Wait briefly (100-500ms) for initialization
3. Send input via send-keys
4. Capture output via capture-pane -p
5. Repeat steps 3-4 as needed
6. Terminate session when done

Special Keys

Key	tmux name
Return	Enter
ESC	Escape
Ctrl+C	C-c
Ctrl+X	C-x
Arrows	Up, Down, Left, Right
Space	Space
Backspace	BSpace

Working Directory

tmux new-session -d -s git -c /path/to/repo git rebase -i HEAD~3

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Common Patterns

Python REPL

tmux new-session -d -s py python3 -i
tmux send-keys -t py 'import math' Enter
tmux send-keys -t py 'print(math.pi)' Enter
tmux capture-pane -t py -p
tmux kill-session -t py

Vim Editing

tmux new-session -d -s vim vim /tmp/file.txt
sleep 0.3
tmux send-keys -t vim 'i' 'New content' Escape ':wq' Enter

Interactive Git Rebase

tmux new-session -d -s rebase -c /repo git rebase -i HEAD~3
sleep 0.5
tmux capture-pane -t rebase -p
tmux send-keys -t rebase 'Down' 'Home' 'squash' Escape ':wq' Enter

Node REPL

tmux new-session -d -s node node
tmux send-keys -t node 'const x = 42' Enter
tmux send-keys -t node 'console.log(x * 2)' Enter
tmux capture-pane -t node -p
tmux kill-session -t node

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Common Mistakes

Not Waiting After Start

Problem: Blank screen on immediate capture
Fix:

tmux new-session -d -s sess command
sleep 0.3  # Let command initialize
tmux capture-pane -t sess -p

Forgetting Enter Key

Problem: Commands typed but not executed
Fix: Always explicitly send Enter

Wrong Session Name

Problem: Session not found
Fix: Use tmux list-sessions to verify names

Not Escaping Special Characters

Problem: Shell interprets characters
Fix: Use single quotes: tmux send-keys -t s 'echo "hello"' Enter

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Advanced: Claude Code Orchestration

Start Claude Code in tmux

tmux new-session -d -s claude -c /project/path claude
sleep 2  # Claude Code takes longer to start
tmux capture-pane -t claude -p  # See initial state

Send Prompts

tmux send-keys -t claude "Fix all TypeScript errors" Enter
sleep 30  # Wait for processing
tmux capture-pane -t claude -p  # Check progress

Graceful Exit

tmux send-keys -t claude '/exit' Enter
sleep 1
tmux kill-session -t claude

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Works Well With

Skills: bash-optimizer, git-cli-agentic
Tools: tmux, vim, git

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Reference

• tmux man page
• Full examples