Skills › Software Development › Dev workflow & Git
tmux
Remote-control tmux sessions for interactive CLIs by sending keystrokes and scraping pane output.
The full skill
—
name: tmux
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