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Fedora - 4 cool terminal multiplexers - xSicKxBot - 03-30-2019 4 cool terminal multiplexers <div><p>The Fedora OS is comfortable and easy for lots of users. It has a stunning desktop that makes it easy to get everyday tasks done. Under the hood is all the power of a Linux system, and the terminal is the easiest way for power users to harness it. By default terminals are simple and somewhat limited. However, a <em>terminal multiplexer</em> allows you to turn your terminal into an even more incredible powerhouse. This article shows off some popular terminal multiplexers and how to install them.</p> <p> <span id="more-22409"></span> </p> <p>Why would you want to use one? Well, for one thing, it lets you logout of your system while <em>leaving your terminal session undisturbed</em>. It’s incredibly useful to logout of your console, secure it, travel somewhere else, then remotely login with SSH and continue where you left off. Here are some utilities to check out.</p> <p>One of the oldest and most well-known terminal multiplexers is <em>screen.</em> However, because the code is no longer maintained, this article focuses on more recent apps. (“Recent” is relative — some of these have been around for years!)</p> <h2>Tmux</h2> <p>The <em>tmux</em> utility is one of the most widely used replacements for <em>screen.</em> It has a highly configurable interface. You can program tmux to start up specific kinds of sessions based on your needs. You’ll find a lot more about tmux in this article published earlier:</p> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-fedora-magazine"> <div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> <blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="AOTxgovebe"><p><a href="https://fedoramagazine.org/use-tmux-more-powerful-terminal/">Use tmux for a more powerful terminal</a></p></blockquote> </div> </figure> <p>Already a tmux user? You might like <a href="https://fedoramagazine.org/4-tips-better-tmux-sessions/">this additional article on making your tmux sessions more effective</a>.</p> <p>To install tmux, use the <em>sudo</em> command along with <em>dnf</em>, since you’re probably in a terminal already:</p> <pre class="wp-block-preformatted">$ sudo dnf install tmux<br /></pre> <p>To start learning, run the <em>tmux</em> command. A single pane window starts with your default shell. Tmux uses a <em>modifier key</em> to signal that a command is coming next. This key is <strong>Ctrl+B</strong> by default. If you enter <strong>Ctrl+B, C</strong> you’ll create a new window with a shell in it.</p> <p>Here’s a hint: Use <strong>Ctrl+B, ?</strong> to enter a help mode that lists all the keys you can use. To keep things simple, look for the lines starting with <em>bind-key -T prefix</em> at first. These are keys you can use right after the modifier key to configure your tmux session. You can hit <strong>Ctrl+C</strong> to exit the help mode back to tmux.</p> <p>To completely exit tmux, use the standard <em>exit</em> command or <em>Ctrl+D</em> keystroke to exit all the shells.</p> <h2>Dvtm</h2> <p>You might have recently seen the Magazine article on <a href="https://fedoramagazine.org/lets-try-dwm-dynamic-window-manger/">dwm, a dynamic window manager</a>. Like dwm, <em>dvtm</em> is for tiling window management — but in a terminal. It’s designed to adhere to the legacy UNIX philosophy of “do one thing well” — in this case managing windows in a terminal.</p> <p>Installing dvtm is easy as well. However, if you want the logout functionality mentioned earlier, you’ll also need the <em>abduco</em> package which handles session management for dvtm.</p> <pre class="wp-block-preformatted">$ sudo dnf install dvtm abduco</pre> <p>The dvtm utility has many keystrokes already mapped to allow you to manage windows in the terminal. By default, it uses <strong>Ctrl+G</strong> as its modifier key. This keystroke tells dvtm that the following character is going to be a command it should process. For instance, <strong>Ctrl+G, C</strong> creates a new window and <strong>Ctrl+G, X</strong> removes it.</p> <p>For more information on using dvtm, check out the dvtm <a href="http://www.brain-dump.org/projects/dvtm/#why">home page</a> which includes numerous tips and get-started information.</p> <h2>Byobu</h2> <p>While <em>byobu</em> isn’t truly a multiplexer on its own — it wraps <em>tmux</em> or even the older <em>screen</em> to add functions — it’s worth covering here too. Byobu makes terminal multiplexers better for novices, by adding a help menu and window tabs that are slightly easier to navigate.</p> <p>Of course it’s available in the Fedora repos as well. To install, use this command:</p> <pre class="wp-block-preformatted">$ sudo dnf install byobu</pre> <p>By default the <em>byobu</em> command runs <em>screen</em> underneath, so you might want to run <em>byobu-tmux</em> to wrap <em>tmux</em> instead. You can then use the <strong>F9</strong> key to open up a help menu for more information to help you get started.</p> <h2>Mtm</h2> <p>The <em>mtm</em> utility is one of the smallest multiplexers you’ll find. In fact, it’s only about 1000 lines of code! You might find it helpful if you’re in a limited environment such as old hardware, a minimal container, and so forth. To get started, you’ll need a couple packages.</p> <pre class="wp-block-preformatted">$ sudo dnf install git ncurses-devel make gcc</pre> <p> Then clone the repository where mtm lives:</p> <pre class="wp-block-preformatted">$ git clone https://github.com/deadpixi/mtm.git</pre> <p>Change directory into the <em>mtm</em> folder and build the program:</p> <pre class="wp-block-preformatted">$ make</pre> <p>You might receive a few warnings, but when you’re done, you’ll have the very small <em>mtm</em> utility. Run it with this command:</p> <pre class="wp-block-preformatted">$ ./mtm</pre> <p>You can find all the documentation for the utility <a href="https://github.com/deadpixi/mtm">on its GitHub page</a>.</p> <p>These are just some of the terminal multiplexers out there. Got one you’d like to recommend? Leave a comment below with your tips and enjoy building windows in your terminal!</p> <hr class="wp-block-separator" /> <p><em>Photo by </em><a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/48yI_ZyzuLo?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText"><em>Michael</em></a><em> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/search/photos/windows?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a>.</em></p> </div> |