Advanced tmux session management script with interactive menus, templates, and configuration options

Enhanced TMUX Manager Script

A comprehensive, interactive Bash script for managing tmux sessions with advanced features including session templates, detailed information display, bulk operations, and extensive configuration options.

Overview

This enhanced tmux manager script transforms the standard tmux experience into an intuitive, menu-driven interface with powerful automation and management capabilities.

Key Features

Session Management

Enhanced Interface

Advanced Features

Why Use This Script?

Simplified Workflow: Menu-driven interface eliminates complex tmux commands
Session Templates: Pre-configured setups for development, monitoring, etc.
Bulk Operations: Manage multiple sessions efficiently
Rich Information: Detailed session statistics and status
Customizable: Extensive configuration options

Script Installation

Prerequisites

Essential dependencies:

# Install tmux (if not already installed)
# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt update && sudo apt install tmux

# CentOS/RHEL/Fedora
sudo yum install tmux
# or
sudo dnf install tmux

# macOS
brew install tmux

# Arch Linux
sudo pacman -S tmux

Enhanced functionality:

# Install fzf for fuzzy finding (highly recommended)
# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt install fzf

# CentOS/RHEL/Fedora
sudo yum install fzf
# or
sudo dnf install fzf

# macOS
brew install fzf

# Arch Linux
sudo pacman -S fzf

# Manual installation
git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/junegunn/fzf.git ~/.fzf
~/.fzf/install

Minimum requirements:

Bash 4.0 or later
tmux 2.0 or later
Linux/macOS/WSL environment
Terminal with color support

Recommended:

fzf for enhanced selection
256-color terminal for best experience
UTF-8 locale support

Download and Setup

# Download the script
curl -o ~/tmux-manager.sh https://raw.githubusercontent.com/yourusername/tmux-manager/main/session.sh

# Make executable
chmod +x ~/tmux-manager.sh

# Create symlink for easy access
sudo ln -s ~/tmux-manager.sh /usr/local/bin/tmux-manager

# Run the manager
tmux-manager

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/yourusername/tmux-manager.git
cd tmux-manager

# Copy script to desired location
cp session.sh ~/bin/tmux-manager.sh
chmod +x ~/bin/tmux-manager.sh

# Add to PATH (add to ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc)
echo 'export PATH="$HOME/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc

# Clone for development
git clone https://github.com/yourusername/tmux-manager.git
cd tmux-manager

# Create development symlink
ln -s $(pwd)/session.sh ~/bin/tmux-dev

# Run development version
~/bin/tmux-dev

Script Usage

The main menu provides a comprehensive overview of your tmux environment with quick access to all management functions.

# Launch tmux manager
tmux-manager

# Main menu options:
# 1) 📋 List & Attach to Session
# 2) ➕ Create New Session  
# 3) 📝 Rename Session
# 4) 🗑️  Delete Session
# 5) 🔧 Session Management
# 6) ⚙️  Configuration
# 7) ❓ Help
# 8) 🚪 Exit

Session Operations

Interactive Session Selection:

With FZF (recommended):

Fuzzy search through session names
Real-time filtering as you type
Preview session information
Escape to cancel selection

Without FZF:

Numbered list of sessions
Detailed session information display
Status indicators (attached/detached)
Window and client counts

Session Information Display:

● production (attached, 3 windows, 02-09 14:30)
○ development (detached, 5 windows, 02-09 09:15)  
○ monitoring (detached, 2 windows, 02-08 16:45)

Session Creation Types:

Basic Session: Simple single-window session
Development Session: Pre-configured with 3 windows:
- editor: For code editing
- terminal: For command execution
- logs: For monitoring logs
Custom Session: User-defined configuration

Creation Process:

# Example: Development session creation
Session name: my-project
Session type: Development (3 windows)
Initial directory: /home/user/projects/my-project
Result: Session created with editor, terminal, logs windows

Available Operations:

Rename: Change session names
Delete: Remove sessions with confirmation
Duplicate: Clone existing sessions
Kill Detached: Bulk cleanup of unused sessions

Safety Features:

Confirmation prompts for destructive operations
Session information display before deletion
Backup recommendations for important sessions

Advanced Script Features

Session Templates

Session templates provide pre-configured environments for specific workflows, saving time and ensuring consistency.

Pre-configured Development Environment:

# Creates session with:
Window 1: editor    - Code editing environment
Window 2: terminal  - Command execution
Window 3: logs      - Log monitoring

# Automatic setup:
- Sets working directory
- Configures window names
- Positions cursor in editor window
- Ready for immediate use

Customization Options:

Initial directory selection
Custom window names
Startup commands per window
Layout configuration

System Monitoring Setup:

# Example monitoring session creation
Window 1: htop      - System resource monitoring
Window 2: logs      - System log monitoring  
Window 3: network   - Network monitoring
Window 4: services  - Service status monitoring

# Commands automatically executed:
htop                    # Resource monitor
tail -f /var/log/syslog # Log monitoring
watch ss -tuln          # Network connections
watch systemctl status  # Service monitoring

Creating Custom Templates:

# Template configuration example
create_custom_template() {
    local session_name="$1"
    local project_dir="$2"
    
    # Create base session
    tmux new-session -d -s "$session_name" -c "$project_dir"
    
    # Setup windows
    tmux rename-window -t "$session_name:0" "code"
    tmux new-window -t "$session_name" -n "test" -c "$project_dir"
    tmux new-window -t "$session_name" -n "server" -c "$project_dir"
    
    # Execute startup commands
    tmux send-keys -t "$session_name:code" "vim ." Enter
    tmux send-keys -t "$session_name:test" "npm test -- --watch" Enter
    tmux send-keys -t "$session_name:server" "npm start" Enter
    
    # Select initial window
    tmux select-window -t "$session_name:code"
}

Session Management Features

Bulk Operations

Information Display

Advanced Operations

Configuration System

Core Configuration Options:

# Configuration file: ~/.tmux-manager.conf
DEFAULT_SHELL="/bin/bash"           # Default shell for new sessions
SORT_SESSIONS="true"                # Sort sessions alphabetically
SHOW_SESSION_INFO="true"            # Show detailed info in menu
AUTO_ATTACH="false"                 # Auto-attach after creation
CONFIRM_DELETE="true"               # Confirm before deletion

Configuration Menu:

Toggle session sorting
Toggle session info display
Change default shell
Save configuration
Reset to defaults

Visual Customization:

# Color configuration
RED='\033[0;31m'
GREEN='\033[0;32m'
YELLOW='\033[1;33m'
BLUE='\033[0;34m'
PURPLE='\033[0;35m'
CYAN='\033[0;36m'

# Display format options
SHOW_TIMESTAMPS="true"              # Show creation times
SHOW_WINDOW_COUNT="true"            # Show window counts
SHOW_CLIENT_COUNT="true"            # Show client connections
COMPACT_MODE="false"                # Compact display mode

Advanced Configuration:

# Performance settings
MAX_SESSIONS_DISPLAY=50             # Limit session list size
CACHE_SESSION_INFO="true"           # Cache session information
REFRESH_INTERVAL=5                  # Auto-refresh interval

# Integration settings
FZF_OPTIONS="--height=40% --border"  # FZF display options
EDITOR_COMMAND="vim"                # Default editor
TERMINAL_COMMAND="bash"             # Default terminal

# Backup settings
AUTO_BACKUP="true"                  # Automatic session backup
BACKUP_LOCATION="~/.tmux-backups"   # Backup directory
BACKUP_RETENTION=30                 # Days to keep backups

Script Integration and Automation

Shell Integration

Bash Configuration:

# Add to ~/.bashrc
alias tm='tmux-manager'
alias tma='tmux attach'
alias tms='tmux list-sessions'

# Auto-completion function
_tmux_manager_complete() {
    local sessions=$(tmux list-sessions -F "#{session_name}" 2>/dev/null)
    COMPREPLY=($(compgen -W "$sessions" -- "${COMP_WORDS[COMP_CWORD]}"))
}
complete -F _tmux_manager_complete tmux-manager

# Auto-start tmux manager on login (optional)
if [[ -z "$TMUX" ]] && [[ "$TERM_PROGRAM" != "vscode" ]]; then
    tmux-manager
fi

Zsh Configuration:

# Add to ~/.zshrc
alias tm='tmux-manager'
alias tma='tmux attach'
alias tms='tmux list-sessions'

# Zsh completion
_tmux_manager() {
    local sessions=($(tmux list-sessions -F "#{session_name}" 2>/dev/null))
    _describe 'sessions' sessions
}
compdef _tmux_manager tmux-manager

# Oh-My-Zsh plugin integration
plugins=(... tmux tmux-manager)

Fish Shell Configuration:

# Add to ~/.config/fish/config.fish
alias tm='tmux-manager'
alias tma='tmux attach'
alias tms='tmux list-sessions'

# Fish completion
complete -c tmux-manager -f -a "(tmux list-sessions -F '#{session_name}' 2>/dev/null)"

# Function for quick session switching
function ts
    set session_name $argv[1]
    if test -z "$session_name"
        tmux-manager
    else
        tmux attach -t $session_name
    end
end

Automation Scripts

Project Automation

System Integration

Backup Automation

# Project automation example
#!/bin/bash
# project-tmux.sh - Automatic project session setup

PROJECT_NAME=$(basename $(pwd))
SESSION_NAME="project-$PROJECT_NAME"

# Check if session exists
if tmux has-session -t "$SESSION_NAME" 2>/dev/null; then
    echo "Attaching to existing session: $SESSION_NAME"
    tmux attach -t "$SESSION_NAME"
else
    echo "Creating new project session: $SESSION_NAME"
    
    # Create session with project structure
    tmux new-session -d -s "$SESSION_NAME" -c "$(pwd)"
    tmux rename-window -t "$SESSION_NAME:0" "editor"
    
    # Add development windows
    tmux new-window -t "$SESSION_NAME" -n "terminal" -c "$(pwd)"
    tmux new-window -t "$SESSION_NAME" -n "server" -c "$(pwd)"
    tmux new-window -t "$SESSION_NAME" -n "logs" -c "$(pwd)"
    
    # Setup commands
    tmux send-keys -t "$SESSION_NAME:editor" "vim ." Enter
    tmux send-keys -t "$SESSION_NAME:logs" "tail -f *.log" Enter
    
    # Attach to session
    tmux select-window -t "$SESSION_NAME:editor"
    tmux attach -t "$SESSION_NAME"
fi

Script Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Most issues stem from tmux configuration conflicts, permission problems, or missing dependencies.

Cannot connect to tmux server:

# Check if tmux server is running
tmux list-sessions

# If no server, start one
tmux new-session -d -s temp
tmux kill-session -t temp

# Check socket permissions
ls -la /tmp/tmux-*

# Reset tmux server
tmux kill-server
tmux new-session -d -s test

Session attachment failures:

# Check session exists
tmux has-session -t session-name

# Force attach
tmux attach -t session-name -d

# Check for nested tmux
echo $TMUX

Color/formatting issues:

# Check terminal capabilities
echo $TERM
tput colors

# Set proper terminal
export TERM=screen-256color

# Test color support
for i in {0..255}; do
    printf "\x1b[38;5;${i}mcolor${i}\x1b[0m\n"
done

FZF integration problems:

# Check FZF installation
which fzf
fzf --version

# Test FZF functionality
echo -e "option1\noption2\noption3" | fzf

# Reinstall FZF if needed
git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/junegunn/fzf.git ~/.fzf
~/.fzf/install

Slow session listing:

# Check session count
tmux list-sessions | wc -l

# Enable session caching
CACHE_SESSION_INFO="true"

# Limit displayed sessions
MAX_SESSIONS_DISPLAY=20

Memory usage issues:

# Monitor tmux memory usage
ps aux | grep tmux

# Check session sizes
tmux list-sessions -F "#{session_name}: #{session_windows} windows"

# Clean up old sessions
tmux-manager # Use bulk delete option

Debug Mode

# Enable debug mode
export TMUX_MANAGER_DEBUG=1
tmux-manager

# Debug output includes:
# - Function entry/exit
# - Variable values
# - Command execution
# - Error details

# Debug log location
tail -f ~/.tmux-manager-debug.log

Script Customization

# Add custom menu options
show_custom_menu() {
    echo "9) 🔄 Sync Sessions"
    echo "10) 📊 Session Statistics"
    echo "11) 🔧 Advanced Tools"
}

# Custom function implementations
sync_sessions() {
    # Synchronize sessions across multiple servers
    rsync -av ~/.tmux-sessions/ remote-server:~/.tmux-sessions/
}

session_statistics() {
    # Display detailed session statistics
    local total_sessions=$(tmux list-sessions | wc -l)
    local total_windows=$(tmux list-windows -a | wc -l)
    local total_panes=$(tmux list-panes -a | wc -l)
    
    echo "📊 Session Statistics:"
    echo "   Sessions: $total_sessions"
    echo "   Windows: $total_windows"
    echo "   Panes: $total_panes"
}

Plugin System

# Plugin architecture
PLUGIN_DIR="$HOME/.tmux-manager/plugins"

load_plugins() {
    for plugin in "$PLUGIN_DIR"/*.sh; do
        [ -f "$plugin" ] && source "$plugin"
    done
}

# Example plugin: ~/.tmux-manager/plugins/git-integration.sh
git_session_create() {
    local repo_url="$1"
    local session_name=$(basename "$repo_url" .git)
    
    git clone "$repo_url" "/tmp/$session_name"
    tmux new-session -d -s "$session_name" -c "/tmp/$session_name"
    tmux send-keys -t "$session_name" "vim ." Enter
}

Best Practices

Session Organization

Naming Conventions

Session Structure

Lifecycle Management

Performance Optimization

# Optimize tmux configuration
# ~/.tmux.conf
set -g history-limit 10000          # Reasonable history
set -g status-interval 5            # Update status every 5s
set -g escape-time 0                # No escape delay
set -g display-time 2000            # Display messages for 2s

# Session manager optimization
CACHE_SESSION_INFO="true"           # Cache session data
MAX_SESSIONS_DISPLAY=30             # Limit display count
REFRESH_INTERVAL=10                 # Slower refresh rate

Security Considerations

# Secure session management
# Restrict tmux socket permissions
chmod 700 /tmp/tmux-$(id -u)

# Use secure session names (no sensitive info)
# Good: project-frontend, dev-api
# Bad: client-secret-key, prod-password

# Regular cleanup of old sessions
# Automated cleanup script
find /tmp/tmux-* -mtime +7 -delete

Conclusion

The Enhanced TMUX Manager Script provides:

Intuitive Interface: Menu-driven session management
Powerful Features: Templates, bulk operations, detailed information
Customization: Extensive configuration and plugin support
Integration: Shell integration and automation capabilities
Reliability: Robust error handling and recovery

This script transforms tmux from a complex terminal multiplexer into an accessible, powerful session management platform suitable for developers, system administrators, and power users.

Enhanced TMUX Manager Script

Enhanced TMUX Manager Script

Overview

Key Features

Why Use This Script?

Script Installation

Prerequisites

Download and Setup

Script Usage

Main Menu Interface

Session Operations

Advanced Script Features

Session Templates

Session Management Features

Configuration System

Script Integration and Automation

Shell Integration

Automation Scripts

Script Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Debug Mode

Script Customization

Custom Menu Items

Plugin System

Best Practices

Session Organization

Performance Optimization

Security Considerations

Conclusion

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