| name | setup-tmux |
| description | Install and configure tmux on macOS with an optimized config, Dracula theme, TPM plugin manager, and vim-style keybindings. Use this skill when the user mentions setting up tmux, configuring tmux, installing tmux on Mac, tmux setup, tmux configuration, or wants to replicate their tmux environment on a new machine. |
| allowed-tools | ["Bash","Read","Write","Edit"] |
Setup tmux
Set up a fully configured tmux environment on macOS with an optimized configuration, Dracula theme, and essential plugins.
What gets installed
- tmux (via Homebrew if not present)
- TPM (Tmux Plugin Manager)
- Plugins: vim-tmux-navigator, Dracula theme (cpu/ram/network status)
- Optimized config with these highlights:
- Prefix:
Ctrl-a (instead of default Ctrl-b)
- Pane splitting:
prefix + \ (horizontal), prefix + - (vertical)
- Vim-style pane resize:
prefix + h/j/k/l
- Alt+arrow pane switching (no prefix needed)
- Native copy/paste with pbcopy (mouse select, double/triple-click)
- Heavy pane borders with green active border
- 50,000 lines history, auto-renumber windows
- Ghostty hyperlinks passthrough, OSC 52 clipboard
Quick setup
Run the bundled script which handles everything automatically — installing tmux, backing up any existing config, deploying the optimized config, installing TPM and plugins:
bash ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/scripts/setup-tmux.sh
The script backs up any existing ~/.tmux.conf before overwriting.
Manual / selective setup
If the user only wants part of the config (e.g., just the keybindings or just the theme), read the bundled config at ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/scripts/tmux.conf and apply only the relevant sections to their existing config.
Key bindings reference
| Action | Binding |
|---|
| Prefix | Ctrl-a |
| Split horizontal | prefix + \ |
| Split vertical | prefix + - |
| Resize pane | prefix + h/j/k/l |
| Zoom pane | prefix + m |
| Switch pane | Alt + arrow keys |
| Reload config | prefix + r |
| Paste | prefix + p |
| Create named window | prefix + c |
Customization
After setup, the user can modify ~/.tmux.conf directly. The config is structured with clear section comments. Common customizations:
- Dracula plugins: Change
@dracula-plugins to add/remove status bar widgets (battery, git, gpu-usage, weather, time, etc.)
- Pane borders: Change
pane-border-lines to simple, double, or number
- Active border color: Modify
pane-active-border-style (current: bright green)
