How I Use Tmux With Neovim For An Awesome Dev Workflow On My Mac

Hey guys! In this video I go through everything I do to setup Tmux and how I use it on the terminal to create a truly awesome development workflow alongside the Neovim text editor. This video is part of a series I've been doing on my terminal setup and my software development workflow. Tmux is the final ingredient that brings everything together for an awesome experience writing code on the terminal. I hope you guys enjoy it!

⏰ Timestamps
00:00 - Introduction
01:40 - Installing Tmux
02:05 - Creating the Config File
02:28 - Configure True Colors
02:43 - Changing the Default Prefix
03:43 - Working with Sessions
04:54 - Working with Panes
08:54 - Navigating b/w Tmux and Neovim
11:25 - Working with Windows
12:40 - Practical Examples
15:55 - Configuring Vim Movements
16:49 - Copy Mode and Vim Movements
18:19 - Adding a Theme
19:08 - Persisting Tmux Sessions Across System Restarts
20:24 - Conclusion

[joseanmartinez]

Hey guys! I wanted to clarify that whenever you type out the prefix, in this case “Ctrl+a” as I’ve configured it, make sure you press these two keys at the same time, release them, and then type the tmux specific command to execute. Also, if you'd like to use "hjkl" to resize panes but only be able to tap these keys once, remove the "-r" option for each of these binds in ".tmux.conf". Finally, if you’d like to save your sessions manually with tmux-resurrect, you can use “prefix + Ctrl-s” to save and “prefix + Ctrl-r” to restore. Hope you enjoyed the video!

[thomasnaderer]

I was afraid of the terminal and vim for such a long time, but your tutorials really brought it all together. One of the best tutorials I have ever watched! Thank you a lot!

[afrijaldz]

Can't stop watching your tutorial on setup terminal, tmux, nvim since last night. Your contents are so awesome!

thank you Josean

[ankitkumarsingh]

Each of your tutorial videos are gem! Trust me, no one makes a video as easy to understand as you make. Thanks a lot :)

[hyperborean_]

🎯 Key points for quick navigation:

00:00:00 *🖥️ Intro and Overview*
- Overview of using tmux and Neovim for development workflow on Mac,
- Introduction to previous videos in the series and what will be covered in the current video.
00:01:39 *🛠️ Installing and Setting Up Tmux*
- Installation of tmux via Homebrew and verification of installation,
- Creating a tmux configuration file and enabling true color functionality.
00:03:28 *🔑 Configuring Tmux Prefix and Shortcuts*
- Changing the tmux prefix key to Control-A,
- Demonstrating session creation and pane splitting in tmux.
00:06:50 *🎛️ Pane Resizing and Navigation in Tmux*
- Setting up keys to resize panes using Vim-style navigation keys,
- Demonstration of maximizing and minimizing panes and enabling mouse support for resizing.
00:09:08 *🔌 Installing and Using Tmux Plugins*
- Introduction of TPM (Tmux Plugin Manager) and installation of the Vim Tmux Navigator plugin,
- Configuring tmux for seamless navigation across tmux and Neovim using Vim navigation keys.
00:12:27 *🖥‍💻 Working with Tmux Windows*
- Explanation and management of tmux windows, including navigation, creating new windows, and renaming,
- Using multiple windows for different parts of a development environment (e.g., front-end and back-end).
00:16:04 *🖱️ Tmux Copy Mode and VI Mode*
- Enabling and utilizing VI mode in tmux for scrolling and selecting text,
- Mouse support for easier text selection and scrolling within panes.
00:18:20 *🎨 Enhancing Tmux with Themes*
- Adding tmux plugins for themes and setting a custom theme for aesthetic improvement,
- Installing and applying the chosen theme.
00:19:18 *🔄 Persisting Tmux Sessions*
- Configuring plugins to save and restore tmux sessions automatically after a system restart,
- Installation of tmux-resurrect and tmux-continuum for session persistence.
00:20:28 *🗝️ Conclusion and Future Plans*
- Summarization of the benefits of the configured tmux and Neovim setup,
- Introduction to a new keyboard and announcement for a future video on keyboard setup.

Made with HARPA AI

[DavidHanks]

This is EXACTLY what I've been looking for after switching to NeoVim as my daily driver. I've been using iTerm2's built in pane system, and while it gets the job done, it's much more clunky and isn't the smooth experience I was looking for. This is perfect! Thank you!

[fille.imgnry]

Tip of the day: cmd+k to clear session instead of typing ”clear”.

[maurogarcia]

This video was a piece of art from beginning to finish. You covered all the essentials for a tmux newbie like myself, and the pacing of the video was great.
Thank you so much for this 🙌 wondering if you are planning to upload another video with more advance topics around tmux.

Cheers!

[wandering_prince]

this channel is legit gold man! I am now a diehard vim man - which was unimaginable half a year ago. Keep up the good work!

[kg]

Thank you so much, I always thought as a full-stack developer that all of those terminals I had to manage were an issue. All of your video have helped me a ton!

Gracias papa! Desde RD!

[gustavoferreira]

Ja estou a uma semana apreendendo com você. Hoje finalmente tive coragem de encarar o neovim sem videos só eu e ele. Foi incrível

[cliffmapesa]

This the best introduction to tmux I have come across. You've gained a new subscriber. Great explanation

[wata]

the copy mode thing is a game changer for me...thank you so much. iterm2 was always getting mad for copying stuff.

[darlakim]

Another awesome video...thank you! I love tmux and am and old-school vi dev. Tmux is esp. great when working on multiple servers, where you can ssh into all of them and execute the same command simultaneously and see the results of each on one screen (synchronize on/off). Makes admin so much easier.

[joshuaeverett]

Another great video! Seriously, thank you very much for making clear videos. I am very interested in your keyboard video. I look forward to any future videos you plan on making. Thanks again!

[crazytechguy]

Yup, I am into this customization series from the very beginning. Tmux was just new topic for me. I installed the package may be just week earlier as I required terminal tab features but hadn't touched much of it. The very thing of having to learn from zero was dragging me off. This is exactly the nugget I required to start my tmux journey. Thanks Josean. Will be waiting for next episode. Keep the good work up.

[felipegutierrez]

This content is awesome, I just change from vscode to nvim, your videos are been really helpful, Thanks a lot!

[RT-jpme]

Thank you so much for producing this video. I never understood what TMUX did or why I should be using it. You have really explained everything so clearly and made set up and customization easy! Love your content.

[voidmind]

The transparent terminal window with your hands typing behind it is a really nice was to showcase the workflow.

[sebastianprehn]

Great series, Josean! You made me make the jump to Neovim and Tmux after years of using Emacs with vim bindings, and so far I'm loving it!