smux-cli 0.1.10

Small Rust CLI for tmux session selection and creation
Documentation

CI Release License: MIT

smux is a tmux session manager with fzf-powered session creation and switching.

Install • Quick Start • Common Workflows • Projects vs Templates • Config • Commands

Highlights:

  • quickly switch between existing tmux sessions
  • tmux session from directory - pick a zoxide directory or folder-search result and create or reuse a tmux session for it
  • tmux session from project - launch a saved project with a defined properties (path, name, windows, panes, layout, commands...)
  • apply reusable tmux templates with windows, panes, layouts, and startup commands

It works both inside and outside tmux. Inside tmux, it fits naturally in a popup. Outside tmux, it uses the current terminal.

Install

With Homebrew:

brew install Aietes/homebrew-smux/smux

With Nix:

nix profile install nixpkgs#smux

With Cargo:

cargo install smux-cli

The published crates.io package is smux-cli, but the installed command is still smux.

Runtime dependencies:

  • required: tmux, fzf
  • optional but recommended: zoxide

If zoxide is unavailable, smux select still works with tmux sessions, saved projects, and folder search.

Quick Start

Create a starter config:

smux init

Main config path, following the default XDG config location:

~/.config/smux/config.toml

Project definitions live alongside it:

~/.config/smux/projects/*.toml

smux init writes starter files with version-matched schema directives for editors that support TOML JSON Schema integration.

Then start using it:

smux select

For normal day-to-day use, wire it into tmux:

Recommended tmux settings:

set -g detach-on-destroy off # keeps tmux running when you close a session
bind-key t display-popup -w 70% -h 70% -E "smux select"
bind-key T display-popup -w 70% -h 70% -E "smux select --choose-template"

To launch it in zsh outside of tmux with Ctrl-t:

smux-select-widget() {
  zle push-line
  BUFFER="smux select"
  zle accept-line
}
zle -N smux-select-widget
bindkey -M emacs '^T' smux-select-widget
bindkey -M viins '^T' smux-select-widget

Good first commands:

smux doctor
smux doctor --fix
smux select
smux save-project myapp --stdout

smux doctor reports dependency health, config validity, and schema drift without modifying files. smux doctor --fix updates missing or stale #:schema lines in the main config and project files.

smux select is the main entrypoint. It opens a picker that can:

  • switch to an existing tmux session
  • launch a saved project
  • create or reuse a session from a zoxide directory or folder-search result
  • save a selected tmux session as a project with Ctrl-Y
  • delete a selected project file with Ctrl-X

Use smux select --choose-template when you want directory selection to be followed by an explicit template picker.

It can run inside tmux (recommended as popup), or outside tmux in the terminal.

Common Workflows

Jump to an existing session, launch a project, or pick a directory:

smux select

Connect a directory and let smux create or reuse the matching tmux session:

smux connect ~/code/myapp

Force a specific template for a directory:

smux connect --template rust ~/code/myapp

Choose a template interactively from the selector:

smux select --choose-template

Export the current tmux session as a project definition:

smux save-project myapp

Saved projects are stored in .config/smux/projects/, and can be edited and adjusted. As an example the pane command can launch Neovim and restore the last persistence.nvim session:

windows = [
  { name = "my_window", cwd = "~/Development/project", panes = [
    { command = "nvim -c 'lua require(\"persistence\").load()'" },
  ] },
]

Preview the generated project without writing a file:

smux save-project myapp --stdout

Projects Vs Templates

smux separates reusable layout from concrete workspace definitions:

  • template: a reusable tmux layout with windows, panes, layouts, startup behavior, and default commands
  • project: a concrete named workspace with a known path, optional session name, and either a template reference or its own tmux definition

Use templates when you want to reuse the same shape across many folders. Use projects when you want one named workspace that already knows where it lives and how it should start.

Picker Behavior

The unified picker combines:

  • tmux sessions
  • saved projects
  • zoxide directories
  • directories found under [settings.folder_search] roots

The template picker is separate and appears only when --choose-template is used.

Current behavior:

  • prompt is shown at the top
  • Esc cancels cleanly
  • the current tmux session is highlighted when smux select runs inside tmux
  • typing still does normal fuzzy search
  • Ctrl-C resets to the full list
  • Ctrl-S limits the main picker to sessions
  • Ctrl-P limits the main picker to projects
  • Ctrl-F limits the main picker to folders
  • Ctrl-X closes the selected non-current tmux session or deletes the selected project file and keeps the picker open
  • Ctrl-Y saves the selected tmux session as a project and keeps the picker open

If you use a Nerd Font, smux can show colored icons for sessions, projects, folders, and templates. These picker keybinds can be changed in [settings.picker.bindings]. The right-side preview shows tmux session summaries, folder listings, and project TOML files by default; those preview commands can be customized in [settings.picker.preview].

Configuration

The main config has two top-level sections:

  • settings
  • templates

Project files in projects/*.toml define concrete workspaces.

smux save-project writes project files into that same directory and captures:

  • a version-matched #:schema directive
  • path
  • session_name
  • startup_window
  • startup_pane
  • windows and pane cwd
  • best-effort pane split direction

It intentionally does not try to export shell history or reconstruct original pane commands.

Schema files are published in this repo under schemas/:

  • schemas/smux-config.schema.json
  • schemas/smux-project.schema.json

Starter files generated by smux init include #:schema directives pointing at the matching versioned schema URLs. Projects written by smux save-project include the matching project schema line too. If those schema directives drift after an upgrade, smux doctor --fix can refresh them in place.

Template resolution order:

  1. --template
  2. matching project definition
  3. settings.default_template
  4. built-in fallback template

Session name resolution order:

  1. --session-name
  2. matching project session name
  3. sanitized directory basename

Example main config:

[settings]
default_template = "default"
icons = "auto"

[settings.icon_colors]
session = 75
directory = 108
template = 179
project = 81

[settings.picker.bindings]
reset = "ctrl-c"
sessions = "ctrl-s"
folders = "ctrl-f"
projects = "ctrl-p"
delete_session = "ctrl-x"
save_project = "ctrl-y"

[settings.picker.preview]
# sessions = "tmux capture-pane -p -t \"$SMUX_PREVIEW_SESSION\""
# folders = "eza --tree --level=2 --color=always --icons=always \"$SMUX_PREVIEW_PATH\""
# projects = "bat --style=plain --color=always --language=toml \"$SMUX_PREVIEW_FILE\""

[settings.folder_search]
# roots = ["~"]
# max_depth = 3
# include_hidden = false

[templates.default]
startup_window = "main"
windows = [{ name = "main" }]

[templates.rust]
startup_window = "editor"
startup_pane = 0
windows = [
  { name = "editor", pre_command = "source .venv/bin/activate", command = "nvim" },
  { name = "run", synchronize = true, layout = "main-horizontal", panes = [
      { command = "cargo run" },
      { layout = "right 40%", command = "cargo test", zoom = true },
    ] },
]

Example project file:

path = "~/code/example"
session_name = "example"
template = "rust"

If you use folke/persistence.nvim, this is a practical editor window command:

{ name = "editor", command = "nvim -c 'lua require(\"persistence\").load({ last = true })'" }

Save that as:

~/.config/smux/projects/example.toml

For the full config reference, see:

That reference also includes layout recipes such as:

  • 2x2 grid windows
  • one large top pane with two bottom panes
  • sidebar layouts
  • vertical pane stacks

Commands

smux select [--choose-template] [--no-project-detect] [--config <path>]
smux connect [--template <name>] [--session-name <name>] [--config <path>] <path>
smux switch <session>
smux list-sessions
smux list-templates [--config <path>]
smux list-projects [--config <path>]
smux doctor [--fix] [--config <path>]
smux save-project <name> [--session <name>] [--path <path>] [--stdout] [--force] [--config <path>]
smux init [--config <path>]
smux completions zsh [--dir <path>]
smux man [--dir <path>]

Completions And Man Pages

zsh completions:

smux completions zsh
smux completions zsh --dir ~/.local/share/zsh/site-functions

man pages:

smux man
smux man --dir ~/.local/share/man/man1

This includes the config man page:

smux-config.5

Design Principles

smux follows these core design principles:

  • Small and focused: The tool is intentionally small, with a thin orchestration layer over existing tools (tmux, fzf, zoxide)
  • Predictable: Behavior is deterministic and straightforward to understand
  • Minimal dependencies: Only includes necessary external tools (tmux, fzf, zoxide)
  • User experience first: Prioritizes intuitive workflows and familiar interactions

These principles guide all implementation decisions and help ensure smux remains a useful, reliable tool for tmux session management.