Customizing tmux

Config philosophies and starter kits

• Some recommend prebuilt setups like “Oh My Tmux” or byobu as a strong default, especially when synced across machines via dotfiles.
• Others prefer building configs incrementally: reading popular configs, borrowing lines, then stripping to only what they understand to avoid learning an entire foreign keybinding/layout scheme.
• One approach is to unbind almost everything and re-add only mappings for one’s own workflow, making the tmux config itself the documentation.

Alternatives: Zellij, wezterm, modern terminals

• Zellij is praised as a more opinionated, “just works” multiplexer with built‑in keybinding hints and good mouse behavior, but less customisable and with some plugin keymap conflicts.
• Several users argue tmux is mainly justified for remote sessions; locally, modern terminals (ghostty, WezTerm, Alacritty, kitty, iTerm2, etc.) already provide tabs, panes, and richer features (images, ligatures).
• Others counter that tmux’s sessions, scriptability, and consistent interface across different machines and terminals remain valuable even locally.

Tmux as process manager / dashboard

• Some use tmux as an interactive dashboard: dedicated panes for logs, auth attempts, packet filters, uptime, etc., often launched via scripts.
• For daemonizing services, there’s debate: critics say tmux-as-process-manager is a “pile of hacks” compared to systemd or containers; proponents note that for grouped services or legacy setups, tmux dashboards are quick and ergonomic.
• Tools like process-compose are mentioned as a more declarative middle ground.

Keybindings, leaders, and UX

• Leader keys vary widely: backtick, space, Ctrl‑A, Ctrl‑Q, function keys, or even keyboard‑firmware mods. Conflicts with readline or editors are common considerations.
• Some value tmux’s Vim-like flow and deep keybinding system; others complain defaults (Ctrl‑B, %, ") are awkward or confusing, and copy mode/mouse selection is initially hostile.
• The original article’s “dreadful”/“gatekeepy” impression resonates for beginners; others see tmux as no more gatekeepy than any powerful CLI tool.

Editors, IDEs, and tmux

• Neovim + tmux remains a popular pairing; plugins can coordinate movement across tmux panes.
• Helix is suggested for users who like visual keybinding hints.
• Emacs and VS Code users often replace tmux with built‑in remote/session tooling, though persistence of remote processes still drives some to tmux.

Portability vs heavy customisation

• Some avoid deep customisation to ensure they can use stock tmux on random servers (including air‑gapped or customer machines).
• Others rely on dotfile managers (e.g., chezmoi, git-based setups) to propagate their configs and accept that defaults must still be understood in emergencies.