libtmux¶

libtmux is a typed Python library that provides a wrapper for interacting programmatically with tmux, a terminal multiplexer. You can use it to manage tmux servers, sessions, windows, and panes. Additionally, libtmux powers tmuxp, a tmux workspace manager.

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libtmux builds upon tmux’s target and formats to create an object mapping to traverse, inspect and interact with live tmux sessions.

View the documentation, API information and architectural details.

Install¶

$ pip install --user libtmux

Open a tmux session¶

Session name foo, window name bar

$ tmux new-session -s foo -n bar

Pilot your tmux session via python¶

$ python

Use ptpython, ipython, etc. for a nice shell with autocompletions:

$ pip install --user ptpython

$ ptpython

Connect to a live tmux session:

>>> import libtmux
>>> svr = libtmux.Server()
>>> svr
Server(socket_path=/tmp/tmux-.../default)

Tip: You can also use tmuxp’s tmuxp shell to drop straight into your current tmux server / session / window pane.

Run any tmux command, respective of context:

Honors tmux socket name and path:

>>> server = Server(socket_name='libtmux_doctest')
>>> server.cmd('display-message', 'hello world')
<libtmux...>

New session:

>>> server.cmd('new-session', '-d', '-P', '-F#{session_id}').stdout[0]
'$2'

>>> session.cmd('new-window', '-P').stdout[0]
'libtmux...:2.0'

From raw command output, to a rich Window object (in practice and as shown later, you’d use Session.new_window()):

>>> Window.from_window_id(window_id=session.cmd('new-window', '-P', '-F#{window_id}').stdout[0], server=session.server)
Window(@2 2:..., Session($1 libtmux_...))

Create a pane from a window:

>>> window.cmd('split-window', '-P', '-F#{pane_id}').stdout[0]
'%2'

Raw output directly to a Pane:

>>> Pane.from_pane_id(pane_id=window.cmd('split-window', '-P', '-F#{pane_id}').stdout[0], server=window.server)
Pane(%... Window(@1 1:..., Session($1 libtmux_...)))

List sessions:

>>> server.sessions
[Session($1 ...), Session($0 ...)]

Filter sessions by attribute:

>>> server.sessions.filter(history_limit='2000')
[Session($1 ...), Session($0 ...)]

Direct lookup:

>>> server.sessions.get(session_id="$1")
Session($1 ...)

Filter sessions:

>>> server.sessions[0].rename_session('foo')
Session($1 foo)
>>> server.sessions.filter(session_name="foo")
[Session($1 foo)]
>>> server.sessions.get(session_name="foo")
Session($1 foo)

Control your session:

>>> session
Session($1 ...)

>>> session.rename_session('my-session')
Session($1 my-session)

Create new window in the background (don’t switch to it):

>>> bg_window = session.new_window(attach=False, window_name="ha in the bg")
>>> bg_window
Window(@... 2:ha in the bg, Session($1 ...))

# Session can search the window
>>> session.windows.filter(window_name__startswith="ha")
[Window(@... 2:ha in the bg, Session($1 ...))]

# Directly
>>> session.windows.get(window_name__startswith="ha")
Window(@... 2:ha in the bg, Session($1 ...))

# Clean up
>>> bg_window.kill()

Close window:

>>> w = session.active_window
>>> w.kill()

Grab remaining tmux window:

>>> window = session.active_window
>>> window.split(attach=False)
Pane(%2 Window(@1 1:... Session($1 ...)))

Rename window:

>>> window.rename_window('libtmuxower')
Window(@1 1:libtmuxower, Session($1 ...))

Split window (create a new pane):

>>> pane = window.split()
>>> pane = window.split(attach=False)
>>> pane.select()
Pane(%3 Window(@1 1:..., Session($1 ...)))
>>> window = session.new_window(attach=False, window_name="test")
>>> window
Window(@2 2:test, Session($1 ...))
>>> pane = window.split(attach=False)
>>> pane
Pane(%5 Window(@2 2:test, Session($1 ...)))

Type inside the pane (send key strokes):

>>> pane.send_keys('echo hey send now')

>>> pane.send_keys('echo hey', enter=False)
>>> pane.enter()
Pane(%1 ...)

Grab the output of pane:

>>> pane.clear()  # clear the pane
Pane(%1 ...)
>>> pane.send_keys("cowsay 'hello'", enter=True)
>>> print('\n'.join(pane.cmd('capture-pane', '-p').stdout))  
$ cowsay 'hello'
 _______
< hello >
 -------
        \   ^__^
         \  (oo)\_______
            (__)\       )\/\
                ||----w |
                ||     ||
...

Traverse and navigate:

>>> pane.window
Window(@1 1:..., Session($1 ...))
>>> pane.window.session
Session($1 ...)

Python support¶

Unsupported / no security releases or bug fixes:

  • Python 2.x: The backports branch is v0.8.x.

Donations¶

Your donations fund development of new features, testing and support. Your money will go directly to maintenance and development of the project. If you are an individual, feel free to give whatever feels right for the value you get out of the project.

See donation options at https://git-pull.com/support.html.

Project details¶

Table of Contents¶

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