Similar to tmux, GNU Screen is a shell multiplexer. When I log out, tmux continues to run, patiently waiting for me to reattach to the session from a different computer. It's with tmux running on a Pi, for example, that I can stay logged into IRC on a permanent basis-I start tmux on the Pi, and then log in from whatever computer I happen to be on. There are many benefits to tmux, including the ability to start a tmux session on one computer, and then join that same session from another computer remotely. Ctrl-B d detach from Tmux, leaving it running in the background (use tmux attach to reenter).Ctrl-B O to make the other shell active.Ctrl-B" for a horizontal split (one shell at the top, one shell at the bottom).
Ctrl-B % for a vertical split (one shell on the left, one shell on the right).If you're using tmux primarily for screen splitting, then the only commands you really need are these: You can also split a console view in half (or thirds or fourths, and so on) so you can see other consoles next to it.Īll controls center around the keyboard, which means you never have to take your hand off the keys in search of a mouse, but also that you must learn some new keyboard combos. tmuxĪrguably the most flexible and capable of screen splitters, tmux is a keyboard-centric terminal multiplexer, meaning that you can "layer" one console on top of another and then switch between the two. Some applications let you split your shell or console, while others let you split your terminal. You can get to a virtual console by pressing Alt-Ctrl-F2 (more are usually available from F3 up to F7, with F1 or F7 representing your desktop, depending on your distribution). "Console" or "virtual console" is a term usually used to imply a shell running outside of your desktop.It's more or less a "portal" into your shell. A terminal is only running when you have a terminal window launched.
A terminal is an application running within a graphics server (such as X11 or Wayland) with a shell loaded into it.There's technically a shell running somewhere underneath your POSIX desktop, even when it's not visible (because it's a shell that launched your user session). A shell is an input and output screen with a prompt.
Shells, terminals, and consolesīefore you slice and dice screens, you should know the difference between a terminal, a shell, and a "console." To get the full picture, read my article on the subject over on the Enable Sysadmin blog. There are many tools in your Linux kit to help you slice and dice your consoles. The only answer is a split screen so that two or more terminals can exist at the same time within just one application window. And yet, sometimes it's distracting or inconvenient to flip back and forth between tabs. Terminal applications with tabs have existed on Linux for a long time, and luckily, that trend seems to have caught on such that it's an expected feature of a modern terminal.