tmux usage - deeper

# Vim keys in copy mode
setw -g mode-keys vi
 
# Enable mouse
set -g mouse on
 
# Enter copy mode with PageUp
bind -n PageUp copy-mode -u

　　

If you're a Vim user, absolutely yes, I would recommend:

 

set-option -g mode-keys vi

 

or in ~/.tmux.conf:

 

setw -g mode-keys vi

 

Difference: emacs vs vi

This setting only affects copy mode, command prompts, and some text editing in tmux. It does not change your shell (bash/zsh) behavior.

mode-keys emacs (default)

Navigation resembles Emacs:

Action	Key
Up	Ctrl+p
Down	Ctrl+n
Left	Ctrl+b
Right	Ctrl+f
Beginning of line	Ctrl+a
End of line	Ctrl+e
Exit copy mode	q / Esc

For Vim users, these shortcuts often feel unnatural.

---

mode-keys vi

Navigation resembles Vim:

Action	Key
Up	k
Down	j
Left	h
Right	l
Page down	Ctrl+f
Page up	Ctrl+b
Top	g
Bottom	G
Search forward	/
Search backward	?
Next match	n
Previous match	N
Exit copy mode	q

This makes tmux scrollback feel very similar to reading a file in Vim.

---

Enable permanently

Edit:

 

vim ~/.tmux.conf

 

Add:

 

setw -g mode-keys vi

 

Reload without restarting tmux:

 

tmux source-file ~/.tmux.conf

 

Verify:

 

tmux show -g mode-keys

 

Output:

 

mode-keys vi

 

---

Even better Vim setup

Many Vim users also add mouse scrolling and easier copy-mode entry:

 

# Vim keys in copy mode

setw -g mode-keys vi

 

# Enable mouse

set -g mouse on

 

# Enter copy mode with PageUp

bind -n PageUp copy-mode -u

 

---

Useful vi-mode copy shortcuts

After entering copy mode:

 

Ctrl+b [

 

Common operations:

 

g       Top of history

G       Bottom of history

/       Search forward

?       Search backward

n       Next match

N       Previous match

 

Ctrl+u  Half page up

Ctrl+d  Half page down

 

q       Exit copy mode

 

Visual selection (Vi style)

 

Space   Start selection

Enter   Copy selection

q       Exit

 

Or in newer tmux versions:

 

v       Begin selection

y       Copy selection

 

with these bindings:

 

bind-key -T copy-mode-vi v send -X begin-selection

bind-key -T copy-mode-vi y send -X copy-selection-and-cancel

 

This gives a very Vim-like experience inside tmux. For developers who spend a lot of time in Vim/Neovim + tmux + SSH, mode-keys vi is generally the preferred configuration.