Using tmux for MariaDB database support and surveillance

See also Byobu.

See also our older article: Using screen for support and/or surveillance.

First simple steps

The command tmux starts a tmux server and opens a new session with a (pseudo) terminal:

shell> tmux

To leave a tmux session again just type Ctrl+d inside your tmux session or:

tmux> exit

If you want to give a tmux session a specific name you can start tmux as follows to created a named session:

shell> tmux new -s mariadb

or if you are already inside tmux:

tmux> Ctrl+b $

followed by a session name where only the first 9 characters are shown in the overview:

List available tmux sessions

To list the available tmux sessions we have the tmux list-sessions command:

shell> tmux list-sessions
1: 1 windows (created Sun Dec 23 13:35:37 2018) [117x33]
mariadb-104: 1 windows (created Sun Dec 23 13:13:46 2018) [130x41] (attached)

If there is no session available we will get the following error:

shell> tmux ls
failed to connect to server

tmux help

To get more information about tmux you can run:

shell> man tmux
shell> tmux --help
shell> tmux ls --help
tmux> Ctrl+b ?

Detach and re-attach to a tmux session

With the command:

tmux> Ctrl+b d

you will detach from a tmux session. With tmux ls you can list the available sessions and to reattach to a tmux session you can type:

shell> tmux attach
shell> tmux attach -t 1
shell> tmux a -t mariadb-104

Split window (session) into different panes

A tmux session uses a window and this window can be split into different panes (pseudo terminals):

• Ctrl+b % Splits a window into 2 panes vertically.
• Ctrl+b " Splits a window into 2 panes horizontally.

To switch between the panes you can use:

tmux> Ctrl+b arrow {up|down|left|right}

If you want to make a pane full-screen you can use the Ctrl+b z to toggle.

Ctrl+b Ctrl+Cursor {up|down|left|right} resizes the current pane.

Scroll within a pane

To switch to the scroll mode you have to use the following key combination:

tmux> Ctrl+b [

Then you can navigate with Cursor {up|down|left|right} or {PgUp|PgDown}. To leave the navigation scroll mode you just have to type q.

An other possibility to switch to the scroll mode is to press the key Ctrl+b PgUp.