
Tmux
- 87 installs
- 46.5k repo stars
- Updated August 3, 2026
- hkuds/nanobot
Remote-control tmux sessions for interactive CLIs by sending keystrokes and scraping pane output, including orchestrating parallel coding agents.
About
Documents driving tmux over an isolated socket to control interactive TTY programs, wait for prompts, and run multiple coding agents in parallel. A developer uses it when a task needs an interactive terminal rather than background exec.
- Isolated-socket sessions with send-keys and capture-pane
- Parallel Codex/Claude Code orchestration across worktrees
Tmux by the numbers
- 87 all-time installs (skills.sh)
- +2 installs in the week ending Aug 2, 2026 (Skillselion tracking)
- Ranked #257 of 550 CLI & Terminal skills by installs in the Skillselion catalog
- Data as of Aug 3, 2026 (Skillselion catalog sync)
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| Installs | 87 |
|---|---|
| repo stars | ★ 46.5k |
| Last updated | August 3, 2026 |
| Repository | hkuds/nanobot ↗ |
What it does
Remote-control tmux sessions for interactive CLIs by sending keystrokes and scraping pane output, including orchestrating parallel coding agents.
Files
tmux Skill
Use tmux only when you need an interactive TTY. Prefer exec background mode for long-running, non-interactive tasks.
Quickstart (isolated socket, exec tool)
SOCKET_DIR="${NANOBOT_TMUX_SOCKET_DIR:-${TMPDIR:-/tmp}/nanobot-tmux-sockets}"
mkdir -p "$SOCKET_DIR"
SOCKET="$SOCKET_DIR/nanobot.sock"
SESSION=nanobot-python
tmux -S "$SOCKET" new -d -s "$SESSION" -n shell
tmux -S "$SOCKET" send-keys -t "$SESSION":0.0 -- 'PYTHON_BASIC_REPL=1 python3 -q' Enter
tmux -S "$SOCKET" capture-pane -p -J -t "$SESSION":0.0 -S -200After starting a session, always print monitor commands:
To monitor:
tmux -S "$SOCKET" attach -t "$SESSION"
tmux -S "$SOCKET" capture-pane -p -J -t "$SESSION":0.0 -S -200Socket convention
- Use
NANOBOT_TMUX_SOCKET_DIRenvironment variable. - Default socket path:
"$NANOBOT_TMUX_SOCKET_DIR/nanobot.sock".
Targeting panes and naming
- Target format:
session:window.pane(defaults to:0.0). - Keep names short; avoid spaces.
- Inspect:
tmux -S "$SOCKET" list-sessions,tmux -S "$SOCKET" list-panes -a.
Finding sessions
- List sessions on your socket:
{baseDir}/scripts/find-sessions.sh -S "$SOCKET". - Scan all sockets:
{baseDir}/scripts/find-sessions.sh --all(usesNANOBOT_TMUX_SOCKET_DIR).
Sending input safely
- Prefer literal sends:
tmux -S "$SOCKET" send-keys -t target -l -- "$cmd". - Control keys:
tmux -S "$SOCKET" send-keys -t target C-c.
Watching output
- Capture recent history:
tmux -S "$SOCKET" capture-pane -p -J -t target -S -200. - Wait for prompts:
{baseDir}/scripts/wait-for-text.sh -t session:0.0 -p 'pattern'. - Attaching is OK; detach with
Ctrl+b d.
Spawning processes
- For python REPLs, set
PYTHON_BASIC_REPL=1(non-basic REPL breaks send-keys flows).
Windows / WSL
- tmux is supported on macOS/Linux. On Windows, use WSL and install tmux inside WSL.
- This skill is gated to
darwin/linuxand requirestmuxon PATH.
Orchestrating Coding Agents (Codex, Claude Code)
tmux excels at running multiple coding agents in parallel:
SOCKET="${TMPDIR:-/tmp}/codex-army.sock"
# Create multiple sessions
for i in 1 2 3 4 5; do
tmux -S "$SOCKET" new-session -d -s "agent-$i"
done
# Launch agents in different workdirs
tmux -S "$SOCKET" send-keys -t agent-1 "cd /tmp/project1 && codex --yolo 'Fix bug X'" Enter
tmux -S "$SOCKET" send-keys -t agent-2 "cd /tmp/project2 && codex --yolo 'Fix bug Y'" Enter
# Poll for completion (check if prompt returned)
for sess in agent-1 agent-2; do
if tmux -S "$SOCKET" capture-pane -p -t "$sess" -S -3 | grep -q "❯"; then
echo "$sess: DONE"
else
echo "$sess: Running..."
fi
done
# Get full output from completed session
tmux -S "$SOCKET" capture-pane -p -t agent-1 -S -500Tips:
- Use separate git worktrees for parallel fixes (no branch conflicts)
pnpm installfirst before running codex in fresh clones- Check for shell prompt (
❯or$) to detect completion - Codex needs
--yoloor--full-autofor non-interactive fixes
Cleanup
- Kill a session:
tmux -S "$SOCKET" kill-session -t "$SESSION". - Kill all sessions on a socket:
tmux -S "$SOCKET" list-sessions -F '#{session_name}' | xargs -r -n1 tmux -S "$SOCKET" kill-session -t. - Remove everything on the private socket:
tmux -S "$SOCKET" kill-server.
Helper: wait-for-text.sh
{baseDir}/scripts/wait-for-text.sh polls a pane for a regex (or fixed string) with a timeout.
{baseDir}/scripts/wait-for-text.sh -t session:0.0 -p 'pattern' [-F] [-T 20] [-i 0.5] [-l 2000]-t/--targetpane target (required)-p/--patternregex to match (required); add-Ffor fixed string-Ttimeout seconds (integer, default 15)-ipoll interval seconds (default 0.5)-lhistory lines to search (integer, default 1000)
#!/usr/bin/env bash
set -euo pipefail
usage() {
cat <<'USAGE'
Usage: find-sessions.sh [-L socket-name|-S socket-path|-A] [-q pattern]
List tmux sessions on a socket (default tmux socket if none provided).
Options:
-L, --socket tmux socket name (passed to tmux -L)
-S, --socket-path tmux socket path (passed to tmux -S)
-A, --all scan all sockets under NANOBOT_TMUX_SOCKET_DIR
-q, --query case-insensitive substring to filter session names
-h, --help show this help
USAGE
}
socket_name=""
socket_path=""
query=""
scan_all=false
socket_dir="${NANOBOT_TMUX_SOCKET_DIR:-${TMPDIR:-/tmp}/nanobot-tmux-sockets}"
while [[ $# -gt 0 ]]; do
case "$1" in
-L|--socket) socket_name="${2-}"; shift 2 ;;
-S|--socket-path) socket_path="${2-}"; shift 2 ;;
-A|--all) scan_all=true; shift ;;
-q|--query) query="${2-}"; shift 2 ;;
-h|--help) usage; exit 0 ;;
*) echo "Unknown option: $1" >&2; usage; exit 1 ;;
esac
done
if [[ "$scan_all" == true && ( -n "$socket_name" || -n "$socket_path" ) ]]; then
echo "Cannot combine --all with -L or -S" >&2
exit 1
fi
if [[ -n "$socket_name" && -n "$socket_path" ]]; then
echo "Use either -L or -S, not both" >&2
exit 1
fi
if ! command -v tmux >/dev/null 2>&1; then
echo "tmux not found in PATH" >&2
exit 1
fi
list_sessions() {
local label="$1"; shift
local tmux_cmd=(tmux "$@")
if ! sessions="$("${tmux_cmd[@]}" list-sessions -F '#{session_name}\t#{session_attached}\t#{session_created_string}' 2>/dev/null)"; then
echo "No tmux server found on $label" >&2
return 1
fi
if [[ -n "$query" ]]; then
sessions="$(printf '%s\n' "$sessions" | grep -i -- "$query" || true)"
fi
if [[ -z "$sessions" ]]; then
echo "No sessions found on $label"
return 0
fi
echo "Sessions on $label:"
printf '%s\n' "$sessions" | while IFS=$'\t' read -r name attached created; do
attached_label=$([[ "$attached" == "1" ]] && echo "attached" || echo "detached")
printf ' - %s (%s, started %s)\n' "$name" "$attached_label" "$created"
done
}
if [[ "$scan_all" == true ]]; then
if [[ ! -d "$socket_dir" ]]; then
echo "Socket directory not found: $socket_dir" >&2
exit 1
fi
shopt -s nullglob
sockets=("$socket_dir"/*)
shopt -u nullglob
if [[ "${#sockets[@]}" -eq 0 ]]; then
echo "No sockets found under $socket_dir" >&2
exit 1
fi
exit_code=0
for sock in "${sockets[@]}"; do
if [[ ! -S "$sock" ]]; then
continue
fi
list_sessions "socket path '$sock'" -S "$sock" || exit_code=$?
done
exit "$exit_code"
fi
tmux_cmd=(tmux)
socket_label="default socket"
if [[ -n "$socket_name" ]]; then
tmux_cmd+=(-L "$socket_name")
socket_label="socket name '$socket_name'"
elif [[ -n "$socket_path" ]]; then
tmux_cmd+=(-S "$socket_path")
socket_label="socket path '$socket_path'"
fi
list_sessions "$socket_label" "${tmux_cmd[@]:1}"
#!/usr/bin/env bash
set -euo pipefail
usage() {
cat <<'USAGE'
Usage: wait-for-text.sh -t target -p pattern [options]
Poll a tmux pane for text and exit when found.
Options:
-t, --target tmux target (session:window.pane), required
-p, --pattern regex pattern to look for, required
-F, --fixed treat pattern as a fixed string (grep -F)
-T, --timeout seconds to wait (integer, default: 15)
-i, --interval poll interval in seconds (default: 0.5)
-l, --lines number of history lines to inspect (integer, default: 1000)
-h, --help show this help
USAGE
}
target=""
pattern=""
grep_flag="-E"
timeout=15
interval=0.5
lines=1000
while [[ $# -gt 0 ]]; do
case "$1" in
-t|--target) target="${2-}"; shift 2 ;;
-p|--pattern) pattern="${2-}"; shift 2 ;;
-F|--fixed) grep_flag="-F"; shift ;;
-T|--timeout) timeout="${2-}"; shift 2 ;;
-i|--interval) interval="${2-}"; shift 2 ;;
-l|--lines) lines="${2-}"; shift 2 ;;
-h|--help) usage; exit 0 ;;
*) echo "Unknown option: $1" >&2; usage; exit 1 ;;
esac
done
if [[ -z "$target" || -z "$pattern" ]]; then
echo "target and pattern are required" >&2
usage
exit 1
fi
if ! [[ "$timeout" =~ ^[0-9]+$ ]]; then
echo "timeout must be an integer number of seconds" >&2
exit 1
fi
if ! [[ "$lines" =~ ^[0-9]+$ ]]; then
echo "lines must be an integer" >&2
exit 1
fi
if ! command -v tmux >/dev/null 2>&1; then
echo "tmux not found in PATH" >&2
exit 1
fi
# End time in epoch seconds (integer, good enough for polling)
start_epoch=$(date +%s)
deadline=$((start_epoch + timeout))
while true; do
# -J joins wrapped lines, -S uses negative index to read last N lines
pane_text="$(tmux capture-pane -p -J -t "$target" -S "-${lines}" 2>/dev/null || true)"
if printf '%s\n' "$pane_text" | grep $grep_flag -- "$pattern" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
exit 0
fi
now=$(date +%s)
if (( now >= deadline )); then
echo "Timed out after ${timeout}s waiting for pattern: $pattern" >&2
echo "Last ${lines} lines from $target:" >&2
printf '%s\n' "$pane_text" >&2
exit 1
fi
sleep "$interval"
done