Tmux
Enables comprehensive tmux session management through MCP, allowing users to list sessions, send commands, set up automated messaging timers, and control tmux processes directly from Claude Desktop. Provides both real-time session monitoring and auto
What is Tmux?
Tmux is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that allows AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and VS Code to enables comprehensive tmux session management through mcp, allowing users to list sessions, send commands, set up automated messaging timers, and control tmux processes directly from claude desktop. p...
Enables comprehensive tmux session management through MCP, allowing users to list sessions, send commands, set up automated messaging timers, and control tmux processes directly from Claude Desktop. Provides both real-time session monitoring and auto
This server falls under the Developer Tools category on MCPgee, the world's largest MCP server directory with 33,000+ servers.
Features
- Enables comprehensive tmux session management through MCP, a
Use Cases
Maintainer
Works with
Installation
NPM
npx -y tmux-mcpManual Installation
npx -y tmux-mcpConfiguration
Configuration Details
claude_desktop_config.json
Performance
Response Metrics
Resource Usage
How to Set Up and Use Tmux
The Tmux MCP Server gives AI assistants direct control over tmux — the terminal multiplexer — through a standardised set of session, window, and pane management tools. Using it, Claude Desktop can list and create sessions, capture pane output in real time, split panes, send commands to running processes, and retrieve execution results. This makes it straightforward to build AI-driven terminal workflows: running build pipelines, monitoring long-running processes, or orchestrating multi-pane development environments entirely through natural language.
Prerequisites
- tmux installed and available on PATH (version 2.6+ recommended)
- Node.js 18+ for running the server via npx
- An active tmux server (at least one session running or startable)
- Claude Desktop or another MCP-compatible client
Ensure tmux is installed
The MCP server requires tmux to be present on your system. Install it with your package manager if it is not already available.
# macOS
brew install tmux
# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt install tmuxAdd the server to Claude Desktop configuration
Open your Claude Desktop config file and add the tmux-mcp server entry. The server is run via npx so no global installation is required.
{
"mcpServers": {
"tmux": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "tmux-mcp"]
}
}
}Optional: specify a preferred shell
By default the server uses bash for command execution. Pass --shell-type to use a different shell such as fish or zsh.
{
"mcpServers": {
"tmux": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "tmux-mcp", "--shell-type=fish"]
}
}
}Restart Claude Desktop
Quit and reopen Claude Desktop so it discovers the new MCP server. You should see tmux tools available when you start a new conversation.
Start a tmux session and experiment
Either create a session through Claude or start one manually first. Ask Claude to list your sessions, capture pane output, or run a command inside a specific pane.
tmux new-session -d -s mainTmux Examples
Client configuration
Claude Desktop configuration for the tmux MCP server with default bash shell.
{
"mcpServers": {
"tmux": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "tmux-mcp"]
}
}
}Prompts to try
Example prompts to use once the tmux MCP server is connected.
- "List all my active tmux sessions"
- "Create a new tmux session called 'dev' and open three panes: editor, tests, and server"
- "Capture the current output of the pane running my test suite"
- "Send the command 'npm run build' to the pane in the main session"
- "Kill the session named 'old-project'"
- "Split the current pane horizontally and run 'tail -f app.log' in the new pane"Troubleshooting Tmux
Error: tmux not found or command not available
Install tmux with your system package manager (`brew install tmux` on macOS or `sudo apt install tmux` on Linux). Confirm it is on PATH by running `which tmux` in a terminal.
execute-command runs but get-command-result returns empty output
Some commands produce no stdout or write to stderr instead. Use `capture-pane` on the target pane immediately after execution to see the raw terminal buffer, which includes both stdout and stderr.
Claude Desktop cannot connect to the tmux MCP server
Verify that npx can resolve the tmux-mcp package by running `npx -y tmux-mcp --help` in a terminal. If that works, restart Claude Desktop and check the MCP server logs under Settings → Developer.
Frequently Asked Questions about Tmux
What is Tmux?
Tmux is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that enables comprehensive tmux session management through mcp, allowing users to list sessions, send commands, set up automated messaging timers, and control tmux processes directly from claude desktop. provides both real-time session monitoring and auto It connects AI assistants to external tools and data sources through a standardized interface.
How do I install Tmux?
Install via npm with the command: npx -y tmux-mcp. Then add the server configuration to your AI client's JSON config file (e.g., claude_desktop_config.json or .cursor/mcp.json).
Which AI clients work with Tmux?
Tmux works with all major MCP-compatible AI clients including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code (GitHub Copilot), Windsurf, and Cline.
Is Tmux free to use?
Yes, Tmux is open source and available under the MIT License license. You can use it freely in both personal and commercial projects.
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Set Up Tmux in Your Editor
Choose your AI client for step-by-step setup instructions.
Quick Config Preview
Add this to your claude_desktop_config.json or .cursor/mcp.json
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