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TMUX Session Manager

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# TSM — TMUX Session Manager

TSM is a tmux launcher for a small, fixed set of persistent named workspaces. It is built for SSH-first use: on login, it can start missing sessions, attach you to a dedicated `main` launcher session, and give you an interactive session menu that works well from a laptop or a phone.

It is intentionally simple. Sessions are defined with Bash arrays in one config file, startup commands are shell strings, and tmux remains the only major runtime dependency.

---

## What TSM Actually Does

TSM is not a project-layout generator. It is a session bootstrapper and switcher for always-on shells.

What it does well:
- Starts a known set of tmux sessions if they do not exist yet
- Auto-attaches SSH logins into tmux through `~/.bashrc`
- Keeps a dedicated `main` session whose `menu` window runs an interactive selector
- Lets each session define a working directory, startup command, and environment variables
- Supports direct key-based switching between sessions with `Prefix + <key>`

What it does not do:
- Define complex pane/window layouts per project
- Restore sessions after a machine reboot
- Persist new keybindings to `conf/tmux.conf` automatically (live bindings are synced; file edits are still manual)
- Target non-Linux environments particularly well

If you need multi-pane project layouts, use `tmuxinator` or `tmuxp`. If you need reboot persistence, pair this with `tmux-resurrect`.

---

## Feature Set

These features are implemented in the current repo:

- Dedicated launcher session: `main` is created separately from your work sessions and keeps a persistent shell plus a `menu` window.
- Interactive menu: `scripts/session-menu.sh` renders a full-screen selector with arrow-key navigation, numeric shortcuts, live session status, a tmux cheat sheet, and a destructive `kill all` confirmation flow.
- SSH auto-attach: `install.sh` appends a guarded block to `~/.bashrc` so interactive SSH logins run `tsm`.
- Session bootstrap: `scripts/start-sessions.sh` creates missing sessions from config and leaves existing ones alone.
- Session-local startup behavior: each configured session can start as a plain shell, run `auto`, launch `claude`, launch `codex`, or run an arbitrary shell command.
- Session environment injection: `SESSION_ENVS` values are applied with `tmux set-environment` and exported into the initial shell window before the startup command runs.
- Optional IP display: the menu header can show IPv4 addresses for configured interfaces in `SHOW_IPS`.
- Menu key autodetection: the menu tries to discover the `main` quick-switch key from `~/.tmux.conf`, sourced tmux files, or `tmux list-keys`, then falls back to `MENU_KEY`.
- In-session launcher behavior: running `tsm` inside tmux recreates the `main:menu` window if it was closed and switches the client there.
- Direct session switching bindings: the default tmux config binds `Prefix + m/e/d/x/r/h/o` to named sessions.
- In-menu session management: press `[e]` in the session menu to add new sessions, edit any session's name, label, key binding, working directory, startup command, and environment variables, or delete sessions entirely — no config-file editing required. Changes take effect immediately: live key bindings and the status-bar hint line are updated in the running tmux server, and `sessions.conf` is rewritten for persistence.
- Mobile-oriented tmux defaults: `Ctrl+a` prefix, top status bar, mouse support, `Alt+Arrow` pane navigation, and simple split bindings.
- Installer migration logic: `install.sh` migrates older `tmsm` references in `~/.bashrc` and removes a legacy `~/.local/bin/tmsm` symlink if present.
- CLI help and introspection: `tsm help` and `tsm list` document the active configuration without needing a live tmux connection.

---

## Dependencies

TSM no longer honestly qualifies as "zero dependencies." The dependency footprint is still small, but it is real and worth documenting.

### Required

- `bash`
- `tmux`
- Standard shell utilities used throughout the scripts: `awk`, `grep`, `sed`, `readlink`, `date`, `wc`, `chmod`, `ln`, `cp`, `mkdir`, `rm`

### Optional

- `ip` from `iproute2`
  Used by the menu only when `SHOW_IPS` is configured.
- `claude`
  Used when `INIT_CMDS` is `claude` or when `INIT_CMDS=auto` and `claude` is available.
- `aider`
  Used when `INIT_CMDS=auto` and `claude` is not available.
- `codex`
  Used when `INIT_CMDS` is `codex`.

### Platform assumptions

The scripts are Linux-first. Current implementation details rely on:

- `readlink -f`
- `sed -i`
- `ip -4 addr show`
- A typical `~/.bashrc` + SSH login shell flow

That means the repo is well suited to Linux VPS and homelab use, but not currently packaged as a portable cross-platform tmux tool.

---

## Quick Start

```bash
git clone <repo-url> ~/Projects/tsm
cd ~/Projects/tsm
bash install.sh
```

On first run, the installer will offer to copy:

- `conf/sessions.conf.example` -> `conf/sessions.conf`
- `conf/tmux.conf.example` -> `conf/tmux.conf`

Then it:

1. Checks for `tmux`
2. Makes the scripts executable
3. Installs `~/.tmux.conf` as a thin file that sources this repo's `conf/tmux.conf`
4. Installs `tsm` as `~/.local/bin/tsm`
5. Ensures `~/.local/bin` is on your `PATH`
6. Appends the SSH auto-attach hook to `~/.bashrc`
7. Starts all configured sessions
8. Reloads a live tmux server if one is already running

After install:

```bash
source ~/.bashrc
tsm
```

---

## CLI

`tsm` now has a small command surface:

```bash
tsm
tsm menu
tsm start [all|main|SESSION]
tsm attach [SESSION]
tsm list
tsm help
```

Behavior:

- `tsm` or `tsm menu`
  Outside tmux: starts all configured sessions and attaches to `main`
  Inside tmux: ensures `main` and `main:menu` exist, then switches to that window
- `tsm start`
  Creates missing sessions without attaching
- `tsm attach`
  Attaches or switches directly to a named tmux session
- `tsm list`
  Prints the active config source plus session names, keys, labels, startup commands, directories, and environment variables
- `tsm help`
  Shows usage, behavior, dependency notes, and active file paths

---

## Configuration

The main config file is [`conf/sessions.conf`](/mnt/seagate/Projects/2026/tsm/conf/sessions.conf). A user-local override at `~/.config/tsm/sessions.conf` takes precedence if present.

The arrays are index-aligned: entry `i` in each array describes one session.

```bash
SESSIONS=( code dev codex relay share other )
LABELS=( "Project workspace" "Claude" "Codex" "Relay" "Share" "General shell" )
KEYS=( e d x r h o )
DIRS=( "$HOME/Projects" "$HOME/Projects" "$HOME/Projects" "$HOME" "$HOME" "$HOME" )
INIT_CMDS=( "" "claude" "codex" "" "" "" )
SESSION_ENVS=( "" "" "CODEX_DISABLE_SANDBOX=1" "" "" "" )
SHOW_IPS=( wlan0 tailscale0 )
MENU_KEY=m
```

### `INIT_CMDS`

| Value | Behavior |
|---|---|
| `""` | Starts with a plain shell in the first window and creates a second `shell` window |
| `"auto"` | Uses `DEV_AI_CMD` if set, otherwise `claude`, otherwise `aider`, otherwise prints a warning in the window |
| `"claude"` | Sends `claude` into the first window and creates a second `shell` window |
| `"codex"` | Sends `codex` into the first window and creates a second `shell` window |
| any other string | Sends that string verbatim into the first window and creates a second `shell` window |

For `auto`, you can override the detected AI command:

```bash
export DEV_AI_CMD="aider --model gpt-4o"
```

### `SESSION_ENVS`

Each string is split on spaces and treated as `KEY=VALUE` pairs.

Example:

```bash
SESSION_ENVS=(
  ""
  "NODE_ENV=development PORT=3000"
  "CODEX_DISABLE_SANDBOX=1"
  ""
  ""
  ""
)
```

These are applied in two places:

- tmux's session environment table, so future panes and windows inherit them
- the initial shell window, before the startup command runs

### `SHOW_IPS`

If `SHOW_IPS` is non-empty, the menu header prints each interface name and its IPv4 address. Interfaces with no IPv4 address render as `down`.

### Session management

The preferred way to add, edit, or delete sessions is the interactive menu. Press `[e]` from the session list to open the **Manage Sessions** screen:

| Key | Action |
|-----|--------|
| `↑` / `↓` | Navigate the session list |
| `Enter` | Edit the selected session, or add new if on `+ Add new session` |
| `[a]` | Jump straight to the add-new form |
| `[d]` | Delete the selected session (requires typing `YES`) |
| `[q]` | Return to the main menu |

The add/edit form pre-fills current values. Every field is editable:

| Field | Notes |
|-------|-------|
| Session name | Letters, digits, `-`, `_`. Renames the live tmux session if it is running. |
| Display label | Human-readable name shown in the menu |
| Quick-switch key | Single character for `Prefix+key`; leave blank for no shortcut |
| Working directory | `~` is expanded; falls back to `$HOME` if the path does not exist at session creation time |
| Init command | `""` = plain shell · `auto` · `claude` · `codex` · any shell string |
| Environment vars | Space-separated `KEY=VALUE` pairs applied at session creation |

**Immediate effect.** After every save the menu:

1. Rewrites `sessions.conf` so the change survives a restart.
2. Calls `tmux bind-key` / `tmux unbind-key` to sync `Prefix+key` shortcuts in the live server.
3. Regenerates the status-bar key-hint line via `tmux set-option`.
4. Offers to start the new session immediately (for adds).

When a session is renamed, the running tmux session is also renamed with `tmux rename-session`.

> **Note on `conf/tmux.conf`:** the menu syncs live key bindings but does not rewrite `conf/tmux.conf`. If you reload the tmux server from scratch (`tmux source-file ~/.tmux.conf`) before the menu script has run, bindings will temporarily revert to whatever is in that file. To make a binding permanent across full server restarts, add the corresponding `bind-key` line to `conf/tmux.conf` as well.

If you prefer to edit files directly, add entries to the aligned arrays in `conf/sessions.conf` and optionally add `bind-key` lines to `conf/tmux.conf`, then run `bash scripts/start-sessions.sh <name>` to create the session.

---

## Interactive Menu

The `main` session's `menu` window runs [`scripts/session-menu.sh`](/mnt/seagate/Projects/2026/tsm/scripts/session-menu.sh).

**Main menu keys:**

| Key | Action |
|-----|--------|
| `↑` / `↓` | Move selection |
| `Enter` | Switch to the selected session (starts it first if stopped) |
| `1`–`9` | Jump directly to session by number |
| `r` | Refresh the display |
| `s` | Start all configured sessions |
| `e` | Open the **Manage Sessions** sub-menu (add / edit / delete) |
| `q` | Exit the menu loop (leaves `main` alive) |
| `k` | Typed-confirmation flow to kill every session including `main` |

The display auto-refreshes every 30 seconds. A tmux cheat sheet is printed at the bottom of the screen.

Per-session status shown next to each entry:

- `stopped` — no tmux session exists
- `idle` — session exists, no attached clients
- `active (N)` — `N` clients are attached

**Manage Sessions sub-menu** (`[e]` from the main menu):

| Key | Action |
|-----|--------|
| `↑` / `↓` | Navigate the session list |
| `Enter` | Edit the selected session; add new if on the `+` row |
| `a` | Open the add-new form directly |
| `d` | Delete the selected session after typed confirmation |
| `q` | Return to the main menu |

The add/edit form uses readline-style pre-filled input — existing values appear ready to edit. All six session fields are editable: name, label, quick-switch key, working directory, init command, and environment variables. See [Session management](#session-management) under Configuration for the full field reference.

Changes made through this screen are written to `sessions.conf` and applied to the live tmux server immediately — no restart required.

---

## tmux Key Bindings

Defaults from [`conf/tmux.conf`](/mnt/seagate/Projects/2026/tsm/conf/tmux.conf):

| Keys | Action |
|---|---|
| `Ctrl+a` | Prefix |
| `Prefix + m` | Switch to `main` |
| `Prefix + e` | Switch to `code` |
| `Prefix + d` | Switch to `dev` |
| `Prefix + x` | Switch to `codex` |
| `Prefix + r` | Switch to `relay` |
| `Prefix + h` | Switch to `share` |
| `Prefix + o` | Switch to `other` |
| `Prefix + s` | Built-in tmux session/window chooser |
| `Prefix + S` | Jump to the TSM menu in `main` |
| `Alt + Arrow` | Pane navigation without prefix |
| `Prefix + H/J/K/L` | Resize pane |
| `Prefix + |` | Horizontal split |
| `Prefix + -` | Vertical split |
| `Prefix + c` | New window in current path |
| `Prefix + n/l/p` | Next, last, previous window |
| `Prefix + v` | Enter copy mode |
| `v` then `y` in copy mode | Select and yank |

---

## Session Flow

```text
SSH login
  -> ~/.bashrc sees SSH_CONNECTION and no TMUX
  -> tsm
  -> start-sessions.sh all
  -> tmux attach-session -t main
  -> main:menu
  -> switch-client to a work session
```

Inside tmux, `tsm` does not attach again. It repairs `main:menu` if needed and switches the existing client there.

---

## Project Structure

```text
tsm/
├── install.sh
├── conf/
│   ├── sessions.conf
│   ├── sessions.conf.example
│   ├── tmux.conf
│   └── tmux.conf.example
├── scripts/
│   ├── session-menu.sh
│   ├── ssh-attach.sh
│   ├── start-sessions.sh
│   └── tmsm.sh
├── snippets/
│   ├── bashrc.snippet
│   └── terminus-tips.md
└── tests/
    └── test_install.sh
```

Key files:

- [`install.sh`](/mnt/seagate/Projects/2026/tsm/install.sh): idempotent installer and `~/.bashrc` patcher
- [`scripts/tmsm.sh`](/mnt/seagate/Projects/2026/tsm/scripts/tmsm.sh): user-facing `tsm` launcher
- [`scripts/start-sessions.sh`](/mnt/seagate/Projects/2026/tsm/scripts/start-sessions.sh): session creation logic
- [`scripts/session-menu.sh`](/mnt/seagate/Projects/2026/tsm/scripts/session-menu.sh): interactive selector UI
- [`scripts/ssh-attach.sh`](/mnt/seagate/Projects/2026/tsm/scripts/ssh-attach.sh): SSH-only attach wrapper

---

## Testing

Basic validation in this repo is currently shell-script focused:

```bash
bash -n scripts/*.sh install.sh tests/test_install.sh
bash tests/test_install.sh
```

`tests/test_install.sh` checks:

- the `~/.local/bin/tsm` symlink
- script executability
- `.bashrc` markers
- local config files
- `~/.tmux.conf` management markers

It is an install smoke test, not a full behavior test suite.

---

## Known Gaps

- `conf/tmux.conf` bind-key lines are not rewritten when sessions are managed via the menu — live bindings are synced, but the file is not. A full tmux server restart before the menu has run will revert to whatever is in that file.
- There is no automated check that `sessions.conf` and `conf/tmux.conf` stay in sync for persistent bindings
- The project is Linux-centric and not packaged for macOS or BSD tmux setups
- There are no menu interaction tests or session lifecycle integration tests
- Installer/tests mostly validate file presence and markers, not end-to-end tmux behavior

---

## Highest-Value Expansion Areas

These are the highest opportunity areas I see after exploring the repo:

1. Auto-write `conf/tmux.conf` when sessions change
   Live key bindings and the status-bar hint line are already regenerated from `sessions.conf` whenever a session is added, edited, or deleted. The remaining gap is that `conf/tmux.conf` is not rewritten, so a full tmux server restart before the menu runs will briefly revert to stale bindings. Closing this gap means making `conf/tmux.conf` either fully generated or reduced to only the settings that cannot be set at runtime.

2. Add real integration tests around tmux behavior
   The current test script mostly verifies install artifacts. The project would benefit from scripted checks for session creation, menu window recreation, env propagation, and config override precedence.

3. Improve portability and dependency hardening
   If you want TSM to be broadly reusable, the next step is either embracing Linux explicitly in the docs and packaging, or abstracting the Linux-specific commands and shell assumptions so the tool works on macOS/BSD too.

4. Expand the CLI into a true control surface
   `tsm help` and `tsm list` now make the launcher easier to understand, but there is room for `tsm status`, `tsm validate`, and `tsm doctor` commands that explain drift, missing binaries, and bad config before a user hits tmux errors.

---

## Troubleshooting

### Sessions disappeared after reboot

tmux sessions do not survive a host restart by themselves.

```bash
tsm
```

If reboot persistence matters, pair this with `tmux-resurrect`.

### The menu window closed

Run:

```bash
tsm
```

Inside tmux, that recreates `main:menu` if needed and switches you back to it.

### SSH logins are not auto-attaching

Check `~/.bashrc` for the `# tsm: SSH auto-attach` block and confirm your SSH session starts an interactive Bash shell.

### A session definition changed but tmux still has the old one

Kill and recreate that session:

```bash
tmux kill-session -t <name>
bash scripts/start-sessions.sh <name>
```

### tmux config edits are not live yet

```bash
tmux source-file ~/.tmux.conf
```

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