Remote-first tmux co-pilot for humans + LLMs.

mcp-tmux

Table of Contents

• Quickstart (2 minutes)
• Highlights
• Prerequisites
• Install & run
• MCP client wiring (example)
• Exposed tools
• Collaborative workflow
• How-to (verbose examples)
• ChatGPT / Supergateway
• Configuration
• Safety notes
• Tips for LLM prompts
• CI, security, and governance
• Developing
• License

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mcp-tmux is a Model Context Protocol server for people who learned the hard way that large language models are extremely confident about terminals they cannot actually see. It lets an LLM operate inside tmux with real, inspectable state instead of vibes, screenshots, or remembered lies. The server anchors the model to concrete reality: SSH-aware session discovery and bootstrapping, authoritative window and pane topology, and pull-based state snapshots so context is fetched when needed rather than hallucinated continuously. It can spawn or reattach to remote tmux sessions via your SSH config, inject keystrokes into the correct pane on purpose, read scrollback with full historical context, manage windows and splits deterministically, and enforce defaults so the model doesn’t calmly execute commands in a pane that stopped existing five minutes ago.

You need this if you want an LLM to assist in real terminals without pretending the terminal is a chat log. This is for pairing with an AI on live systems, debugging multi-pane chaos, automating the boring parts while you handle the judgment calls, or letting a model help without giving it omnipotent shell access and hoping nothing exciting happens. mcp-tmux exists to replace guesswork with state, narration with observation, and “I think you’re in the left pane” with provable fact.

Disclaimer: reasonable engineering effort has been applied to reduce the probability of reality-ending command execution. Guardrails exist. So do sharp edges. If something catastrophic happens, it will almost certainly be because a human approved it, ignored context, or decided this was a good idea at the time. Logs are kept. History remembers. Responsibility remains firmly biological.

Quickstart (2 minutes)

1. Install & build:

npm install
npm run build

2. Run with sensible defaults:

MCP_TMUX_HOST=my-ssh-alias MCP_TMUX_SESSION=collab npx @k8ika0s/mcp-tmux

3. In your MCP client, call:

tmux_open_session → tmux_default_context → tmux_list_windows / tmux_list_panes → tmux_send_keys → tmux_capture_pane

4. Re-ground anytime with tmux_state.

Highlights

• Remote-first: give it an SSH alias + session name and it will create or reconnect the remote tmux session for you.
• Collaborative: you and the model can attach to the same tmux; new windows/panes get LLM-friendly labels.
• Complete control: list, capture, send keys, manage windows/panes/sessions, or fall back to raw tmux commands when needed.
• Safety in the loop: destructive calls require confirm=true; defaults keep the model from mis-targeting panes.
• Observability: logging back to the client plus a tmux_state snapshot that includes recent scrollback.
• Tasks-ready: built-in MCP task helpers for tailing, watching, and waiting on patterns.

Capability map

Pillar	What it covers
Remote orchestration	tmux_open_session, SSH-aware tmux spawn/attach, PATH/tmux-bin overrides, host profiles
Grounded control	tmux_state, tmux_capture_pane, tmux_list_*, default targets, pane/window labels
Collaboration	tmux_new_window, tmux_split_pane, sync panes, layout capture/restore, layout profiles
Safety	confirm=true on destructive calls, logging + audit logs, defaults to avoid mis-targeting
Automation	tmux_multi_run, tail/pattern/watch tasks, fan-out capture/tail/pattern modes

Prerequisites

• tmux available on PATH (override with TMUX_BIN=/path/to/tmux). For remote flows, tmux must be installed on the remote host.
• Node.js 18+.
• SSH access to the target host(s) using config aliases (the host parameter is the ssh config Host).

Install & run

npm install
npm run build
MCP_TMUX_HOST=my-ssh-alias MCP_TMUX_SESSION=collab npx @k8ika0s/mcp-tmux  # optional defaults

# Version check
mcp-tmux --version

During development you can use hot reload:

npm run dev

MCP client wiring (example)

Add to your MCP client config (example for Claude Desktop/CLI style):

{
  "servers": {
    "tmux": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@k8ika0s/mcp-tmux"],
      "env": {
        "MCP_TMUX_HOST": "my-ssh-alias",   // optional default host
        "MCP_TMUX_SESSION": "collab"       // optional default session
      }
    }
  }
}

SSH quality-of-life: consider enabling ControlMaster/ControlPersist in your ssh config for faster repeated ssh -T <host> tmux ... invocations.

Exposed tools

• tmux_open_session: Ensure a remote tmux session exists (create if missing) given host (ssh alias) and session, and set them as defaults.
• tmux_default_context: Shows detected default session and a quick session listing.
• tmux_state: Snapshot sessions, windows, panes, and capture of the active/default pane.
• tmux_set_default / tmux_get_default: Persist or view default host/session/window/pane.
• tmux_capture_layout / tmux_restore_layout: Save and re-apply window layouts.
• tmux_tail_pane: Poll a pane repeatedly to follow output without reissuing commands.
• tmux_tail_task: Task-based tail with polling over time (client polls task results).
• tmux_select_window / tmux_select_pane: Change focus targets explicitly.
• tmux_set_sync_panes: Toggle synchronize-panes for a window.
• tmux_save_layout_profile / tmux_apply_layout_profile: Persist and re-apply layout profiles by name.
• tmux_readonly_state: Snapshot sessions/windows/panes/capture without touching defaults.
• tmux_batch_capture: Capture multiple panes in parallel for faster context gathering.
• tmux_run_batch: Run multiple commands in one call in the same pane (uses && by default, or ;/newline via joinWith for heredocs), auto-clean the prompt (bash/zsh: Ctrl+C then Ctrl+U) before writes by default (cleanPrompt=true), and auto-captures output with paging (starts ~20 lines, grows if needed).
• tmux_send_keys: Send keys (supports <SPACE>, <ENTER>, <TAB>, <ESC> tokens; empty + enter=true sends Enter).
• tmux_health: Quick health check (tmux reachable, session listing, host profile info).
• tmux_context_history: Pull recent scrollback (pane or session) and extract recent commands.
• tmux_quickstart: Return a concise playbook/do-don’t block for the LLM.
• tmux_multi_run: Fan-out send + capture/tail/pattern to multiple hosts/panes.
• Resource: tmux_state_resource (URI tmux://state/default) returns the current default snapshot on read.
• Logging: session logs are appended under ~/.config/mcp-tmux/logs/{host}/{session}/YYYY-MM-DD.log (override with MCP_TMUX_LOG_DIR).
• Audit logging: enable per-session via tmux_set_audit_logging to log commands and outputs verbosely (may grow large).
• tmux_list_sessions: Enumerate sessions with window/attach counts.
• tmux_list_windows: List windows (optionally scoped to a session).
• tmux_list_panes: List panes (optionally scoped to a target).
• tmux_capture_pane: Read scrollback from a pane (defaults to last ~200 lines).
• tmux_send_keys: Send keystrokes to a pane, optionally with Enter.
• tmux_new_session: Create a detached session to collaborate in.
• tmux_new_window: Create a window inside a session.
• tmux_split_pane: Split a pane horizontally/vertically, optionally with a command.
• tmux_kill_session, tmux_kill_window, tmux_kill_pane: Tear down targets (require confirm=true).
• tmux_rename_session, tmux_rename_window: Rename targets.
• tmux_command: Raw access to any tmux command/flags for advanced cases.

Targets accept standard tmux notation: session, session:window, session:window.pane, or pane/window IDs. Most tools also accept an optional host (ssh alias) and will fall back to MCP_TMUX_HOST or whatever tmux_open_session last set.

Collaborative workflow

1. Ensure SSH access to the remote host (configured in ~/.ssh/config as Host my-ssh-alias).
2. From your MCP client, call tmux_open_session with host: "my-ssh-alias" and session: "collab". It will create the remote tmux session if needed and set it as default.
3. Call tmux_default_context to verify layout (uses the default host/session).
4. Drive the remote session with tmux_send_keys and read it with tmux_capture_pane.
5. The human can attach directly with ssh -t my-ssh-alias tmux attach -t collab to collaborate in real time.
6. Re-ground anytime with tmux_state to see sessions/windows/panes and the recent scrollback.

How-to (verbose examples)

• Bootstrap remote session (create if missing) and set defaults:

  {"name":"tmux_open_session","arguments":{"host":"my-ssh-alias","session":"collab","command":"cd /srv && bash"}}
  

• Snapshot current state (uses defaults):

  {"name":"tmux_state","arguments":{"captureLines":200}}
  

• Drive a shell and read results:

  {"name":"tmux_run_batch","arguments":{
    "target":"collab:0.0",
    "steps":[{"command":"ls -lah"}],
    "cleanPrompt":true,
    "failFast":true
  }}
  

  • Behavior: sends Ctrl+C then Ctrl+U to clear the line (bash/zsh) before writing, runs the commands (Enter per step), then auto-captures output with paging (starts ~20 lines, grows if needed).
• Tail a pane to watch output:

  {"name":"tmux_tail_pane","arguments":{"target":"collab:0.0","lines":200,"iterations":3,"intervalMs":1000}}
  

• Tail via task (poll results):

  {"name":"tmux_tail_task","arguments":{"target":"collab:0.0","lines":200,"iterations":5,"intervalMs":1500}}
  

• Fan-out to multiple hosts/panes:

  {"name":"tmux_multi_run","arguments":{
    "targets":[
      {"host":"web-1","target":"ops:0.0"},
      {"host":"web-2","target":"ops:0.0"}
    ],
    "keys":"ls -lah /var/log && tail -n 50 app.log",
    "mode":"send_capture",
    "capture":true,
    "captureLines":200,
    "delayMs":500
  }}
  

  • Tail mode: set "mode":"tail" with tailIterations/tailIntervalMs.
  • Pattern mode: set "mode":"pattern" with pattern/patternFlags.
• Capture context history and recent commands:

  {"name":"tmux_context_history","arguments":{"session":"collab","lines":800,"allPanes":true}}
  

• Run multiple commands with per-step Enter and prompt cleanup:

  {"name":"tmux_run_batch","arguments":{
    "target":"collab:0.0",
    "steps":[
      {"command":"git status"},
      {"command":"npm test","enter":true}
    ],
    "cleanPrompt":true,
    "failFast":true
  }}
  

  • cleanPrompt (default true) sends Ctrl+C then Ctrl+U (bash/zsh) before the first write to clear stray input.
  • failFast=true joins commands with && (single Enter); set failFast=false to send each step separately (Enter per step).
  • Output capture is automatic with paging: starts around 20 lines, then expands (e.g., 100/400) if needed and returns a truncation hint.
• Quickstart playbook for the LLM:

  {"name":"tmux_quickstart","arguments":{}}
  

• Select window/pane and toggle sync:

  {"name":"tmux_select_window","arguments":{"target":"collab:0"}}
  {"name":"tmux_select_pane","arguments":{"target":"collab:0.1"}}
  {"name":"tmux_set_sync_panes","arguments":{"target":"collab:0","on":true}}
  

• Capture and restore layouts:

  {"name":"tmux_capture_layout","arguments":{"session":"collab"}}
  {"name":"tmux_restore_layout","arguments":{"target":"collab:0","layout":"your-layout-string"}}
  

• Save/apply layout profiles:

  {"name":"tmux_save_layout_profile","arguments":{"session":"collab","name":"logs"}}
  {"name":"tmux_apply_layout_profile","arguments":{"name":"logs"}}
  

• Health check:

  {"name":"tmux_health","arguments":{"host":"my-ssh-alias"}}
  

• Split a pane and label it:

  {"name":"tmux_split_pane","arguments":{"target":"collab:0.0","orientation":"horizontal","command":"htop"}}
  

• Tear down (requires explicit confirm):

  {"name":"tmux_kill_window","arguments":{"host":"my-ssh-alias","target":"collab:1","confirm":true}}
  

• Set or view defaults:

  {"name":"tmux_set_default","arguments":{"host":"my-ssh-alias","session":"collab","window":"collab:0","pane":"collab:0.0"}}
  {"name":"tmux_get_default","arguments":{}}
  

ChatGPT / Supergateway

Use Supergateway and (optionally) ngrok to expose the MCP stdio server to ChatGPT (Atlas tools):

1. Install globally:

npm i -g @k8ika0s/mcp-tmux
mcp-tmux --version  # verify version

2. Run Supergateway locally:

supergateway serve --listen 0.0.0.0:3001 --command "mcp-tmux" --env "MCP_TMUX_HOST=my-ssh-alias" --env "MCP_TMUX_SESSION=collab"

3. Expose with ngrok (optional):

ngrok http 3001

Copy the https tunnel URL. 4) In ChatGPT (Atlas) tools, add a Custom MCP server pointing to your Supergateway URL (ngrok tunnel or local if supported). Example config snippet:

{
  "servers": {
    "tmux": {
      "url": "https://your-ngrok-subdomain.ngrok.io",
      "capabilities": ["tools", "resources"]
    }
  }
}

Use readonly tools (tmux_readonly_state, tmux_batch_capture, tmux_list_*, tmux_capture_pane) for information gathering; use confirm flags for destructive actions.

Configuration

• MCP_TMUX_SESSION: Prefer this session when no explicit target is provided.
• MCP_TMUX_HOST: Preferred ssh host alias when no explicit host is provided.
• TMUX_BIN: Path to the tmux binary (defaults to tmux).
• MCP_TMUX_TIMEOUT_MS: Timeout in ms for tmux/ssh invocations (default 15000).
• Defaults: set via tmux_set_default or tmux_select_pane; tools like tmux_capture_pane, tmux_send_keys, and tail/pattern tasks fall back to the default pane when target is omitted.
• PATH fallbacks: the server automatically adds /opt/homebrew/bin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin when invoking tmux (local or remote) so Homebrew installs are found.
• Host profiles (optional): MCP_TMUX_HOSTS_FILE can point to a JSON file like:

  {
    "hashimac": { "pathAdd": ["/opt/homebrew/bin"], "tmuxBin": "/opt/homebrew/bin/tmux", "defaultSession": "ka0s" }
  }
  

• Layout profiles (optional): stored at ~/.config/mcp-tmux/layouts.json by default via tmux_save_layout_profile/tmux_apply_layout_profile.
• Logging directory: defaults to ~/.config/mcp-tmux/logs (override with MCP_TMUX_LOG_DIR), organized by host/session with daily log files.

Safety notes

Safety spotlight: destructive tools need confirm=true, and defaults help you avoid targeting the wrong pane. Keep logs on; review captures before acting.

• The server never bypasses tmux permissions; it inherits your user account and socket access.
• tmux_send_keys will happily run destructive commands—ask for confirmation before altering state or killing sessions/windows.
• Destructive tools (tmux/kill-*, destructive tmux_command) require confirm=true.
• tmux_command runs whatever you pass through to tmux; double-check args before using it.
• Captures are pull-only: the model must request tmux_capture_pane to read output after sending keys.
• Remote usage depends on SSH trust; the MCP server inherits your SSH agent/keys and runs commands as your user on the remote host.

Tips for LLM prompts

• Playbook: tmux_open_session → tmux_default_context → tmux_list_windows/tmux_list_panes → tmux_send_keys → tmux_capture_pane.
• Maintain defaults with tmux_set_default and re-ground with tmux_state.
• Confirm before destructive actions; prefer helper tools over raw tmux_command.
• After any change, re-list windows/panes or capture to stay in sync (server is pull-only).
• Verify what’s running with tmux_server_info (reports package name, version, repository link, and log directory).

CI, security, and governance

• CI: GitHub Actions (CI workflow) runs npm run build.
• Security: dependency audit job (npm audit --audit-level=high) runs in CI.
• Release: manual workflow Release (manual) builds, packs, and can publish. Inputs: publish, tag, version, bump. When publish=true, it publishes to npmjs (requires NPM_TOKEN), attempts GitHub Packages only if the package name is scoped to @k8ika0s/... (warns/skip otherwise), and creates a git tag plus GitHub Release with the tarball.
• Branch protection (intended): main should be protected (require PR, no branch deletion). Configure this in repository settings.
• Ownership: CODEOWNERS assigns all files to @k8ika0s.
• Project stats: TypeScript, Node >=18, publishes mcp-tmux CLI entrypoint, MCP stdio server.
• Tests: npm test (vitest) covers helper path composition.

Developing

• TypeScript build: npm run build
• Linting/formatting: not configured; keep patches small and readable.
• Make targets:
  • make install — install dependencies
  • make build — compile to dist/
  • make test — run tests (vitest)
  • make dev — hot-reload dev mode
  • make start — run compiled server
  • make clean — remove dist/

License

AGPL-3.0-only