Tmux copy mode: stay in copy mode after selection

productivitytmuxvim

When using tmux, I often find a need to copy multiple items from one pane or window into another. When those items are located close to each other in a long scrollback buffer, my current workflow typically goes like this:

Enter the copy mode in the source pane
Select the first item and copy it.
Go to the target pane
Paste the first item where I want
Go back to the source pane
Enter the copy mode
Select the second item and copy it
Go to the target pane
Paste the second item.

This is very inefficient. I was looking for a shortcut to get the two items into the buffer within a single invocation of the copy mode. I could then use the buffer stack, pick the items and paste them sequentially in the target pane. This would shave off a few keystrokes, but the bulk of my work lies in locating the appropriate selections in the scrollback.

But right now, as soon as I press a key to select something in the copy mode, tmux quits the copy mode. I really like how I can stay in vim's visual mode after making a selection, using gV. Is there something similar that I could do in tmux?

Best Answer

It seems to be that there is no such feature right now. But there is a ticket in their SF page about this: http://sourceforge.net/p/tmux/tickets/174/. I hope the issue will be fixed soon.

Related Solutions

Selecting text in Tmux copy mode

Short answer: space starts selection and enter copies.

For future reference, I got this from the tmux man page:

       Function                vi             emacs
       Back to indentation     ^              M-m
       Clear selection         Escape         C-g
       Copy selection          Enter          M-w
       Cursor down             j              Down
       Cursor left             h              Left
       Cursor right            l              Right
       Cursor to bottom line   L
       Cursor to middle line   M              M-r
       Cursor to top line      H              M-R
       Cursor up               k              Up
       Delete entire line      d              C-u
       Delete to end of line   D              C-k
       End of line             $              C-e
       Goto line               :              g
       Half page down          C-d            M-Down
       Half page up            C-u            M-Up
       Next page               C-f            Page down
       Next word               w              M-f
       Paste buffer            p              C-y
       Previous page           C-b            Page up
       Previous word           b              M-b
       Quit mode               q              Escape
       Scroll down             C-Down or J    C-Down
       Scroll up               C-Up or K      C-Up
       Search again            n              n
       Search backward         ?              C-r
       Search forward          /              C-s
       Start of line           0              C-a
       Start selection         Space          C-Space
       Transpose chars                        C-t

Update: The tmux list-keys command will also list any custom key bindings you have.

Tmux copy mode – select text block

Make sure to check the bottom of this post for necessary bindings that need to go into your .tmux.conf file.

I am assuming your prefix key is C-a:

C-a means: press Ctrl + A
C-a [ means: press Ctrl + A then press [

To do a rectangle selection of text from (1,1) to (2,2) in tmux:

Go to the copy mode: C-a [
Move the middle of a line
Press C-v
Press Space
Move the selection with jkhl
Once you are happy with your selection press Enter (or y if you have the binding in your conf file).
You can paste the latest copy buffer by: C-a ]

Notice that pressing space is necessary for rectangle selection.

To select lines like you would normally do, go the copy mode, and press v, select with jkhl keys and press y.

I have these bindings in my .tmux.conf:

Prior to version 2.4 (20 April 2017):

setw -g mode-keys vi
bind-key -t vi-copy 'v' begin-selection     # Begin selection in copy mode.
bind-key -t vi-copy 'C-v' rectangle-toggle  # Begin selection in copy mode.
bind-key -t vi-copy 'y' copy-selection      # Yank selection in copy mode.

After version 2.4:

setw -g mode-keys vi
bind-key -T copy-mode-vi 'v' send -X begin-selection     # Begin selection in copy mode.
bind-key -T copy-mode-vi 'C-v' send -X rectangle-toggle  # Begin selection in copy mode.
bind-key -T copy-mode-vi 'y' send -X copy-selection      # Yank selection in copy mode.

It is important to unbind default rectangle-toggle binding:

unbind-key -t vi-copy v  # Prior to version 2.4
unbind-key -T copy-mode-vi v

Otherwise new 'C-v' binding doesn't work.

Note: to have a single .tmux.conf which works across versions, see this question.

Related Question