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When I first started using tmux, I didn't give my first session a name. Then, as I started creating different sessions for different tasks (work, play, etc), I started naming my sessions.

Now I have a bunch of different sessions, but the first one doesn't have a name. How can I name (or rename) it, both from within tmux and from a shell prompt?

2 Answers 2

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From within tmux

Short way: prefix, then dollar sign:

Ctrl + B, $

or

Long way: prefix, then colon:

Ctrl + B, :

Then type this command at the prompt:

rename-session [-t current-name] [new-name]

If the current session name (-t current-name) is not specified, the currently attached session will be renamed.

By default the session name will be in brackets in the lower left corner of tmux. You can list all sessions and switch between them with:

Ctrl + B, s

From shell prompt

You can rename tmux sessions with

tmux rename-session [-t current-name] [new-name]

To find your session names, do tmux list-sessions -- it will be in the left-most column.

If the current session name (-t current-name) is not specified, the most recently used session will be renamed.

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  • 1
    I'm trying to create a canonical answer. Can you also tell me how to do this from within tmux? And also how I would find out what my session is currently named? May 23, 2012 at 17:35
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    Hmm.. C-b $ doesn't seem to be set by default in my tmux on Ubuntu 10.04. At any rate, you can find the name of your current session with tmux list-sessions, it'll be the left-most item. Will probably be '0' if it was the first session you created. Then tmux rename-session -t 0 renamed_session. Both commands should work from within tmux.
    – skrblr
    May 23, 2012 at 18:15
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    It'd be better if you flesh out your answer with a comprehensive edit instead of back and forth comments
    – random
    May 23, 2012 at 18:54
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    Note that rename-session [new-name] is enough if you want to rename current session within tmux. Nov 7, 2012 at 19:13
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    tmux new -s myname to start a new named session. so you don't run into this predicament next time.
    – Danny
    Nov 29, 2014 at 18:34
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From within tmux you can also edit the name of the current window (one of many within the session) with:

  • Prefix, then comma sign:

Ctrl + B, ,

(This does not rename the "session", but the window inside a session, which many users that land here are searching for)

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  • I've noticed that if I do this while a program is running, the current window loses its name when the program finishes. Is there any way around that?
    – bonh
    Feb 14, 2018 at 19:28
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    @bonh : set -g allow-rename off
    – samson
    Apr 26, 2018 at 15:49
  • or if you have trouble remembering the comma, you can use rename-window from the command prompt (prefix, :) Oct 25, 2018 at 16:00

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