How do I install the Tmux Background Agents skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add m13v/tmux-background-agents in your terminal (requires Node.js), paste this page's agent-chat prompt into Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-connected agent, or download the SKILL.md file and copy it into your agent's skills directory.

Is Tmux Background Agents safe to use?

This skill has not completed SkillMD's automated safety review yet. SkillMD never runs a skill's scripts for you; review the SKILL.md before installing.

Which AI agents work with Tmux Background Agents?

This skill is tagged as working with Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex. SKILL.md is an open format, so most agents that read a skills directory can load it too.

Is Tmux Background Agents free to use?

Yes. Installing skills from SkillMD is free, and the skill stays under its author's original license.

Who published Tmux Background Agents?

m13v (@m13v) published this skill. Their other Agent Skills are listed on their SkillMD profile.

Tmux Background Agents by m13v — Agent Skill

Name: Tmux Background Agents
Author: m13v

File contents

tmux - Background Claude Session Manager

Manage background Claude Code sessions using tmux. Start sessions, send prompts, read responses, and open sessions in Terminal windows.

Commands

Start a new background Claude session

# Basic - starts in current directory
tmux new-session -d -s SESSION_NAME "cd /path/to/dir && claude --dangerously-skip-permissions"

# With initial prompt
tmux new-session -d -s SESSION_NAME "cd /path/to/dir && claude --dangerously-skip-permissions 'YOUR PROMPT HERE'"

Send a prompt to an existing session

tmux send-keys -t SESSION_NAME "your prompt here" Enter

Note: Sometimes an extra Enter is needed:

tmux send-keys -t SESSION_NAME Enter

Read response from a session

tmux capture-pane -t SESSION_NAME -p

For full scrollback:

tmux capture-pane -t SESSION_NAME -p -S -100

List all sessions

tmux ls

Open a session in a Terminal window (hand off to user)

osascript <<'APPLESCRIPT'
tell application "Terminal"
  activate
  do script "tmux attach -t SESSION_NAME"
end tell
APPLESCRIPT

Kill a session

tmux kill-session -t SESSION_NAME

Workflow Example

Start session:

tmux new-session -d -s my-agent "cd /path/to/your/project && claude --dangerously-skip-permissions"
sleep 5

Send prompt:

tmux send-keys -t my-agent "Fix the bug in auth.swift" Enter

Wait and read response:

sleep 15
tmux capture-pane -t my-agent -p

Hand off to user:

osascript -e 'tell application "Terminal" to do script "tmux attach -t my-agent"'

User Instructions

When the user asks to:

"start a background agent" -> create tmux session with Claude
"send prompt to agent X" -> use tmux send-keys
"check agent X" -> use tmux capture-pane
"open agent X" -> open Terminal attached to tmux session
"list agents" -> use tmux ls
"stop agent X" -> use tmux kill-session

Tips

Always wait 5-8 seconds after starting a session for Claude to initialize
After sending a prompt, wait 10-15 seconds for response
Send an extra Enter if the prompt doesn't seem to submit
Use descriptive session names like auth-fix, ui-refactor, etc.

---name: tmux-background-agentsdescription: Manage background Claude Code sessions using tmux. Start sessions, send prompts, read responses, and open sessions in Terminal windows.---# tmux - Background Claude Session ManagerManage background Claude Code sessions using tmux. Start sessions, send prompts, read responses, and open sessions in Terminal windows.## Commands### Start a new background Claude session```bash# Basic - starts in current directorytmux new-session -d -s SESSION_NAME "cd /path/to/dir && claude --dangerously-skip-permissions"# With initial prompttmux new-session -d -s SESSION_NAME "cd /path/to/dir && claude --dangerously-skip-permissions 'YOUR PROMPT HERE'"```### Send a prompt to an existing session```bashtmux send-keys -t SESSION_NAME "your prompt here" Enter```Note: Sometimes an extra `Enter` is needed:```bashtmux send-keys -t SESSION_NAME Enter```### Read response from a session```bashtmux capture-pane -t SESSION_NAME -p```For full scrollback:```bashtmux capture-pane -t SESSION_NAME -p -S -100```### List all sessions```bashtmux ls```### Open a session in a Terminal window (hand off to user)```bashosascript <<'APPLESCRIPT'tell application "Terminal" activate do script "tmux attach -t SESSION_NAME"end tellAPPLESCRIPT```### Kill a session```bashtmux kill-session -t SESSION_NAME```## Workflow Example1. **Start session:**```bashtmux new-session -d -s my-agent "cd /path/to/your/project && claude --dangerously-skip-permissions"sleep 5```2. **Send prompt:**```bashtmux send-keys -t my-agent "Fix the bug in auth.swift" Enter```3. **Wait and read response:**```bashsleep 15tmux capture-pane -t my-agent -p```4. **Hand off to user:**```bashosascript -e 'tell application "Terminal" to do script "tmux attach -t my-agent"'```## User InstructionsWhen the user asks to:- "start a background agent" -> create tmux session with Claude- "send prompt to agent X" -> use `tmux send-keys`- "check agent X" -> use `tmux capture-pane`- "open agent X" -> open Terminal attached to tmux session- "list agents" -> use `tmux ls`- "stop agent X" -> use `tmux kill-session`## Tips- Always wait 5-8 seconds after starting a session for Claude to initialize- After sending a prompt, wait 10-15 seconds for response- Send an extra `Enter` if the prompt doesn't seem to submit- Use descriptive session names like `auth-fix`, `ui-refactor`, etc.

Frequently asked questions

Tmux Background Agents