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tmux Terminal Control

Lets the agent run and read interactive terminal sessions (tmux) on macOS or Linux

Source Download skill
Repository
sipeed/picoclaw
Stars
30,082
Licence
MIT
Files
3 files

What it does

Normally an AI agent can only run one-off shell commands and read their output. With this skill installed, the agent can start programs inside tmux, a terminal multiplexer that keeps sessions alive in the background, type keystrokes into them, read what is on screen, and wait for a particular prompt or text to appear. This is useful for tools that need an interactive terminal, such as Python's REPL, or for running several coding agents side by side in separate sessions.

Great for

  • Developers who use tmux and want the agent to drive interactive command-line tools
  • People running several long-lived terminal programs or coding agents in parallel
  • Users on macOS or Linux (or Windows via WSL) who already have tmux installed

Skip it if

  • Simple one-shot commands or non-interactive long tasks, which the skill itself says should use normal background execution instead; the extra complexity adds little value there
  • Machines where the agent should not type keystrokes into live sessions, since sent input can run commands, including destructive ones, with no review step
  • Users who do not have tmux installed and cannot install it

Try asking

  • “Start a Python REPL in a tmux session and run a few calculations in it”
  • “Wait until a database migration prints 'done' before continuing”
  • “Run several coding agents in separate tmux sessions on different project folders and check which have finished”
  • “Show me what is currently on the screen in my tmux session named build”
Step-by-step guide: how to use tmux Terminal ControlInstall, first run, examples, tips and FAQs

Install in 3 steps

  1. 1

    Download the skill

    The ZIP contains the 3 original files, the MIT licence and an attribution note.

    tmux.zip
  2. 2

    Add it to your agent

    Claude Code (all projects)

    mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills && unzip tmux.zip -d ~/.claude/skills/

    Claude Code / Agent SDK (this project only)

    mkdir -p .claude/skills && unzip tmux.zip -d .claude/skills/

    Claude apps (web/desktop): Settings → Capabilities → Skills → Upload skill, and choose the ZIP.

  3. 3

    Ask for the task

    No special command needed — the agent reads the skill's description and loads it when your request matches. Try one of the prompts above.

Get better results

  • Use the isolated socket directory the skill sets up so the agent's sessions stay separate from your own tmux sessions
  • Attach to a session yourself (tmux attach) to watch what the agent is typing, and detach with Ctrl+b d
  • Give wait-for-text.sh a specific pattern and a sensible timeout so the agent does not wait indefinitely

What's inside

  • scripts/find-sessions.sh
  • scripts/wait-for-text.sh
  • SKILL.md

Redistributed unmodified from sipeed/picoclaw under the MIT licence. The assessment was drafted with AI from the skill's files on 2026-10-29. Skills can instruct your agent to run code — read SKILL.md and any scripts before installing.