Terminal Multiplexing: tmux vs Zellij vs Screen
You SSH into a server. You start a long-running process. Your connection drops. Process dies. Terminal multiplexers solve this. They keep sessions alive, split your screen into panes, and let you work on multiple things without opening twelve terminal windows. I’ve used all three major options. Here’s what I learned. What Is a Terminal Multiplexer? A terminal multiplexer runs between your shell and terminal emulator. It: Persists sessions: Detach, reconnect later, everything still running Splits screens: Multiple panes in one window Manages windows: Switch between workspaces Works remotely: Same interface whether local or SSH’d flowchart LR Term["Terminal Emulator"] --> Mux["Multiplexer"] Mux --> Shell1["Shell 1"] Mux --> Shell2["Shell 2"] Mux --> Shell3["Shell 3"] GNU Screen: The Original Screen has been around since 1987. It’s installed everywhere, it works, it’s ugly. ...