Enhancing SSH Login With A Tmux Session Selection Menu In Linux

This article shows you how to create a tmux session selection menu that automatically appears when you SSH into a remote Linux server. This menu lets you choose an existing tmux session or start a new one.

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Step 1: Create the Tmux Menu Script
• Step 2: Make the Script Executable
• Step 3: Configure Your Bash Profile
• Step 4: Test the Tmux Session Selector
• Conclusion

Introduction

Tmux, a terminal multiplexer, lets you manage multiple terminal sessions in a single window. This is especially useful when working remotely via SSH. This guide enhances your remote SSH login experience by adding a Tmux session selector.

Step 1: Creating the Tmux Menu Script

Create a script named tmux_menu.sh in your home directory (~/) with the following content:

#!/bin/bash

TMUX_SESSIONS=$(tmux ls | awk -F: '{print $1}')

if [[ -z "$TMUX_SESSIONS" ]]; then
    echo "No existing tmux sessions. Creating a new session called 'default'..."
    tmux new -s default
else
    echo "Existing tmux sessions:"
    echo "$TMUX_SESSIONS"
    read -p "Enter session name to attach to, or 'new' for a new session: " user_input

    if [[ "$user_input" == "new" ]]; then
        read -p "Enter name for new session: " new_session_name
        tmux new -s "$new_session_name"
    else
        tmux attach -t "$user_input"
    fi
fi

Script Breakdown:

This script first gets a list of existing tmux sessions using tmux ls. If no sessions exist, it creates a "default" session. Otherwise, it presents a menu of existing sessions and prompts the user to choose one or create a new one. The script uses input validation to prevent errors.

Step 2: Making the Script Executable

Make the script executable:

chmod  x ~/tmux_menu.sh

Step 3: Configuring Your Bash Profile

Open your ~/.bash_profile (or ~/.bashrc if ~/.bash_profile doesn't exist) and add these lines:

if [[ -z "$TMUX" ]] && [[ $- == *i* ]]; then
    ~/tmux_menu.sh
fi

This ensures the script runs only when you SSH in (not already in a tmux session) and your shell is interactive. Save and close the file.

Step 4: Testing the Tmux Session Selector

1. SSH into your remote system. You should see the menu if you have existing sessions or a new "default" session created.
2. Create some tmux sessions: Use tmux new -s session_name -d to create detached sessions.
3. Detach from your current session (if any): Use Ctrl b then d.
4. Log out and SSH back in. The menu should now list your created sessions. Select a session or create a new one.

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Conclusion

This setup provides a convenient way to manage your tmux sessions when connecting to a remote server via SSH, improving workflow and organization. Remember to replace placeholder images with actual screenshots.

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