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Yeah, I think that the main benefit of tmux is session management. Tiling window managers can replace tmux panes.



Tiling window managers cannot replace a multiplexer's knowledge about the session.

I use a multiplexer because it lets me instantly open a new terminal in the same directory I'm currently working in. Furthermore it can open the terminal's buffer in Vim, letting me select and copy text using all features and shortcuts I'm used to. Doing the same by scrolling around, selecting snippets using the mouse and pressing Ctrl-Shift-C cannot compete with that.

Yes, there are a few terminal emulators with integrated tabs and window splitting and all that which offer similar features, but then they also have countless other things I don't need and in return take ten times longer to open a new window.


> I use a multiplexer because it lets me instantly open a new terminal in the same directory I'm currently working in.

You can add a keybinding for this with alacritty:

    { key: N, mods: Command, action: SpawnNewInstance }
> Furthermore it can open the terminal's buffer in Vim, letting me select and copy text using all features and shortcuts I'm used to

alacritty has vi mode which gives you all of those keybindings without having to open vim (ctrl+shift+space).


> alacritty has vi mode which gives you all of those keybindings

It doesn't give me access to my custom keybindings or the plugins I have setup in Vim. Also I can't select or annotate terminal output and then save it directly into a file in one step.

The multiplexer is both more powerful and flexible by actually doing less and just passing tasks like selection and copying to other proven tools. I appreciate that more than terminals trying to do everything.


Well, I'm not sure why you need vim plugins for copy-pasting from the terminal, but I agree that it is more powerful. My point is that a lot of people don't need tmux/zellij because their terminal emulators provide much of the useful functionality.


Aye. Occasionally I'll pop tmux open in a tile for this purpose.

It's been reduced to merely being a replacement for screen for me.




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