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MiscellaneousPrefix + : display-popup (or bind a key)

display-popup

Short form: popup

Open a temporary popup terminal floating above the current client, running a command (a shell by default). Great for quick tools without disturbing your layout.

Synopsis

bash
tmux display-popup [-BCEkN] [-b border-lines] [-c target-client] [-d start-directory] [-e environment] [-h height] [-s style] [-S border-style] [-t target-pane] [-T title] [-w width] [-x position] [-y position] [shell-command [argument ...]]

Options

FlagDescription
-EClose the popup when the command exits; -EE closes it only if the command succeeded
-BOpen without a border
-w widthPopup width (cells or percentage)
-h heightPopup height (cells or percentage)
-x positionHorizontal position
-y positionVertical position
-T titleSet the popup title
-d start-directoryWorking directory for the command

Examples

Open a popup shell

bash
tmux display-popup

Run htop in a popup, close on exit

bash
tmux display-popup -E htop

Bind Prefix + g to a lazygit popup

bash
bind g display-popup -E -w 80% -h 80% 'lazygit'

Default Keybinding

Prefix + : display-popup (or bind a key)

Default prefix is Ctrl+b

Pro Tips

  • Use -E so the popup closes automatically when the command finishes
  • Perfect for lazygit, a scratch shell, notes, or a calculator