Installation Guide
Comprehensive installation methods for every major platform from package managers to manual compilation.
Verified Dec 2025 for tmux 3.6
5 min read
beginner
macOS
AppleThree reliable installation paths
Homebrew (Recommended)
bash
brew install tmuxMacPorts
bash
sudo port install tmux✓ Works on both Intel and Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3)
Linux
PenguinAll major distributions supported
Ubuntu/Debian
bash
sudo apt install tmuxFedora/RHEL
bash
sudo dnf install tmuxArch Linux
bash
sudo pacman -S tmuxWindows
WSL2Full tmux via Windows Subsystem for Linux
bash
# PowerShell (Admin)
wsl --install
# Inside WSL
sudo apt update
sudo apt install tmux⚠️ WSL2 is the only fully-supported Windows approach. Cygwin provides limited legacy support.
🛠️ Advanced: Manual Compilation
Building from source unlocks latest features and custom configurations.
bash
# Install dependencies (Ubuntu/Debian)
sudo apt install libevent-dev ncurses-dev build-essential bison pkg-config
# Download and compile
git clone https://github.com/tmux/tmux.git
cd tmux
sh autogen.sh
./configure && make
sudo make install
# Verify installation
tmux -V # Should show tmux 3.6