Tmux Dev Workflow

A lightweight terminal-based development environment with live file tree (lf), git status (lazygit), and Claude Code. Includes custom "Amber Ember" theme and one-command setup. Read the full story: /essays/touching-electrons

ID8Labs1/12/2026

How to Install

Copy the prompt below and paste it into Claude Code to install this configuration.

Claude Code Install Prompt

Install the ID8Labs tmux dev workflow for me. This setup gives me:
- lf file manager in top-left pane
- lazygit for git operations in bottom-left  
- Main editor/claude pane on the right
- Amber Ember theme with orange accents
- Session persistence (survives restarts)
- Auto-start hook for Claude Code sessions

## Installation Steps

1. Install dependencies: brew install tmux lf lazygit tree
2. Download tmux.conf from https://raw.githubusercontent.com/eddiebe147/id8labs/main/content/stackshack/tmux/tmux.conf to ~/.tmux.conf
3. Download dev-session.sh from https://raw.githubusercontent.com/eddiebe147/id8labs/main/content/stackshack/tmux/dev-session.sh to ~/bin/dev-session.sh
4. Make it executable: chmod +x ~/bin/dev-session.sh
5. Install tmux plugin manager: git clone https://github.com/tmux-plugins/tpm ~/.tmux/plugins/tpm
6. Launch tmux and press prefix + I to install plugins

## Auto-Start Hook Setup (Optional but Recommended)

Add this to your ~/.claude/settings.json to auto-start the dev environment when Claude Code launches:

```json
{
  "hooks": {
      "SessionStart": [
            {
                    "matcher": "",
                            "hooks": [
                                      {
                                                  "type": "command",
                                                              "command": "~/bin/dev-session.sh \"$PWD\""
                                                                        }
                                                                                ]
                                                                                      }
                                                                                          ]
                                                                                            }
                                                                                            }
                                                                                            ```

                                                                                            This hook runs dev-session.sh with your current project directory whenever you start a new Claude Code session, giving you the full tmux workspace automatically.

                                                                                            ## Manual Usage

                                                                                            Run: dev-session.sh /path/to/project