Update of /cvsroot/tmux/tmux
In directory sfp-cvsdas-2.v30.ch3.sourceforge.com:/tmp/cvs-serv23484
Modified Files:
FAQ
Log Message:
Rewrite the screen vs tmux bit to be more accurate and complete and less
subjective.
Index: FAQ
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvsroot/tmux/tmux/FAQ,v
retrieving revision 1.38
retrieving revision 1.39
diff -u -d -r1.38 -r1.39
--- FAQ 18 Oct 2010 19:01:07 -0000 1.38
+++ FAQ 23 Oct 2010 14:09:29 -0000 1.39
@@ -12,29 +12,99 @@
* and derivatives. *
******************************************************************************
-* How is tmux different from GNU screen? What else does it offer?
+* How is tmux different from GNU screen?
-tmux offers several advantages over screen:
+tmux and GNU screen have many similarities. Some of the main differences I am
+aware of are (bearing in mind I haven't used screen for a few years now):
-- a clearly-defined client-server model: windows are independent entities which
- may be attached simultaneously to multiple sessions and viewed from multiple
- clients (terminals), as well as moved freely between sessions within the same
- tmux server;
-- a consistent, well-documented command interface, with the same syntax
- whether used interactively, as a key binding, or from the shell;
-- easily scriptable from the shell;
-- multiple paste buffers;
-- choice of vi or emacs key layouts;
-- an option to limit the window size;
-- a more usable status line syntax, with the ability to display the first line
- of output of a specific command;
-- a cleaner, modern, easily extended, BSD-licensed codebase.
+- tmux uses a client-server model. Each server has single Unix domain socket in
+ /tmp and within one server there are multiple sessions which may be attached
+ to multiple clients (terminals).
-There are still a few features screen includes that tmux omits:
+ This has advantages, notably: windows may be linked simultaneously to
+ multiple sessions; windows may be moved freely between sessions; and a client
+ may be switched between sessions easily (C-b D). There is one major
+ disadvantage: if the server crashes, game over, all sessions die. In
+ practice, however, tmux is quite stable and gets more so as people report any
+ bugs they hit :-).
-- builtin serial and telnet support; this is bloat and is unlikely to be added
- to tmux;
-- wider platform support, for example IRIX and HP-UX, and for odd terminals.
+ This model is different from screen, where typically each new screen instance
+ is independent. tmux supports the same behaviour by using multiple servers
+ with the -L option but it is not typically recommended.
+
+- Different command interfaces. One of the goals of tmux is that the shell
+ should be easily usable as a scripting language - almost all tmux commands
+ can be used from the shell and behave identically whether used from the
+ shell, from a key binding or from the command prompt. Personally I also find
+ tmux's command interface much more consistent and clearer, but this is
+ subjective.
+
+- tmux calls window names (what you see in the status line) "names", screen
+ calls them "titles".
+
+- tmux has a multiple paste buffers. Not a major one but comes in handy quite a
+ lot.
+
+- tmux supports automatically renaming windows to the running application
+ without gross hacks using escape sequences. Its even on by default.
+
+- tmux has a choice of vi or emacs key layouts. Again, not major, but I use
+ emacs so if tmux did support only one key set it would be emacs and then all
+ the vi users would get humpy. Key bindings may be completely reconfigured in
+ any case.
+
+- tmux has an option to limit the window size.
+
+- tmux has search in windows (C-b f).
+
+- The window split (pane) model is different. tmux has two objects, windows and
+ panes; screen has just windows. This difference has several implications:
+
+ * In screen you can have a window appear in several layouts, in tmux a pane
+ can only be in one window (fixing this is a big todo item but quite
+ invasive).
+
+ * tmux layouts are immutable and do not get changed unless you modify them.
+
+ * In tmux, all panes are closed when you kill a window.
+
+ * tmux panes do not have individual names, titles and so on.
+
+ I think tmux's model is much easier to manage and navigate within a window,
+ but breaking panes off from and joining them to windows is more clumsy.
+
+ tmux also has support for preset pane layouts.
+
+- tmux's status line syntax is more readable and easier to use. I think it'd be
+ hard for anyone to argue with this. tmux doesn't support running a command
+ constantly and always using the last line of its output, commands must be run
+ again each time.
+
+- tmux has modern, easily extended code. Again hard to argue screen is better
+ if you have looked at the code.
+
+- tmux depends on libevent. I don't see this as a disadvantage: libevent is
+ small and portable, and on modern systems with current package management
+ systems dependencies are not an issue. libevent brings advantages in code
+ simplicity and performance.
+
+- screen allows the window to be bigger than the terminal and can pan around
+ it. tmux limits the size to the largest attached client. This is a big todo
+ item for tmux but it is not trivial.
+
+- screen has builtin serial and telnet support; this is bloat and is unlikely
+ to be added to tmux.
+
+- screen has support for updating utmp. Nobody has really come up with a clean,
+ portable way to do this without making tmux setuid or setgid yet.
+
+- Environment handling is different.
+
+- tmux tends to be more demanding on the terminal so tends to show up terminal
+ and application bugs which screen does not.
+
+- screen has wider platform support, for example IRIX and HP-UX, and for odd
+ terminals.
* I found a bug! What do I do?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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