tmux-restore
Restores tmux sessions and AI agent conversations after
Developer ToolsFreeOpen source · verified#tmux#terminal#ai-agents
Listed by the ProductPerch team from Hacker News · not launched here yet
What is tmux-restore?
tmux-restore is a plugin for the terminal multiplexer tmux that automatically saves and restores sessions, windows, panes, working directories, and scrollback history. It records changes every minute and captures the final state right before the system shuts down. When tmux starts again, it rebuilds the entire environment exactly as it was.
The tool includes specific support for AI coding agents like Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI, opencode, and pi. Instead of just saving raw text, it uses small adapter scripts to locate conversation identifiers in the agents own session files. This allows these tools to resume mid-conversation with the same flags and context when the terminal reloads.
For non-agent processes, editors and monitors restart normally, while other running commands are pasted back into the prompt waiting for manual execution. The project relies on tmux-resurrect and tmux-continuum for core functionality, uses systemd or launchd for shutdown hooks, and is released under an MIT license.
tmux-restore features
- Automatically saves tmux sessions, windows, panes, and scrollback every minute
- Captures terminal state immediately before system shutdown
- Resumes AI coding agents mid-conversation using dedicated adapters
- Restores editors, monitors, and pending commands to the prompt
- Uses systemd on Linux or launchd on macOS for reliable shutdown hooks
- Builds on tmux-resurrect and tmux-continuum for stable session management
Who uses tmux-restore and for what
- Recovering a full development environment after an unexpected system crash or power loss
- Resuming long-running AI code generation sessions without losing conversation history
- Maintaining multiple active terminals across reboots for continuous integration testing
- Preserving scrollback logs and pane layouts for debugging complex deployments
- Automating the restoration of background monitoring tools and dev servers after updates
tmux-restore FAQ
Is tmux-restore free?
Yes, tmux-restore is released under an MIT license and can be installed for free using the provided installation script or manual setup.
Does tmux-restore work on Mac?
Yes, the tool supports macOS by using launchd for shutdown hooks alongside tmux. It also works on Linux using systemd.
What is tmux-restore used for?
It is used to save and restore tmux terminal sessions, including windows, panes, scrollback, and working directories, after a reboot or crash. It specifically helps AI coding agents resume their conversations.
Is tmux-restore open source?
Yes, the source code is publicly available on GitHub under an MIT license.
Does tmux-restore support Windows?
The website does not say. The documentation mentions support for Linux and macOS through systemd and launchd respectively.
How does tmux-restore handle AI agent conversations?
It uses small adapter scripts to find conversation IDs in the agents session files and saves the exact command needed to resume them with the same flags when tmux starts.
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