If you’re a developer who spends most of their day inside a terminal, your workflow probably depends on managing multiple shells, logs, servers, and editors simultaneously. Traditionally, tmux has been the go-to solution for this problem. It’s powerful, battle-tested, and ubiquitous — but also notoriously hard to learn, configure, and maintain.
Zellij enters this space with a clear goal:
Provide a first-class terminal workspace without sacrificing usability.
Written in Rust, Zellij is a next-generation terminal multiplexer that combines performance, sane defaults, and discoverability — something terminal tools have historically ignored.
Core Concepts: Sessions, Tabs, and Panes
Before diving deeper, let’s quickly clarify the core building blocks of any terminal multiplexer.
Sessions
A session is a persistent workspace. Think of it as a long-running terminal environment that survives terminal closures, SSH disconnects, or even system reboots.
With Zellij:
- Sessions are persistent by default
- You can detach and reattach at will
- Ideal for remote servers, DevOps workflows, and long builds
Example use case:
Start a backend server, a frontend dev server, and a log tail — disconnect — come back hours later to the exact same state.
Sessions make Zellij extremely useful for SSH-heavy and production-like workflows.
Tabs (Windows)
Tabs (similar to windows in tmux terminology) allow you to separate concerns within a session.
For example:
- Tab 1: Editor + Git
- Tab 2: Backend services
- Tab 3: Logs & monitoring
Tabs help keep your mental model clean and prevent pane overload.
Panes
Panes are splits inside a tab. You can divide your terminal vertically or horizontally to run multiple processes side-by-side.
Typical pane layout:
- Left pane:
nvim - Right pane: test runner
- Bottom pane: application logs
Zellij makes pane management intuitive and visual, even for beginners.
Discoverability: The Killer Feature
One of Zellij’s most underrated features is keybinding discoverability.
Unlike tmux — where you’re expected to memorize cryptic shortcuts — Zellij shows a context-aware keybinding bar at the bottom of the screen. When you enter a mode, available actions are displayed instantly.
This dramatically reduces cognitive load and makes onboarding painless.
You don’t guess shortcuts.
You see them.
Keybindings You’ll Actually Use
Zellij uses a modal keybinding system, similar to Vim, which keeps shortcuts ergonomic and conflict-free.
Pane Management
-
Ctrl + p→ Enter Pane Mode -
n→ New pane -
x→ Close pane -
h / j / k / l→ Move between panes -
← ↑ ↓ →→ Resize panes
Tab Management
-
Ctrl + t→ Enter Tab Mode -
n→ New tab -
x→ Close tab -
← / →→ Switch tabs
Session Controls
-
Ctrl + o→ Detach from session -
zellij list-sessions→ View running sessions -
zellij attach <name>→ Reattach
All of this is visible in real time via the help bar — no docs required.
Layouts: Reproducible Workspaces
Zellij introduces layout files, which let you define complex terminal setups declaratively.
A layout can:
- Create multiple tabs
- Define pane splits
- Run commands automatically
This is extremely powerful for:
- Project bootstrapping
- Consistent dev environments
- Team-wide workflow sharing
Example:
One command opens your editor, starts Docker containers, tails logs, and launches tests — every time.
Layouts turn your terminal into infrastructure.
Plugins and Extensibility
Zellij ships with a plugin system that runs inside the terminal UI itself. These plugins handle things like:
- Status bars
- Tab indicators
- Session managers
- Custom UI widgets
Unlike tmux, you don’t need external scripts or shell hacks. Plugins are first-class citizens and integrate cleanly with the core system.
Performance and Reliability
Because Zellij is written in Rust:
- It’s fast
- Memory-efficient
- Crash-resistant
This matters when you’re:
- Running dozens of panes
- SSH’ing into remote machines
- Keeping sessions alive for days
Zellij feels stable under load — an underrated but critical feature for production-grade workflows.
Zellij vs tmux (Realistically)
tmux isn’t going anywhere — and that’s fine. It’s mature, deeply customizable, and widely available.
But Zellij offers:
- Better UX
- Visual feedback
- Less configuration debt
- Faster onboarding
For many developers, Zellij is the 90% solution with 10% effort.
Who Should Use Zellij?
- Backend and systems developers
- DevOps engineers and SREs
- Rust and Linux enthusiasts
- Developers tired of managing massive tmux configs
- Anyone who wants productivity without friction
Final Thoughts
Zellij doesn’t just modernize tmux — it rethinks how developers interact with terminal workspaces. By prioritizing discoverability, sane defaults, and performance, it removes unnecessary complexity while preserving power.
If your terminal is your primary IDE, Zellij might just be the best upgrade you didn’t know you needed.
Install it once. Use it everywhere.
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