Where Is the tmux Config File?
Where tmux looks for its config on Linux and macOS, including the newer XDG path, and how to reload it live.
Last updated
tmux reads one config file at startup: ~/.tmux.conf traditionally, or ~/.config/tmux/tmux.conf on tmux 3.1 and later when the home file is absent. Everything from the prefix key to plugin lists lives in that single file.
Plugins installed via tpm go in ~/.tmux/plugins, separate from the config itself. Backing up means copying the conf file plus that plugins folder. Server state (sockets, resume files) lives under /tmp or ~/.tmux and is disposable by comparison.
Where tmux stores this, by platform
~/.tmux.conf
Use tmux -V to check your version: 3.1+ understands the XDG path. Reload a running server with tmux source-file ~/.tmux.conf instead of restarting.
~/.tmux.conf
Same lookup order as Linux. Homebrew installs are recent enough for the XDG path. The macOS pasteboard needs reattach-to-user-namespace in older setups, configured in this same file.
Frequently asked questions
I have both ~/.tmux.conf and ~/.config/tmux/tmux.conf. Which loads?
The home file wins. tmux 3.1 and later checks $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/tmux/tmux.conf first, then falls back to ~/.tmux.conf. If both exist, only the first one found loads, which is the usual reason edits seem ignored.
How do I apply config changes without killing my session?
Run tmux source-file ~/.tmux.conf (or press prefix then : and type source-file ~/.tmux.conf). Most options apply to new panes immediately. A few server level options still need a full tmux kill-server and restart.
Notice an outdated path? Let us know.