Terminal windows, tabs and split panes on a Mac
When to use Terminal tabs, split panes, iTerm2 panes or tmux, and when separate windows managed by a window manager work better.
In the Mac Terminal: ⌘ N for a new window, ⌘ T for a new tab, and ⌘ D to split a window into two panes of the same session. iTerm2 splits into separate sessions: ⌘ D side by side, ⇧ ⌘ D one above the other.
Which to use
| Tool | Best for |
|---|---|
| Tabs | Many sessions you visit one at a time |
| iTerm2 panes | Two or three sessions you watch together |
| tmux | Sessions that survive closing the window or a dropped connection |
| Separate windows | Terminals that sit beside other apps, like an editor or browser |
Panes or windows?
Panes keep terminals together but can only sit next to other terminals. Windows can sit next to anything. With a window manager handling layout, separate terminal windows are often simpler than nested panes.
On a ClutterFreeMac strip, put a log tail in a narrow column beside your editor, and stack two short terminals in one column with ⌃ ⌥ ] so they share its height. See the developer setup.
Questions
How do I split the Terminal window on a Mac?
In Terminal, press ⌘ D to split the window into two panes. In iTerm2, ⌘ D splits side by side and ⇧ ⌘ D splits top and bottom.
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