--- url: https://clusto.app/docs/tmux-alternative-for-ai-agents.md description: >- Clusto is a tmux alternative for AI coding agents like Claude Code and Codex, with persistent sessions, split panes, phone access, and agent alerts. --- # A tmux Alternative for AI Coding Agents Clusto is a tmux alternative built for AI coding agents such as Claude Code, Codex, Copilot CLI and OpenCode. A small daemon on your server owns the sessions, so they keep running when you disconnect, and you reattach from a desktop app, an Android app, a browser, or the CLI. Unlike tmux, it adds agent-aware alerts, a phone-friendly interface, and one view across several machines. tmux is still a fine choice, and this page says where it wins. It is free, it is installed almost everywhere, and you can script it. ## What people use tmux for with agents Most people who run agents in tmux want three things: * **Persistence.** Start `claude` or `codex` in a tmux session, close the terminal, and the agent keeps working. * **Detach and reattach.** SSH back in from another machine and run `tmux attach`. * **Many panes.** Watch several agents at once in splits and windows. All of this works well on one server you can SSH into. ## Where tmux falls short for agents tmux was designed for terminals, not for long agent runs you check on from anywhere. The gaps people hit: * **Phones.** You need an SSH client, and typing and scrolling in a terminal on a small screen is hard. A dropped connection means reconnecting and reattaching by hand. * **Knowing when an agent needs you.** tmux can flag activity or a bell in a window, but it does not know that an agent is waiting on a permission prompt. You look at the pane to find out. * **Several machines.** Each host has its own tmux server. Seeing every agent across a workstation, a VPS and a build box means several SSH sessions. * **No graphical interface.** There is no file browser, git view or conversation view next to the terminal. ## How Clusto covers each ### Persistence The Clusto daemon (`clustod`) owns every session and supervises its process. Disconnecting a client, whether a closed laptop or a dropped phone connection, does not stop the session. The daemon keeps a replayable output stream, so a client that reconnects resumes from where it stopped. See [Architecture](/architecture) and [Transport and Resume](/transport). ### Reattach from any client Connect the desktop app (Windows and Linux), the Android app, the web app, or the CLI to the same daemon and pick up the same session. The web app also installs as a PWA on iPhone and iPad. Only one client types at a time, while others view, and you take over explicitly. See [Session Exclusivity](/session-exclusivity). ### Panes and workspace The **Terminals** view splits into panes with `Ctrl+Alt+Arrow`, moves focus with `Ctrl+Shift+Arrow`, and maximizes a pane with `Ctrl+Alt+Enter`. A pane is a view of a session, so closing a pane does not stop the session. In tmux, closing a pane normally ends the shell inside it. See [Terminal Workspace](/terminal-workspace). ### Agent attention Clusto marks a session with a `?` when the agent is waiting for an answer and can notify you with the prompt text and a **Copy** button. It detects when Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode and GitHub Copilot CLI go from working to idle, and shows a desktop popup and sound. On Android, optional background checks about every 15 minutes catch what you missed while the app was closed. See [Agent Waiting Marker](/agent-attention) and [Background Notifications](/background-notifications). ### Many machines Nodes join a leaderless [cluster](/clustering), and the app shows sessions from all of them in one place. Each session runs on the node that started it, and processes do not move between nodes. [Clusto Tunnel](/clusto-tunnel) can reach nodes without a VPN or port forwarding. ### Beyond the terminal For agents that support it, [Chats](/chats) give a conversation view with Markdown rendering, tool approval cards, queued messages and file pasting. The app also has a [file explorer](/file-explorer), a [git panel](/git-panel), an [editor](/editor), and scheduled [Tasks](/tasks). ## tmux and Clusto side by side | | tmux | Clusto | |---|---|---| | Cost | Free | Requires a license; the Personal plan is free for one user on up to 3 devices | | Where it runs | Any Unix-like system, including macOS | Daemon on Linux (x64 and ARM64) and Windows; clients on Windows, Linux, Android and the web app | | Setup | One package, often preinstalled | Install the daemon, then connect a client with its token | | Sessions survive disconnect | Yes | Yes | | Reattach from | Any SSH client | Desktop app, Android app, web app, CLI | | Closing a pane | Ends the shell in it | Keeps the session running | | Several clients typing at once | Yes | One writer at a time, others view | | Phone use | Through an SSH app | Android app and web app with touch selection and a key bar | | Agent waiting alert | Generic bell and activity flags | `?` marker, notification with the prompt, idle popup and sound | | Several machines | Separate server on each host | One cluster view across nodes | | Scripting | `send-keys`, `capture-pane`, config in dotfiles | CLI for listing, attaching and tasks; `clusto attach` is read-only | | File, git and chat UI | None | Built in | The scripting row favors tmux. `clusto attach` streams output but does not forward keystrokes, and `clusto send` only works for headless agent sessions. If you drive terminals from scripts, tmux is the more capable tool. ## FAQ ### Can I keep using tmux with Clusto? Yes. A Clusto session can run any program, including a shell with tmux inside it. Most people drop tmux for agent work because the daemon already provides persistence and reattach. ### Does Clusto replace tmux for ordinary terminal work? It can hold ordinary shell sessions, but it is aimed at agent work. If you rely on tmux scripting, plugins or a custom config, keep tmux for that. ### Do I need a server? The daemon can run on your own computer, but the benefit shows up when it runs on an always-on machine. See [Run Claude Code on a Server or VPS](/run-claude-code-on-a-server). ### Which agents work? Any CLI you can run in a terminal. Chats support Claude, Codex, OpenCode and OpenRouter. Idle detection covers Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode and Copilot CLI. ## Get started 1. Install the daemon on a Linux server with the commands in [Downloads and Installation](/downloads). 2. Download an app from [clusto.app/download](https://clusto.app/download) or open [clusto.app/app](https://clusto.app/app). 3. Connect to the node, start an agent session, and close the laptop.