t-pane

You can run Claude in a shared, directory-aware tmux environment with the t-pane MCP Server. It launches Claude in a dedicated pane per working directory, captures command output precisely, persists sessions, and provides interaction when a command requires user input. This lets you collaborate with Claude in a seamless terminal experience across multiple projects.

How to use

You interact with the t-pane MCP Server through an MCP client that talks to the server as a local or remote endpoint. Claude can execute commands in tmux panes, capture the exact command output, and log activity per directory. Each Claude instance gets its own pane based on the current working directory, so multiple projects stay isolated while sharing the same terminal environment.

How to install

Prerequisites you need before running the server are installed on your system: a working Node.js environment, npm, and tmux. Ensure tmux is available and you are inside a tmux session for full functionality.

Install and build the MCP server locally with the following steps.

cd /Users/rumen.d/github/mcp-servers/t-pane
npm install
npm run build

Configuration

Configure Claude to connect to the t-pane MCP Server by adding the MCP server entry to your Claude configuration. The following JSON snippet shows the required configuration.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "t-pane": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/Users/rumen.d/github/mcp-servers/t-pane/dist/index.js"]
    }
  }
}

Directory-aware sessions and behavior

The server creates separate tmux panes for each directory, naming panes based on the directory path so Claude instances in different folders do not interfere. Logs for commands are stored in a local per-project path and, if needed, can be configured to fall back to a global location.

Usage notes

Commands run through Claude are executed in tmux panes, with the output captured and shown back to Claude. When a command requires input (such as a password or confirmation), the server detects the prompt and informs Claude that user interaction is needed in the corresponding tmux pane.

Troubleshooting

If you see issues like “tmux is not installed”, install tmux with your package manager. If you’re not inside a tmux session, start one with tmux new-session. Ensure the pane name Claude uses matches your setup so commands appear in the expected pane.

Notes on logging and background tasks

All commands and their outputs are logged locally to the project’s .t-pane/logs/ directory. You can disable logging by exporting T_PANE_DISABLE_LOGGING=true in your shell.

The server also supports launching Claude in background panes for research or analysis tasks. These background tasks are experimental and require manual Claude invocation in the created pane. Results are saved under .t-pane/tasks/.

Read file and edit file capabilities

Read file contents by running cat or head commands in the tmux pane. Edit files using sed within the pane; changes are visible to the user in real time.

Tools and capabilities

The MCP server exposes a set of practical tools for terminal automation and navigation, such as executing commands in panes, creating and listing panes, capturing and sending output, and launching background tasks. These tools enable you to manage a productive, multi-pane Claude workflow directly from your terminal.

Available tools

execute_command

Execute a command in a tmux pane and capture the output, returning the cleaned result to Claude.

create_pane

Create a new tmux pane with a given name and layout option (horizontal or vertical).

capture_output

Capture recent output from a tmux pane, with control over how many lines to fetch.

list_panes

List all available tmux panes managed by the server.

send_keys

Send text to a tmux pane without executing it, useful for pre-filling commands.

launch_background_task

Create a background pane to run a Claude task, saving output to a designated location.

check_background_tasks

Check the status of all background tasks.

read_file

Read contents of a file using standard shell commands like cat or head inside the pane.

edit_file

Edit files within the pane using sed or similar utilities.