Resuming codespace terminal sessions

🧵 Persistent Terminal Sessions in GitHub Codespaces with Bash + tmux

This guide sets up a reliable, persistent terminal environment using tmux and bash inside GitHub Codespaces. It ensures your terminal sessions and history survive Codespace suspensions and resumes.

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✅ Features

• Auto-starts tmux on terminal login
• Re-attaches to the last session if it exists
• Saves command history immediately
• Keeps your session alive within the Codespace lifespan

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🛠 Step 1: Update ~/.bashrc

Add the following to your ~/.bashrc file:

```bash

Ensure shell history is saved immediately and across sessions

export HISTFILE=~/.bash_history export PROMPT_COMMAND='history -a' shopt -s histappend

Automatically start or reattach tmux session

if command -v tmux &> /dev/null && [ -z "$TMUX" ]; then TMUX_SESSION_NAME="main" if tmux has-session -t "$TMUX_SESSION_NAME" 2>/dev/null; then exec tmux attach-session -t "$TMUX_SESSION_NAME" else exec tmux new-session -s "$TMUX_SESSION_NAME" fi fi ```

💡 This ensures tmux starts automatically and command history is saved instantly.

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🛠 Step 2: Install tmux (if needed)

Most Codespaces include tmux, but if it’s missing:

```bash sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y tmux ```

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🛠 Step 3: (Optional) Improve Usability with ~/.tmux.conf

Create or update the ~/.tmux.conf file:

```bash

Enable mouse and vi-style copy mode

set -g mouse on setw -g mode-keys vi set -g history-limit 10000

Reload config with Ctrl+b then r

bind r source-file ~/.tmux.conf ; display-message "Config reloaded" ```

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🔁 How to Use

• On opening or resuming your Codespace:

  • You’ll automatically be in a persistent tmux session.
  • If you split panes, run tasks, or navigate between windows, it all gets saved.

• Use Ctrl+b shortcuts to manage panes and windows:

  • % → split pane vertically
  • " → split pane horizontally
  • d → detach from session
  • tmux attach → reattach manually if needed

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💡 Tips

• To save history manually:

  ```bash history > session-commands.txt ```

• To log everything:

  ```bash script session.log ```

• You can also add this setup in your devcontainer’s postCreateCommand if you'd like it automated.

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📦 Bonus: Dev Container Integration

If you want this pre-installed, include the .bashrc edits in your Dockerfile or mount a dotfiles repo.

Let me know if you want help automating this in your .devcontainer setup!