Getting Started

Prerequisites

Node.js (for npm install)
A terminal emulator (Windows Terminal, iTerm2, etc.)
On Windows: Git for Windows (includes Git Bash, recommended for cd tracking)
Claude Code (optional, but that’s the point)

Only needed when building from source: Rust toolchain .

Installation

Via npm (recommended)


npm install -g ccmux-cli

Requires Node.js. After install, use the ccmux command from anywhere.

Download binary

Download the latest binary from Releases :

Platform	File
Windows (x64)	`ccmux-windows-x64.exe`
macOS (Apple Silicon)	`ccmux-macos-arm64`
macOS (Intel)	`ccmux-macos-x64`
Linux (x64)	`ccmux-linux-x64`

Windows: Microsoft Defender SmartScreen may show a warning because the binary is not code-signed. Click “More info” → “Run anyway” to proceed. This is normal for unsigned open-source software.

macOS / Linux: After downloading, make the binary executable: chmod +x ccmux-*

From source


git clone https://github.com/Shin-sibainu/ccmux.git
cd ccmux
cargo build --release

The binary will be at target/release/ccmux (or ccmux.exe on Windows).

First launch


ccmux

You’ll see a terminal pane with your shell, a file tree sidebar on the left, and a status bar at the bottom.

Basic workflow

1. Start Claude Code

Type claude in the terminal pane. The pane border will turn orange to indicate Claude Code is running.

2. Split panes

Press Ctrl+D to split vertically, or Ctrl+E to split horizontally. Each new pane gets its own independent shell.

3. Browse files

Press Ctrl+F to focus the file tree. Navigate with j/k and press Enter to preview a file with syntax highlighting.

4. Switch between panes

Use Ctrl+Right / Ctrl+Left to cycle through sidebar, preview, and terminal panes. Or just click.

5. Quit

Press Ctrl+Q to quit ccmux. All shells are terminated cleanly.

Shell detection

ccmux automatically detects your shell:

Platform	Priority
Windows	Git Bash → PowerShell
macOS	`$SHELL` (usually zsh)
Linux	`$SHELL` (usually bash)