wtf is tmux-agent-tabs?

tmux-agent-tabs is a plugin for the terminal multiplexer tmux that shows the status of AI coding agents right in your tab bar. If you run tools like Claude Code, Grok Build, or pi across multiple tmux windows, this plugin puts a small icon next to each tab's name so you can see, without switching to it, whether that agent is actively working, waiting for your input, has hit an error, or finished while you were away. A tab shows a spinner while its agent is working, a question mark when it needs your attention, an e when it has errored, and a solid dot for a finished tab you have not looked at yet. There is also a keyboard shortcut that jumps straight to the next tab that needs you, so you do not have to hunt across many open windows. An optional usage readout can also show how much of your usage quota you have used for Claude and Grok, along with when that quota resets. Installation is done through the Tmux Plugin Manager by adding one line to your tmux configuration and placing the provided placeholders into your existing tab format strings, so it fits alongside whatever tab styling you already use. A number of settings are adjustable, including the marker colors, whether the plugin claims a keyboard shortcut, and where its small status cache files are stored. That last setting matters if your tmux configuration folder is synced through a cloud service like iCloud or Dropbox, since writing a status file once every second can otherwise create constant, wasteful sync activity. Under the hood, a single background process refreshes a shared status file once a second, and each tab simply reads from that cache, which keeps the plugin lightweight. Claude Code support uses a small hook script that writes session status on key lifecycle events. Grok Build support reads directly from Grok's own session files. Support for the pi agent works through a small extension file copied into pi's extensions folder. The project is aimed at developers who already use tmux and run more than one coding agent session at a time.