Keybinding conflict with tmux

[dotfrag]

What system are you running Yazi on?

Linux Wayland

What terminal are you running Yazi in?

kitty 0.41.1

yazi --debug output

Yazi
    Version: 25.3.2 (Arch Linux 2025-03-05)
    Debug  : false
    Triple : x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu (linux-x86_64)
    Rustc  : 1.85.0 (4d91de4e 2025-02-17)

Ya
    Version: 25.3.2 (Arch Linux 2025-03-05)

Emulator
    TERM                : Some("xterm-kitty")
    TERM_PROGRAM        : None
    TERM_PROGRAM_VERSION: None
    Brand.from_env      : Some(Kitty)
    Emulator.detect     : Emulator { kind: Left(Kitty), light: false, cell_size: Some((8, 20)) }

Adapter
    Adapter.matches: Kgp

Desktop
    XDG_SESSION_TYPE           : Some("wayland")
    WAYLAND_DISPLAY            : Some("wayland-1")
    DISPLAY                    : Some(":1")
    SWAYSOCK                   : Some("/run/user/1000/sway-ipc.1000.616.sock")
    HYPRLAND_INSTANCE_SIGNATURE: None
    WAYFIRE_SOCKET             : None

SSH
    shared.in_ssh_connection: false

WSL
    WSL: false

Variables
    SHELL           : Some("/bin/zsh")
    EDITOR          : Some("nvim")
    VISUAL          : Some("nvim")
    YAZI_FILE_ONE   : None
    YAZI_CONFIG_HOME: None
    YAZI_ZOXIDE_OPTS: None
    FZF_DEFAULT_OPTS: Some("--height 30% --reverse --border --info inline-right --bind \'home:first,end:last\' --bind \'ctrl-y:preview-up,ctrl-e:preview-down\' --bind \'ctrl-b:preview-page-up,ctrl-f:preview-page-down\' --bind \'ctrl-u:preview-half-page-up,ctrl-d:preview-half-page-down\' --bind \'ctrl-/:change-preview-window(hidden|)\' --marker \'▏\' --prompt \'▌ \' --color=bg+:#363a4f,bg:#24273a,spinner:#f4dbd6,hl:#ed8796 --color=fg:#cad3f5,header:#ed8796,info:#c6a0f6,pointer:#f4dbd6 --color=marker:#b7bdf8,fg+:#cad3f5,prompt:#c6a0f6,hl+:#ed8796 --color=selected-bg:#494d64 --color=border:#363a4f,label:#cad3f5 --color=selected-fg:#b8c0e0,gutter:-1")

Text Opener
    default     : Some(Opener { run: "${EDITOR:-vi} \"$@\"", block: true, orphan: false, desc: "$EDITOR", for_: None, spread: true })
    block-create: Some(Opener { run: "${EDITOR:-vi} \"$@\"", block: true, orphan: false, desc: "$EDITOR", for_: None, spread: true })
    block-rename: Some(Opener { run: "${EDITOR:-vi} \"$@\"", block: true, orphan: false, desc: "$EDITOR", for_: None, spread: true })

Multiplexers
    TMUX               : false
    tmux version       : tmux 3.5a
    tmux build flags   : enable-sixel=Unknown
    ZELLIJ_SESSION_NAME: None
    Zellij version     : No such file or directory (os error 2)

Dependencies
    file          : 5.46
    ueberzugpp    : No such file or directory (os error 2)
    ffmpeg/ffprobe: 7.1 / 7.1
    pdftoppm      : 25.03.0
    magick        : 7.1.1-47
    fzf           : 0.60.3
    fd/fdfind     : 10.2.0 / No such file or directory (os error 2)
    rg            : 14.1.1
    chafa         : No such file or directory (os error 2)
    zoxide        : 0.9.7
    7zz/7z        : No such file or directory (os error 2) / 24.09
    jq            : 1.7.1

Clipboard
    wl-copy/paste: 2.2.1 / 2.2.1
    xclip        : No such file or directory (os error 2)
    xsel         : No such file or directory (os error 2)


See https://yazi-rs.github.io/docs/plugins/overview#debugging on how to enable logging or debug runtime errors.

Describe the question

I have a tmux key binding bind -n M-[ previous-window which seems to conflict with yazi. When I open yazi inside tmux, it presses Alt-[ and then some other keys (I see 0n in my prompt). Is there any workaround for this without changing my tmux keybinding?

Anything else?

No response

Checklist

• I have read all the documentation
• I have searched the existing discussions/issues

[sxyazi]

Does the latest v25.4.8 reproduce this?

[dotfrag]

Yes it does, and many versions before it (I was just lazy to ask/report). The same happens when I run just ./yazi --version btw.

Also, if it helps: If I type yazi and press enter, after yazi sends the key sequence to my terminal (starting with Alt-[), the screen is blank until I hit escape or something.

However, if I hit q just at the right time, this pops up for a split second:

I went to the link and followed all the steps. If I remove this line from my tmux conf then it fixes it: bind -n M-[ previous-window.

[dotfrag]

Ahhh the problem seems to be related with kitty, foot terminal doesn't do that.. edit: ghostty doesn't have this issue either.

EDIT 2: I tested more cases.. only happens with kitty + tmux + specific tmux keybinding.

So if you either a) remove the keybinding or b) use zellij, the issue doesn't happen.

[CharlesKellogg]

I am having this problem with foot + tmux with an alt + [ binding. Was there ever a real solution for this?

[dotfrag]

Still going for me unfortunately. Didn't bother to troubleshoot further.

[sxyazi]

That's likely because your terminal's response contains ESC [, while you've bound the Alt+[ key - Alt+[ is ESC [ which is the CSI introducer, and tmux breaks the whole sequence and parses this introducer alone as a key press instead of waiting for the entire subsequent sequence and forwarding it to Yazi as-is.

Unfortunately, I don't think this can be fixed on Yazi's side. Fixing it would require tmux to either wait for and recognize the complete sequence (instead of treating its beginning as a key event), or to support temporarily disabling user keystrokes during response for its passthrough, just to make it behaves more like a real terminal. See #4334 (comment) for more context.

A workaround is to avoid using Alt+[ if possible.

[dotfrag]

Makes sense, appreciate the fact that you remembered and responded, thanks!