Phase 2: Plugin Modernization
Objective
Replace the unmaintained tmux-copycat plugin with tmux-thumbs, a modern Rust-based alternative.
Plugin Comparison
| Aspect | tmux-copycat (current) | tmux-thumbs (replacement) |
|---|---|---|
Maintainer |
tmux-plugins (unmaintained since 2020) |
fcsonline (active) |
Language |
Shell |
Rust |
Search Method |
Regex-based predefined searches |
Visual hint-based selection |
Speed |
Moderate |
Fast (compiled binary) |
Clipboard |
Manual copy |
Automatic copy with configurable command |
Build Dependency |
None |
Requires |
Configuration
set -g @plugin 'fcsonline/tmux-thumbs'
set -g @thumbs-key Space
set -g @thumbs-alphabet colemak-homerow
set -g @thumbs-unique-colors on
set -g @thumbs-contrast 1
set -g @thumbs-command 'echo -n {} | wl-copy && tmux display-message "Copied: {}"'Fallback
If cargo is not available, tmux-fingers (Python-based) provides similar hint-based selection without compilation requirements.
Verification
# After prefix + I (install plugins)
# Test: prefix + Space should show copyable hints
tmux list-keys | grep thumbs