How to change the starting directory of a tmux session?

Question

The directory where you start a tmux session in will be the directory that all new windows will start at.

My question is, how can you change this starting directory wit

Answer 1

Here's how you can change the tmux session's working directory without detaching the session, and without needing use to the keystrokes:

(Option 1) Enter the directory at tmux command prompt:

tmux command-prompt "attach -c %1"

...will open a command prompt, then you type the working directory you want ~/my/dir and press ENTER

(Option 2) Provide the directory on the in-pane command line:

# Execute this in one of the shell panes of within your tmux session:
tmux command-prompt -I $PWD -P "New session dir:" "attach -c %1"

With this approach, the prompt for new-directory is pre-populated with the current dir of the pane which launched the command. Of course you can substitute anything else for $PWD if you please.

Want a shell function?

I have added this to my shell initialization:

# Change the current directory for a tmux session, which determines
# the starting dir for new windows/panes:
function tmux-cwd {
    tmux command-prompt -I $PWD -P "New session dir:" "attach -c %1"
 }

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With all of these options, any future new windows will start in the given dir.

Note: attach, attach-session, and a are all aliases for each other. The tmux command-prompt has many other powers, it's worth reading the man page