How to pass command keys to a remote tmux session when you SSH from a local tmux session into a remove tmux session

Question

I would like to use my ssh tmux session inside my development tmux session, but it makes tmux behave bad (keys go to wrong session, etc). Is there a way to do it properly?

Answer 1

You can set up

bind-key b send-prefix

in your .tmux.conf. By default all commands go to the outermost tmux session. If you press <prefix-key>b (<prefix-key>=ctrlb by default) the commands go to the inner session. Here an example:

ctrl-b   c  # create new window in the outer session
ctrl-b b c  # create new window in the inner session
ctrl-b   %  # create split window in the outer session
ctrl-b b %  # create split window in the inner session

Answer 2

At least on my machines, I need to press "the key" (prefix-key) twice, to get a command to the tmux inside the base tmux,

So if I from a tmux window, I ssh into a server and attach to a tmux session as @Marco described above, I need to do these:

ctrl-b-b c # create a new window on the server (remote tmux)
ctrl-b   c # create a new window on my desktop (local tmux)

to make is super clear, ctrl-b-b means hold down ctrl press b twice then release and press the command key, c in the example above.