nvim-sidebar

claude-tmux-toolkit

A collection of Claude Code plugins for tmux productivity.

Plugins

nvim-sidebar

Auto-opens NeoVim in a tmux split pane when Claude edits files — giving you a real-time sidebar view of every change.

• Auto-open: NeoVim opens in a new tmux split on the first file edit (when no split exists)
• Fish sidebar support: If you already have an idle fish shell split open, NeoVim launches inside it instead of creating a new one
• Real-time sync: File content refreshes instantly when Claude makes changes
• Diff signs: Git diff markers (+/-) in the gutter show exactly which lines were added or removed
• Multi-file: New files open as buffers in the same NeoVim instance (:bn/:bp to switch)
• Smart reuse: Detects existing NeoVim panes and updates them via server RPC — never creates duplicates
• Non-intrusive: Exits silently when 2+ split panes are already open, or when the existing split is neither NeoVim nor fish
• Safehouse compatible: Works when Claude Code is launched via agent-safehouse, which strips the TMUX environment variable

rename-window

Renames the tmux window to the current project folder name in PascalCase on session start.

• e.g. claude-tmux-toolkit → ClaudeTmuxToolkit

Demo

Requirements

• tmux
• NeoVim (0.7+ for --listen/--server/--remote) — required for nvim-sidebar
• jq — required for nvim-sidebar
• fish — optional; enables the fish sidebar workflow (see below)
• Claude Code

Installation

Using /plugin marketplace add command (recommended)

Inside Claude Code, run:

/plugin marketplace add kentwelcome/claude-tmux-toolkit

Then install individual plugins:

claude plugin install nvim-sidebar@claude-tmux-toolkit --scope user
claude plugin install rename-window@claude-tmux-toolkit --scope user

Manual installation

Step 1 — Register the marketplace in your ~/.claude/settings.json (user scope) or .claude/settings.json (project scope):

{
  "extraKnownMarketplaces": {
    "claude-tmux-toolkit": {
      "source": {
        "source": "github",
        "repo": "kentwelcome/claude-tmux-toolkit"
      }
    }
  }
}

Step 2 — Install the plugins:

claude plugin install nvim-sidebar@claude-tmux-toolkit --scope user
claude plugin install rename-window@claude-tmux-toolkit --scope user

From local path (for development)

Step 1 — Clone the repo:

git clone https://github.com/kentwelcome/claude-tmux-toolkit.git

Step 2 — Add to ~/.claude/settings.json (user scope) or .claude/settings.json (project scope):

{
  "extraKnownMarketplaces": {
    "claude-tmux-toolkit": {
      "source": {
        "source": "directory",
        "path": "/absolute/path/to/claude-tmux-toolkit"
      }
    }
  },
  "enabledPlugins": {
    "nvim-sidebar@claude-tmux-toolkit": true,
    "rename-window@claude-tmux-toolkit": true
  }
}

Step 3 — Start Claude Code inside a tmux session and reload plugins:

/reload-plugins

Step 4 — Trigger a file edit (Write or Edit) to verify the nvim sidebar opens.

Development workflow

After making changes to scripts or hooks:

1. Edit the files in the repo (e.g. plugins/nvim-sidebar/scripts/nvim-open.sh)
2. Run /reload-plugins inside Claude Code to pick up hook changes
3. Trigger a file edit to test — the hooks run the scripts directly from your local repo path, so script changes take effect immediately without reloading

Recommended NeoVim Config

For the best experience with nvim-sidebar, add this to your NeoVim config so files auto-reload when changed externally:

vim.opt.autoread = true
vim.api.nvim_create_autocmd({ "FocusGained", "BufEnter", "CursorHold" }, {
    command = "silent! checktime",
})

Also ensure tmux has focus events enabled in your .tmux.conf:

set-option -g focus-events on

How nvim-sidebar Works

The plugin registers a PostToolUse hook on Write and Edit tool calls. On each hook invocation, the script inspects the current tmux window and picks a path:

Window state	Action
NeoVim pane exists	Open/refresh file via server RPC (--remote + :checktime)
No split (single pane)	Create a new horizontal split and launch NeoVim
One split — idle fish shell	Launch NeoVim inside the fish pane
One split — other shell	Exit silently
2+ splits	Exit silently

NeoVim is started with --listen /tmp/nvim-claude-<session> so subsequent edits find it by socket. After every edit, git diff is run and +/- signs are placed in the gutter via NeoVim's sign API.

Fish sidebar workflow