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Installation

Dracula for tmux can be installed using either tpm (Tmux Plugin Manager) or Nix. Choose the method that best fits your setup. The Tmux Plugin Manager (tpm) is the easiest way to install and manage tmux plugins, including automatic updates.

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Prerequisites

First, install tpm if you haven’t already: 
git clone https://github.com/tmux-plugins/tpm ~/.tmux/plugins/tpm

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Installation steps

1

Add plugin to tmux configuration

Open your ~/.tmux.conf file and add the Dracula plugin:
set -g @plugin 'dracula/tmux'
Add any configuration options below this line in your tmux config. Configuration must come after the plugin declaration.
2

Ensure tpm is initialized

Make sure the following line is at the bottom of your ~/.tmux.conf:
run -b '~/.tmux/plugins/tpm/tpm'
This line must be the last line in your configuration file.
3

Reload tmux configuration

If tmux is already running, reload the configuration:
tmux source ~/.tmux.conf
Or press prefix + : then type source ~/.tmux.conf and press Enter.
4

Install the plugin

Install Dracula using the tpm install command:
  • Press prefix + I (capital I)
  • Default prefix is Ctrl+b
  • Wait a few seconds for the installation to complete
You should see a message indicating the plugin was installed successfully.

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Example configuration

Here’s a complete example of a minimal ~/.tmux.conf with Dracula: 
# Enable mouse support
set -g mouse on

# Set 256 color terminal
set -g default-terminal "screen-256color"

# Dracula theme
set -g @plugin 'dracula/tmux'

# Dracula configuration
set -g @dracula-show-powerline true
set -g @dracula-plugins "cpu-usage ram-usage"
set -g @dracula-show-left-icon session

# Initialize tpm (keep this line at the very bottom)
run -b '~/.tmux/plugins/tpm/tpm'

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Updating the theme

To update Dracula and other tpm plugins:
  • Press prefix + U (capital U)
  • Select the plugins to update
  • Press Enter
You can update all plugins at once by selecting “all” in the update menu.

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Install with Nix

If you’re using NixOS or home-manager, you can install Dracula for tmux declaratively.

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Using home-manager

1

Add to home-manager configuration

Add the following to your home-manager configuration:
programs.tmux = {
  enable = true;
  clock24 = true;
  plugins = with pkgs.tmuxPlugins; [
    sensible
    yank
    {
      plugin = dracula;
      extraConfig = ''
        set -g @dracula-show-battery false
        set -g @dracula-show-powerline true
        set -g @dracula-refresh-rate 10
      '';
    }
  ];

  extraConfig = ''
    set -g mouse on
  '';
};
2

Apply the configuration

Run home-manager to apply the configuration:
home-manager switch
The theme will be automatically activated.
When using Nix, you don’t need to manually activate the theme. The “Activating theme” section for tpm doesn’t apply here.

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Nix configuration options

All Dracula configuration options work in the extraConfig block: 
{
  plugin = dracula;
  extraConfig = ''
    # Enable plugins
    set -g @dracula-plugins "cpu-usage gpu-usage ram-usage"
    
    # Powerline configuration
    set -g @dracula-show-powerline true
    set -g @dracula-show-flags true
    
    # Customize colors
    set -g @dracula-cpu-usage-colors "pink dark_gray"
    
    # Refresh rate
    set -g @dracula-refresh-rate 5
  '';
}

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Verifying installation

After installation, you should see:
  1. The status bar background changes to the Dracula color scheme
  2. The left icon appears (default is a session name)
  3. Any enabled plugins display on the right side of the status bar
If the theme doesn’t appear, make sure:
  • Your terminal supports 256 colors
  • tpm initialization line is at the bottom of ~/.tmux.conf
  • You’ve reloaded the tmux configuration
  • You’ve run the install command (prefix + I)

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Troubleshooting

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Theme not loading

  1. Check that tpm is installed: 
    ls ~/.tmux/plugins/tpm
  2. Verify plugin declaration in ~/.tmux.conf: 
    grep "dracula/tmux" ~/.tmux.conf
  3. Check tpm initialization: 
    tail -1 ~/.tmux.conf
    Should show: run -b '~/.tmux/plugins/tpm/tpm'

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Icons not displaying

If you see strange characters instead of icons:
  1. Install a Nerd Font or Powerline font
  2. Configure your terminal to use the patched font
  3. Reload tmux

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Colors look wrong

Ensure your terminal supports 256 colors: 
set -g default-terminal "screen-256color"
# or
set -g default-terminal "tmux-256color"
Add this line before the plugin declaration in your ~/.tmux.conf.

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Next steps

Quick start

Learn how to configure and customize your new theme

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