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Quick start

This guide will help you go from a fresh Dracula installation to a fully customized status bar in just a few minutes.

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Minimal configuration

The simplest working configuration requires just two lines in your ~/.tmux.conf: 
set -g @plugin 'dracula/tmux'
run -b '~/.tmux/plugins/tpm/tpm'
This gives you the Dracula theme with default settings. However, you’ll want to enable some plugins to make the status bar useful.

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Basic setup with plugins

1

Enable your first plugins

Add plugins to your ~/.tmux.conf between the plugin declaration and tpm initialization:
# Dracula theme
set -g @plugin 'dracula/tmux'

# Enable plugins (add this line)
set -g @dracula-plugins "cpu-usage ram-usage"

# Initialize tpm
run -b '~/.tmux/plugins/tpm/tpm'
This displays CPU and RAM usage in your status bar.
2

Reload tmux configuration

Apply the changes:
tmux source ~/.tmux.conf
Or press prefix + : then type source ~/.tmux.conf.
3

Verify plugins are working

Look at your tmux status bar. You should see:
  • CPU usage percentage on the right
  • RAM usage (used/total GB) next to it
Plugins update every 5 seconds by default. You can change this with set -g @dracula-refresh-rate 10.
Here’s a well-balanced configuration that works great for developers: 
# True color support
set -g default-terminal "screen-256color"

# Enable mouse
set -g mouse on

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

# Configure plugins
set -g @dracula-plugins "git cpu-usage ram-usage network time"

# Enable powerline symbols
set -g @dracula-show-powerline true

# Show left icon as session name
set -g @dracula-show-left-icon session

# Enable high contrast pane border
set -g @dracula-border-contrast true

# Display flags (*, -, etc.)
set -g @dracula-show-flags true

# Initialize tpm (keep this at the bottom)
run -b '~/.tmux/plugins/tpm/tpm'
This configuration gives you:
  • Git branch and status
  • CPU and RAM monitoring
  • Network connection status
  • Date and time
  • Clean powerline separators
Choose a combination that fits your workflow: 
set -g @dracula-plugins "cpu-usage ram-usage battery network time"
The order you list plugins is the order they appear on the status bar, from left to right.

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Enabling powerline

For beautiful powerline separators:
1

Install a Nerd Font

Download and install a Nerd Font. Popular choices:
  • JetBrains Mono Nerd Font
  • Fira Code Nerd Font
  • Hack Nerd Font
Configure your terminal to use the font you installed.
2

Enable powerline in tmux config

set -g @dracula-show-powerline true
3

Optional: Enable edge icons

For icons at the edges of the status bar:
set -g @dracula-show-edge-icons true
4

Reload configuration

tmux source ~/.tmux.conf
You should now see beautiful powerline separators like “ between your status bar plugins.

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Customizing plugin appearance

Each plugin can have custom colors: 
# Available colors: white, gray, dark_gray, light_purple, 
# dark_purple, cyan, green, orange, red, pink, yellow

set -g @dracula-cpu-usage-colors "pink dark_gray"
set -g @dracula-ram-usage-colors "cyan dark_gray"
set -g @dracula-git-colors "green dark_gray"
The format is: "[background] [foreground]"
For more advanced color customization, see the Color theming documentation.

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Common plugin configurations

Here are quick configurations for popular plugins:

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Git plugin

set -g @dracula-plugins "git"
set -g @dracula-git-show-current-symbol ✓
set -g @dracula-git-show-diff-symbol !
set -g @dracula-git-show-remote-status true

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Battery plugin

set -g @dracula-plugins "battery"
set -g @dracula-show-battery-status true
set -g @dracula-battery-label "🔋 "
Or use Nerd Font icons only: 
set -g @dracula-battery-label false
set -g @dracula-show-battery-status true

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Network plugin

set -g @dracula-plugins "network"
set -g @dracula-network-wifi-label " "
set -g @dracula-network-ethernet-label "󰈀 "

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Time plugin

set -g @dracula-plugins "time"
set -g @dracula-military-time true
set -g @dracula-day-month true
set -g @dracula-show-timezone false
Or custom format: 
set -g @dracula-time-format "%F %R"

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Weather plugin

set -g @dracula-plugins "weather"
set -g @dracula-fixed-location "New York"
set -g @dracula-show-fahrenheit false  # Use Celsius
set -g @dracula-show-location false     # Hide location name

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Complete example configuration

Here’s a full .tmux.conf that brings it all together: 
# ===== Basic tmux settings =====
set -g default-terminal "screen-256color"
set -g mouse on
set -g base-index 1           # Start window numbering at 1
set -g pane-base-index 1      # Start pane numbering at 1
set -g renumber-windows on    # Renumber windows when one is closed

# ===== Key bindings =====
# Remap prefix from 'C-b' to 'C-a'
unbind C-b
set -g prefix C-a
bind C-a send-prefix

# Split panes using | and -
bind | split-window -h
bind - split-window -v
unbind '"'
unbind %

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

# Plugins to display
set -g @dracula-plugins "git cpu-usage ram-usage network weather time"

# Powerline settings
set -g @dracula-show-powerline true
set -g @dracula-show-flags true
set -g @dracula-show-left-icon session
set -g @dracula-border-contrast true

# Plugin-specific settings
set -g @dracula-cpu-usage-colors "pink dark_gray"
set -g @dracula-ram-usage-colors "cyan dark_gray"
set -g @dracula-git-show-remote-status true
set -g @dracula-show-fahrenheit false
set -g @dracula-military-time true

# Refresh rate (in seconds)
set -g @dracula-refresh-rate 5

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

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Next steps

Now that you have a working configuration:

Configuration

Explore all available plugins and options

Color theming

Learn advanced color customization

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Tips and tricks

Left icon customization: Display hostname instead of session name:
set -g @dracula-show-left-icon "#h | #S"
This shows: hostname | session_name
Hide empty plugins: If a plugin has no data, hide it completely:
set -g @dracula-show-empty-plugins false
Compact mode: Automatically switch to minimal plugins when terminal is narrow:
set -g @dracula-plugins "compact-alt cpu-usage ram-usage network time"
set -g @dracula-narrow-plugins "compact-alt battery time"
set -g @dracula-compact-min-width 140
Configuration options must be set after the plugin declaration (set -g @plugin 'dracula/tmux') and before tpm initialization (run -b '~/.tmux/plugins/tpm/tpm').

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