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pxsta/tmux-highlight-text-patch-LICENSE

Last active November 21, 2025 18:10
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tmux-highlight-text.patch enables tmux to highlight the text like iTerm2.
Raw
tmux-highlight-text-patch-README.md

tmux-highlight-text.patch

This patch enables tmux to highlight the text like iTerm2.
When some text in the terminal matches the regular expression set in tmux.conf, tmux highlights them.

usage

install

git clone -b 2.1 https://github.com/tmux/tmux.git
cd tmux
patch --dry-run -p0 < tmux-highlight-text.patch
patch -p0 < tmux-highlight-text.patch
sh autogen.sh
./configure && make

config

Write like this at the '.tmux.conf'.

set-option -g trigger-highlight "Regular Expression" "Colour" IgnoreCase

  • Regular Expression : When some text matches this regular expression, tmux highlights them.

  • Colour : Put 'Coulour[0-255]' like other *-fg options.

  • IgnoreCase : If ignorecase put 1, otherwise put 0.

example

set-option -g trigger-highlight "error|fail|fatal" colour9 1
set-option -g trigger-highlight "note" colour96 1
set-option -g trigger-highlight "warning" colour93 1
Raw
tmux-highlight-text.patch
diff --git Makefile.am Makefile.am
index 8b39ccf..711231f 100644
--- Makefile.am
+++ Makefile.am
@@ -139,6 +139,7 @@ dist_tmux_SOURCES = \
grid-cell.c \
grid-view.c \
grid.c \
+ highlight.c \
input-keys.c \
input.c \
job.c \
diff --git cmd-set-option.c cmd-set-option.c
index e0b07ed..8476fc3 100644
--- cmd-set-option.c
+++ cmd-set-option.c
@@ -63,10 +63,13 @@ struct options_entry *cmd_set_option_choice(struct cmd *, struct cmd_q *,
struct options_entry *cmd_set_option_style(struct cmd *, struct cmd_q *,
const struct options_table_entry *, struct options *,
const char *);
+struct options_entry *cmd_set_highlight(struct cmd *, struct cmd_q *,
+ const struct options_table_entry *, struct options *,
+ const char *);
const struct cmd_entry cmd_set_option_entry = {
"set-option", "set",
- "agoqst:uw", 1, 2,
+ "agoqst:uw", 1, 4,
"[-agosquw] [-t target-session|target-window] option [value]",
0,
cmd_set_option_exec
@@ -342,6 +345,10 @@ cmd_set_option_set(struct cmd *self, struct cmd_q *cmdq,
case OPTIONS_TABLE_STYLE:
o = cmd_set_option_style(self, cmdq, oe, oo, value);
break;
+ case OPTIONS_TABLE_HIGHLIGHT:
+ o = cmd_set_highlight(self, cmdq, oe, oo, value);
+ break;
+
}
if (o == NULL)
return (-1);
@@ -404,6 +411,25 @@ cmd_set_option_key(unused struct cmd *self, struct cmd_q *cmdq,
return (options_set_number(oo, oe->name, key));
}
+/* Set a highlight option. */
+struct options_entry *
+cmd_set_highlight(unused struct cmd *self, struct cmd_q *cmdq,
+ const struct options_table_entry *oe, struct options *oo,
+ const char *value)
+{
+ int fg, ignorecase;
+
+ if (self->args->argc < 4) {
+ cmdq_error(cmdq, "bad argument count : %d", self->args->argc);
+ return (NULL);
+ }
+
+ fg = colour_fromstring(self->args->argv[2]);
+ ignorecase = atoi(self->args->argv[3]);
+ add_highlight(value,fg, ignorecase);
+ return (options_set_number(oo,oe->name,fg));
+}
+
/* Set a colour option. */
struct options_entry *
cmd_set_option_colour(unused struct cmd *self, struct cmd_q *cmdq,
diff --git highlight.c highlight.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c297833
--- /dev/null
+++ highlight.c
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <string.h>
+#include <regex.h>
+
+#include "tmux.h"
+
+struct highlightlist all_highlights = LIST_HEAD_INITIALIZER(all_highlights);
+
+int add_highlight(const char *regstr, int fg, int ignorecase){
+ struct highlight *tmp_highlight, *new_highlight;
+ int flags=REG_EXTENDED | REG_NEWLINE;
+
+ LIST_FOREACH(tmp_highlight, &all_highlights, lentry) {
+ if (strcmp(tmp_highlight->regstr, regstr) == 0 && tmp_highlight->ignorecase == ignorecase) {
+ free(tmp_highlight->regstr);
+ regfree(&tmp_highlight->reg);
+ tmp_highlight->regstr = xmalloc(sizeof(char)*strlen(regstr));
+ strcpy(tmp_highlight->regstr, regstr);
+ tmp_highlight->fg = fg;
+ tmp_highlight->ignorecase = ignorecase;
+ if(tmp_highlight->ignorecase){
+ flags |= REG_ICASE;
+ }
+ if (regcomp(&tmp_highlight->reg, tmp_highlight->regstr, flags) != 0) {
+ fprintf(stderr, "regex compile failed");
+ return 1;
+ }
+ return 0;
+ }
+ }
+ new_highlight = xmalloc(sizeof(struct highlight));
+ new_highlight->regstr = xmalloc(sizeof(char)*strlen(regstr));
+ strcpy(new_highlight->regstr, regstr);
+ new_highlight->fg = fg;
+ new_highlight->ignorecase = ignorecase;
+ if (new_highlight->ignorecase) {
+ flags |= REG_ICASE;
+ }
+ if (regcomp(&new_highlight->reg, new_highlight->regstr, flags) != 0) {
+ fprintf(stderr, "regex compile failed");
+ return 1;
+ }
+
+ LIST_INSERT_HEAD(&all_highlights, new_highlight, lentry);
+ return 0;
+}
+
+struct highlight_search_result find_highlight_target(const u_char *target){
+ struct highlight *tmp_highlight;
+ struct highlight_search_result res = {.find = 0, .start = 0, .end = 0};
+ regmatch_t patternMatch;
+
+ LIST_FOREACH(tmp_highlight, &all_highlights, lentry) {
+ if (regexec(&tmp_highlight->reg, target, 1, &patternMatch, 0) == 0){
+ regoff_t tmp_startIndex = patternMatch.rm_so;
+ regoff_t tmp_endIndex = patternMatch.rm_eo;
+ if (tmp_startIndex == -1 || tmp_endIndex == -1) {
+ continue;
+ }
+ if (res.find == 0 || tmp_startIndex < res.start) {
+ res.start = tmp_startIndex;
+ res.end = tmp_endIndex;
+ res.fg = tmp_highlight->fg;
+ }
+ res.find = 1;
+ }
+ }
+ return res;
+}
diff --git input.c input.c
index ab56fc3..a45212c 100644
--- input.c
+++ input.c
@@ -47,6 +47,9 @@
* be passed to the underlying terminals.
*/
+/* To restore the original fg after the highlighting */
+int original_fg = -1;
+
/* Input parser cell. */
struct input_cell {
struct grid_cell cell;
@@ -840,6 +843,9 @@ input_parse(struct window_pane *wp)
struct evbuffer *evb = wp->event->input;
u_char *buf;
size_t len, off;
+ struct highlight_search_result search_res = {.find = 0};
+ size_t startIndex = 0;
+ size_t endIndex = 0;
if (EVBUFFER_LENGTH(evb) == 0)
return;
@@ -869,6 +875,26 @@ input_parse(struct window_pane *wp)
while (off < len) {
ictx->ch = buf[off++];
+ if (off > endIndex) {
+ if (original_fg >= 0) {
+ ictx->cell.cell.fg = original_fg;
+ original_fg = -1;
+ }
+
+ search_res = find_highlight_target((u_char*)((unsigned long)buf+endIndex));
+ if (search_res.find) {
+ startIndex = endIndex + search_res.start;
+ endIndex = endIndex + search_res.end;
+ }
+ }
+
+ if (search_res.find && startIndex < off && off <= endIndex) {
+ if (original_fg == -1) {
+ original_fg = ictx->cell.cell.fg;
+ }
+ ictx->cell.cell.fg = search_res.fg;
+ }
+
/* Find the transition. */
itr = ictx->state->transitions;
while (itr->first != -1 && itr->last != -1) {
diff --git options-table.c options-table.c
index e901e24..cbb826f 100644
--- options-table.c
+++ options-table.c
@@ -782,6 +782,10 @@ const struct options_table_entry window_options_table[] = {
.type = OPTIONS_TABLE_FLAG,
.default_num = 0
},
+ { .name = "trigger-highlight",
+ .type = OPTIONS_TABLE_HIGHLIGHT,
+ .default_num = -1
+ },
{ .name = NULL }
};
diff --git tmux.h tmux.h
index 4d19a5a..a466240 100644
--- tmux.h
+++ tmux.h
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
#include <stdarg.h>
#include <stdio.h>
#include <termios.h>
+#include <regex.h>
#ifdef HAVE_UTEMPTER
#include <utempter.h>
@@ -710,6 +711,22 @@ struct job {
};
LIST_HEAD(joblist, job);
+struct highlight{
+ char *regstr;
+ regex_t reg;
+ int fg;
+ int ignorecase;
+ LIST_ENTRY(highlight) lentry;
+};
+
+struct highlight_search_result{
+ int find;
+ off_t start;
+ off_t end;
+ int fg;
+};
+LIST_HEAD(highlightlist, highlight);
+
/* Screen selection. */
struct screen_sel {
int flag;
@@ -1376,7 +1393,8 @@ enum options_table_type {
OPTIONS_TABLE_ATTRIBUTES,
OPTIONS_TABLE_FLAG,
OPTIONS_TABLE_CHOICE,
- OPTIONS_TABLE_STYLE
+ OPTIONS_TABLE_STYLE,
+ OPTIONS_TABLE_HIGHLIGHT
};
struct options_table_entry {
@@ -1532,6 +1550,11 @@ struct job *job_run(const char *, struct session *, int,
void job_free(struct job *);
void job_died(struct job *, int);
+/* highlight.c */
+extern struct highlightlist all_highlights;
+int add_highlight(const char *, int, int);
+struct highlight_search_result find_highlight_target(const u_char *);
+
/* environ.c */
int environ_cmp(struct environ_entry *, struct environ_entry *);
RB_PROTOTYPE(environ, environ_entry, entry, environ_cmp);
@nvilochan
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nvilochan commented Jun 2, 2025

when loading the tmux config getting error "
set-option -g trigger-highlight "info" colour96 1
/root/.tmux.conf:84: usage: set-option [-aFgosquw] [-t target-window] option [value]

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