Web Dev Setup (WSL/Windows Terminal/tmux)

1. Windows Terminal – Role & Configuration

Key realization: Windows Terminal should be boring.

Its job is only to:

• Launch shells (Ubuntu, PowerShell, CMD)

• Provide a UI window

It should not:

• Orchestrate projects

• Restore complex sessions

• Launch multiple tabs automatically

Final approach

• Single Ubuntu profile

• No startupActions

• No project-specific WSL profiles

• No session restore dependency

Windows Terminal is the door, not the workspace.

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2. Linux Text Editor: nano

• nano filename

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3. tmux – The Real Workspace

tmux replaces Windows Terminal tabs: Stable, Scriptable, Survives terminal crashes, Independent of Windows UI state

Instead of multiple Terminal tabs:

• One Ubuntu tab
• Multiple tmux virtual windows inside it

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4. Workspace Bootstrap Script

File

~/.tmux/work.sh

Purpose

• Single source of truth for my daily workspace
• Idempotent (safe to run multiple times)
• Creates or re-attaches to the same tmux session

Responsibilities

• Create tmux session (work)

• Create named tmux windows

• cd into correct project directories

• Launch claude in the appropriate window

This replaces all Windows Terminal startup automation.

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5. Safe Auto‑Startup Hook

File

~/.bashrc

Pattern used

• Auto-start tmux only when:

  • Shell is interactive

  • tmux is installed

  • Not already inside tmux

This ensures:

• No recursion

• No script breakage

• No surprises in non-interactive shells

Result:

Open Terminal → Ubuntu → tmux workspace appears

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6. CRLF (Carriage Return / Line Feed) Problems

What causes CRLF issues

• ❌ Editing Linux files from Windows editors

• ❌ Git auto-converting line endings

• ❌ Copy/paste through clipboard tools

What does not cause CRLF issues

• Symlinks

• Windows backups

• Git (when configured correctly)

• Reading Linux files from Windows

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7. Ground Truth Summary

✔ Keep tmux scripts in Linux (~/.tmux)

✔ Symlink from Windows to Linux, not the other way around

✔ Windows sees files and backs them up

✔ Linux owns execution

✔ No CRLF issues if Windows never edits

✔ Git configuration locks line endings

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8. Mental Model (Important)

Windows Terminal  → Door
WSL              → House
tmux             → Office

• Reduce complexity at higher layers

• Push orchestration downward

• Keep Windows UI state simple

This architecture trades cleverness for reliability.

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9. Why This Works

This setup succeeds because:

• Each layer has a single responsibility

• Automation lives in Linux, not Windows UI

• Execution, configuration, and backup concerns are separated

Calm systems are predictable systems.

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Last updated: 2026‑01‑16